Thursday, July 4, 2013

50 UHeart Organizing: Giddy for Garage Organization

I have featured a few garages around this bloggy place, and they are all super special, boast amazing storage and show that a garage truly is an extension of the home.  I am always impressed with how excited you people make me about a space I typically don't give a lot of thought to {it is usually my hubby's man cave}.  Well, superstar Cassie has to come along today and shows us that a garage doesn't just have to just be functional, it can be CUTE  and functional {can you believe I set "cute" and "garage" in the same sentence?}.  Yep, she is a star at taking organization to the next level, and she did that once again, in the garage.  Be ready to be impressed!  Here is the beauty now... {and by beauty, I meant both Cassie and her garage!}


Hello fellow I Heart Organizing fans! It's always such a treat to share projects with you guys, and since it's Outdoor Month around here, I'm thrilled to finally have a tidy, and cheerful, garage to show you!  In most houses, the garage is the Mister's domain. But as a DIY home blogger, I contribute at least half the junk that clutters up our garage. OK, most of the junk.

It was such a gradual process of adding tools, paint, and materials over the years, that I hadn't realized just how chaotic the space had become.  I almost dreaded the start of each new project, because I could never find everything I needed. Organizing the garage seemed so overwhelming,
that I just kept putting it off.

Once we upgraded our builder-basic garage door for only $15, things looked good on the outside, but behind those closed doors was a hot-mess.


A few weeks ago, I finally ripped off the band-aid and attacked it! So quickly, in fact, that I forgot to take 'Before' shots. Bad blogger!  But I'm sure you can all imagine a garage with over-flowing shelves and piles along every edge. My goal was to have things organized within reach, and spend very little money. (Who wants to spend a bunch of money on the garage?!). Ikea's Gorm Unit was a great place to start.


I organized the Spray paint, Tools, and new Shelves...all of which was huge improvement, but I just couldn't stop there. I decided I wanted to have a little fun, and create a cheery spot to greet us everyday.


The plain white pegboard was just begging to be painted, so I taped off our last initial.


A few coats of latex paint later, and we had a bright, custom pegboard.



It's easier to arrange all your tools on the floor like a puzzle first, then transfer them to the board. I
practically jump up and down squealing when I need a screwdriver now.


These pegboard hooks hold everything firmly in place.


For small items like craft brushes and pencils, I wrapped a recycled soup can with coordinating washi tape, drilled a hole in the back, and hung it on a hook.



And instead of my big paintbrushes and work rags sitting in the Kitchen sink after rinsing, I can hang them to dry on hooks in the garage..



We found all kinds of lost treasures when cleaning out the garage, one being this shoe organizer. As luck would have it, each pouch holds two full-size cans of spray paint perfectly! Of course I had to put them in rainbow order. Primer, sealer, specialty paints, and spray adhesives have spots at the bottom. I have several different brands, and all fit two-by-two in the pouches....that's a total of 48 cans this baby will organize...and all within my reach!


Next came the large yard tools. Honestly, I don't reach for these often, but seeing them all lined up makes me happy!


They each hang from a basic hook screwed directly in the wall.


Let's tour the shelves now, shall we?! It's amazing how much they hold!


First, I rounded-up all 187 of our paint cans, and opened each one. I couldn't believe how many had gone bad, but were still taking up precious space on our shelves. The rest were all half-empty, and many had rusted rims, so it was only a matter of time until they went bad, too.

So I followed Jen's lead, and transferred them all to pint and quart-sized mason jars with airtight lids. Then labeled each (using this easy method) with the color name, location in the house it's used, finish, and type of paint.


Many of my projects are small, or just touch-ups, so I went with wide-mouth jars so a brush would easily fit. This keeps me from having to pour the paint into a separate container, and the jars are easy to hold and shake. Not only do the pretty rows of paint make me happy, but it's easy to see what colors I already have on hand.


Once the paint was consolidated, I went after the rest of the garage crappola. I sorted everything into piles by category, then organized them in sturdy plastic bins (like these). With labels and washi tape, of course.


I like to see details, so I'll show you the contents of each shelf.


