Ideas for Setting Up a Garage

Storage/Organization

• Remedy the cluttered storage problem with the addition of shelves, hooks and cabinets. Dedicate an entire wall to your organizational needs; install shelves that cover the whole wall or mix it up with a series of shelves and cabinets. Label the outside of the cabinets with the contents to prevent opening several cabinets to find what you need. Place items in clear storage containers before placing them on shelves so you can see what's inside the containers without having to open them. Add hooks to a wall for hanging hoses, extension cords, ladders or bicycles. Label each hook with the corresponding item so it is easy to return items after use. Implementing these storage solutions clears up valuable floor space for parking cars.

Work Station

• Many homeowners use their garage as a place for woodworking, working on cars and other hobbies. Hobbies are much easier when all the essential items are in one place; a garage work station makes this easy. Install a counter with upper and lower cabinets to hold all the hobby essentials; you can purchase these new, build them from scratch or recycle cabinets and counters from a recent kitchen renovation. Dedicate a section of the counter for stationary tools, such as chop saws, lathes and grinders. Hang a pegboard over the work station for organizing tools within arm's reach. It helps to outline each tool so you can put it back when not in use.

Office

• Homeowners who work from home need a dedicated home office and you can easily set this up in a corner of the garage. A large built-in desk with clever cabinets and drawers will provide enough storage so you can keep all documents and equipment in one place. You may need to wire the garage if you need Internet and phone service because most garages are not built with this purpose in mind. If you need to see clients in the office and don't want them to see all your stored items, you can hang a curtain to partition the space or frame the office in with drywall.

Recreation Area

• Garages that are not used for parking cars have plenty of floor space to set up a recreation area. A pool table or air hockey table would make an ideal addition for families who love to entertain and play games. Use a corner of the garage as a board game area; provide a small table and shelves for storing all the games. You could also use the garage like an extra family room, complete with a couch, coffee table, television and video game systems. The relaxed atmosphere is ideal for informal seating, such as bean bag and papasan chairs. Whatever activities you choose for your garage, be sure to provide plenty of cabinets, shelves and storage racks to hold all the game equipment.