Garage Storage Ideas You Can’t Live Without

Who is loving Marie Kondo at the moment?

We have been systemically making our way through our house, cleaning each space.

I am finding great joy (see what I did there?), collecting, sorting then donating or discarding all of the items that no longer have a place in my life.

But when I got to garage storage ideas and organisation, I felt a little lost.

Admission time.

The only time I ever go into the garage is to get the car in or out, or to access the freezer that we have in there. I rarely take note of what is in there, and…….I don’t really care.

So, it was interesting to head into the dark space with fresh eyes.

All I could see was dirty old items that were rarely used and should be thrown out. Dusty piles of nails, dirty tools, and cardboard boxes of rubbish containing goodness knows what.

My husband, however, saw something entirely different. Apparently, every item was ‘important’, ‘expensive’ and ‘must be kept’.

The issue I see with a lot of garage items is that they are not used every day, such as lawn mowers. Many items are there ‘just in case’ they are needed, like tools. For this reason, a very effective storage system needs to be put in place to make sure these ‘occasional’ items are stored safely and out of the way. But, not so far out of the way that they are difficult to get to when required. Easy access is still a necessity.

So with the above in mind, we set out to create a space that was both organised and inviting.

 

Garage Wall Storage Ideas

 

If your garage is anything like ours, the majority of the space is taken up by a vehicle or two. This is why finding a way to effectively maximise space on your garage walls is so important.

Luckily for us, we have the space to install some shelving along our walls.

For heavier items and boxes, we used this longspan shelving.

Longspan storage units work well because they can be customised depending on the height and length that is required. Then, each shelf level can be adjustable to suit the height of the items you are storing.

When deciding whether to go heavy or light duty, we always recommend to pay a little extra for the heavier duty shelving, if your budget allows it. That way, if in the future you buy something extra heavy or bulky, you don’t need to upgrade your shelving.

If you don’t have the extra cash to splash on heavy duty, light duty wire shelving still works really well.

You can also raise the bottom shelf level to store items underneath, making the most of available floor space.

However, not everyone has the space for shelving in their garage, and some of us don’t even require it.

So, what is the next best thing?

Slatwall for Garages

We love slatwall or slat panel!

Take a look at some of the awesome examples here:

 

The best thing about slatwall is the choice you have when it comes to accessories. You can use hooks, boxes, baskets, railing – anything! And with slatwall, you can move these items about whenever you choose, which works well if your storage needs ever change.

Slatwall is simple to install and makes the most of available storage space.

How do I attach slatwall to my wall?

Depending on the surface you are working with, there are various options available.

If you are attaching to plaster, locating the timber stud is the best way to make the panel secure. Once located, simply attach it to the wall using a drill. Drilling through the aluminium insert is the most secure way to do this because the insert offers extra support.

If you are attaching to concrete or brick, use the appropriate masonry anchor, available at your local hardware store.

We absolutely love this slatwall set up from A Beautiful Mess.

Unfortunately, ours is not quite as pretty, but it still does the job!

Garage Workbenches

For me personally, I can take or leave a workbench. It’s just not a priority. My husband, however, has different ideas.

We used a workbench with wooden top, but there are heaps of others available. You could always try this steel workbench for only $99, or if you are looking for something a little more heavy duty, try your local Bunnings or hardware store.

Nuts and Bolts Storage

We find these storage bins and louvre panels particularly handy. The bins come in all shapes and sizes so you can find the size that suits your needs. They can also be attached to the panel in any order, and with various colours available, you could even colour code your plastic bins!

There is a place for labelling too, for the true organisers out there.

Overhead Garage Storage

Why not utilise the room space in your garage, if the you have room to do so?
Some people choose to have their sports gear, such as canoes and bikes, stored overhead. For us, it was much more simple. We only need a spot for our excess wood.

The image of our overhead storage is coming soon, but in the meatime, for larger or more complex items, we love these ideas.

After we had finished our garage storage project, we had utilised the space on the walls, floors and overhead.

I wouldn’t call it my most satisfying organisation project, but I certainly had a new found appreciation for our garage space after spending some time in there.

We hope these garage storage ideas have given you some inspiration to tackle this area of your house.