Paint trays and Dropcloths | Work Gloves | Rags
Staple Gun & Staples | Caulk, Glues & Putty, along with putty knives and spatulas
Stains & Wood Conditioner | Pint Jars of Paint from smaller projects



Full Gallons of Paint | Paint Conditioner
Car Fluids | Lawn Sprays & Seed | Random items like Plaster of Paris and drain thingie
The bucket holds all the car wash gear


Light Bulbs | Miter Box, Hooks & Clamps
Quart jars of paint from rooms and larger projects
Toolbox with Mr. Sugarplum's randomness | Nails, Screws, Anchors, etc

 

Paint Supplies | Sander, Sanding Blocks & Paper | Drill, Bits & Extension Cord
Painter, Packing & Duck Tapes | Bug Sprays | More lawn crap

The cool thing about this system, is each bin has everything you need for that job. No more looking for a drill bit in the bottom of the paint pan! The extra shelves also allowed me to store more things
outside (like light bulbs and tape), which freed up room in my utility room cabinets. It never ceases to amaze me how organizing can actually create more space!

And since these shelves are wood, I screwed in cup hooks for smaller items I reach for regularly, like scissors and paint openers.


I also have labeled paint swatches for every room and project in the house, and they hang from another hook for quick reference.


How about this little corner of organized bliss?!?!


Oh that door, how I love thee!! I figured there's no harm in going color-crazy in the garage, right? Oh who am I kidding, the other side of this door is already pretty crazy (it's the Mudroom). It's green with turquoise trim, and makes us all beyond happy.


I created a small landing zone for things we need quick access to...like sunscreen, bug spray and a flashlight. There are also some fun hooks for things I don't necessarily want in the house yet...like sweaty hats and wet towels. My daughter loves this bag I made, and keeps it stocked with art supplies for long afternoons at the ballpark.


The old doormat was pretty sad, so I spraypainted stripes on it for new life. I may go back and add a monogram like this mat we made.


The final corner of the garage is dedicated to sports equipment. If you have kids, or an active husband, chances are, you have gear for every sport laying around your garage. Including the dreaded metal scooter, that always falls and clips me in the ankle when I get out of the car. As our collection grew, it started piling up around the perimeter of the garage...making it a tight fit for our cars, and moms with bony ankles.


Thanks to this Monkey Bar system, even the scooters have a new home, away from my ankles! Along with 4 bats, a hitting stick, 8 full-size balls, a bike pump, and an extra hook for bags!


As for the gloves and smaller balls, I used a wall rack leftover from this bathroom organization project, and hung a flat-bottom girl basket on a leftover hook from the Mudroom.


The basket is great for transporting to batting practice...the boys just grab the whole thing off the hook, and it sits on the ground without spilling.


Baseball mitts hang nearby on this cool Ikea gadget (I can't find the link because I don't know it's crazy Swedish name?! Can anyone help? Bueller?) 


We've got another one near the bikes for helmets.


Puuuuuuurty! The ladders hang from these heavy-duty screws, drilled directly in the wall.


Whew!! That concludes the tour of our Happy Organized Garage!! I thought about painting the walls, too, but Texas is already near 100-degrees...ain't nobody got time for that! So I swept the floor
instead.


Have you tackled any part of your garage? I'd love to hear tips you have on getting and keeping it organized! Happy holiday weekend, lovebugs!


"Hi, I'm Cassie, a DIY and design-obsessed Texas girl, and lover of travel, fashion, sarcasm and Mexican food. When I'm not hanging with my sweet and funny family, you can find me kicking the '80s out of our home, one budget project at a time, on my blog Hi Sugarplum!"


50 comments:

  1. I aspire to have an organized garage in my next home. I love the idea of using a shoe organizer for spray paint! genius. and the ikea bin for baseballs. your green door made me smile : )

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  2. Thanks for sharing! Our garage definitely needs some love... I hope I can do it this summer, or maybe in fall so the other car can be in the garage next winter. ;)
    Jule

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  3. This is a great looking garage! Are you not concerned though about the lawn chemicals that are sitting at the bottom of the shelves, within easy reach of children?

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    1. Great point Helen! Cassie's kids are older, but it is always something to be cautious of.

      xo!
      Jen

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  4. Wow. This just blows my mind. How does one have the brain cells to manage being this organized? I wouldn't even know where to begin!

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    1. I know right?! I felt the same way, so much goodness in one post!!

      xo,
      Jen

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  5. You make me want to run right outside and organize my garage! (Not really) I must say I actually enjoyed reading this post and it is motivating ;-) Who knew?
    Yeah I think that Texas heat would make anyone say "ain't nobody got time for that!"
    This is definitely going in the folder to do when the weather cools down.
    Thanks so much

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  6. Love it! I wish I could store all my paint supplies in our garage. But it freezes here. Bummer! It does give me a boost to want to start shoveling out my garage again though!

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  7. Hi, Cassie and Jen! I love this beautiful garage and the lovely garage door in my favorite color, green! I am bookmarking this post for all its great suggestions!

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  8. Fantastic! If we had a garage I would definitely want it to be this functional (and pretty). Hopefully I can convince my boyfriend to help me do this to our basement storage.

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  9. Great job!! Would love to know where you got the organizers for the screws, anchors, etc. Those look like exactly what my dad needs for his shop! :) Thanks!!

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    1. Hi KK!

      They look like these from IKEA: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90224232/

      xo!
      Jen

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    2. Yep! They are little kits Ikea sells...perfect for me and the smaller projects I tend to do!

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  10. I really love it Cassie! So many great ideas for different shaped (and hard to store) things:) Just out of curiosity, where did you find your Monkey Bar storage items? Those are awesome! Thanks so much for sharing:)

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    1. Hi Deana!

      They have a website you can checkout: http://www.monkeybarstorage.com/

      xo!
      Jen

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    2. Check the link Jen gave for all their systems, and where to buy them. I've seen similar things at Home Depot and Container Store, too.

      Hope this helps!

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  11. I'm swooning over the spray paint all lined up in those pockets!!!!
    I am in the works to buy a smaller place- with a single-car garage, so I know I will have to be very organized. Been looking at those Monkey Bar systems- those are sweet.
    Thanks for sharing!

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  12. It looks so good! Do you happen to remember where you got those elephant hooks?

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    1. Thanks Laura -- Those elephant hooks hung in my first apartment...if that tells you how long I've had them! :) I'm pretty sure I picked them up at Pier 1...which still sells similar items. Maybe check World Market, too.

      xo. C

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  13. I love this! Especially the paint storage -- so smart and pretty! I can't imagine how long it took you to pull this off, though. At least a weekend, right?

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    1. Thanks Dee! I split the projects up over several weekends...you can see the process on my blog, but I dedicated a few hours each weekend to an area. After a month or so, it was done!

      xo. C

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  14. Would love to know what the source for the containers that hold the screws!

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    1. Hi Mindy!

      They look like these from IKEA: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90224232/

      xo!
      Jen

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  15. I love that peg board!!!! Such a great idea to paint it! And this has me wanting to paint the door leading to the garage now too!!

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  16. I love Cassie's cute garage! That girl can make anything cute! My favorite thing is her paint organization. It is so pretty and easy to find--brilliant! Thanks so much for sharing, Jen and Cassie! Have a great weekend!

    ~Abby =)

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  17. a.mazing! does anyone know the name of the red ikea gadget things>

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  18. Great job on organizing the garage! Thanks for giving me the motivation I need to get started on decluttering ours. I love the hanging flat bottomed basket you used to organize the balls, where did you purchase it from? I've been looking for something similar for months now. THanks~~Mary

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    1. Hi Mary!

      It looks like IKEA to me, but here is hoping Cassie drops by to let us know for sure. :)

      xo,
      Jen

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    2. Yes, another Ikea goodie!!! It's sold in the Kitchen accessories area...I think they intend it for storing plastic bags?!

      xo. C

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  19. Such a great idea! Instead of putting the shovel and other gardening tool in one corner you came out the idea like this.I will tell this idea to hubby.His tools is just scattered and most of them are in one corner. thanks for sharing your ideas.

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  20. I've been sloooooooowly re-organizing my garage. I've found that the key is to take it section by section, otherwise you might get overwhelmed. Mine will be awhile before it will be completely overhauled as I have a few major items stored in there that needs to be sold or taken to the dump, but it's looking much better than before. And now I can find stuff. :)

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    1. Totally agree!! That's what took me so long to tackle our garage...I was just overwhelmed looking at it! Finally I just started with one area, then the next weekend I tackled another area. After awhile, it was done!!

      xo. C

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  21. Love! I finally got our paint supplies organized, but have a long way to go to complete the entire garage. So many fabulous ideas that I can't wait to use here!

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  22. Love this! Question on garage storage... up here in Minnesota it gets mighty cold. What should I not store in an attached garage in the winter? or the baking heat of the summer?

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    1. Great question!

      Most items will let you know right on the packaging how they need to be stored {temperature wise}. Unfortunately for us, that means most paints can not be stored in the garage in the summer or winter since our temps are so extreme. I like to keep mine stored in our basement. Larger cans in a small storage room and spray paints and touch up jars in the laundry room in a cabinet.

      xo!
      Jen

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    2. We don't get the extreme cold that ya'll get...but it surely gets hot!! But our garage is covered and enclosed, and now that the paint is tucked up against an interior wall, it stays more temperature moderate. That's the great thing about the paint jars though, they don't take up much space so you could move them to an inside cabinet when the weather necessitates.

      xo. C

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  23. Why does an organized garage make me feel so happy? This is beautiful and so functional, great job!!!

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  24. OMG - Can you come do my garage???? I love it!

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  25. I know this seem like a ridiculous question, but I see all of these pretty garages and think, "How do these people not have any bugs or spider webs?!?!?" I have nothing in my garage except for 2 vehicles and a couple of my 3 year old's toys because of the beetles and other bugs that accumulate. I assume it's mostly bugs that fly around the light then die while the garage is closed. Am I the only person that deals with this or is everybody just cleaning it up for pictures?? Just trying to make myself feel better here...

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    1. Hi Lauren!

      I think it is a combination of both. It is always important to remember that when individuals are blogging about projects, they are going to keep them inspiring. I wouldn't want to spend 6 hours building a table and plop it in the middle of a dirty deck for the post. I would sweep and clean the deck first, so the table/project is highlighted and the photos are inspiring. Dust, dirt, clutter, etc... can distract from a project being posted about. So yes, you can assume that majority of the time, a lot of cleaning is happening no matter what the project.

      However, I am guessing that it is also much easier to clean and do a quick sweep/vacuum in a garage if it's nice and tidy and clutter is off the floor. :)

      xoxo!
      Jen

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    2. Well said, jen!! That's all true for me.

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  26. Talk about "squealing" for great ideas! Our garage is uncluttered, but we're not all the way to pretty yet, so I love your extra touches. We've got a wreath on the door, a "wipe your feet" sign, a strip of wallpaper (yes, wallpaper, but it's only up with thumb tacks!) behind our shelves of extra drinks/recycling bin/fire extinguisher.

    YES to the monogram idea, and brilliant use of cup hooks on the shelf fronts instead of adding containers to the peg board.
    You've got me raring to get to the basement and hang up my spray paint!

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  27. Great job! As a professional organizer I can appreciate the garage area a big deal. Great photos as well! :)

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  28. I love this and saved in my email! What is the big F for on the pegboard? :)

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    1. Thanks, ND! The F is our last name initial...I'm a sucker for a monogram any chance I get! :)

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  29. I'm surprised with all the paint you had you didn't use any to paint the shelves. it would have added a nice touch.

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    1. I agree it would look lovely! However, when storing many heavy items in such a high traffic area, it could be a lot of maintenance to prevent chipping and maintain a nicely painted finish.

      xo!
      Jen

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  30. This looks incredible. My fiance and I just bought our first home, but have to add on a garage. Surprisingly garage prices aren't as high as I would have expected. Once mine is all ready maybe I could use some of these ideas! Thanks for the inspiration.

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  31. What size clear storage bins are those? Just want to make sure that mine will fit. Love the GORM storage shelves. Great value. Thanks for sharin!

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