Last month I started working with a new client who has a long list of projects that she would like to tackle. After meeting with her and taking a look around her home I suggested that we start with her garage. I thought it would give her the most bang for her buck and it would really motivate her to tackle some of the smaller projects on her own. She is an organized person by nature but had become overwhelmed with the volume of items that had piled up over the years and needed someone to act as project manager and muscle.
We discussed her needs and goals for the space and decided that it was critical that she have a dedicated craft area and household storage, both short term and long term. You can see in this before picture that the garage was filled to the brim. My assistant and I started by pulling everything out and sorting it into piles. As we filled up the driveway I would work with my client to make decisions on what to keep and what to part with. From there I would have Matt put the sellable items on the truck along with items for donation and the items that she wanted to keep were put into “like” groupings until we had a framework to put them away.
The project took us a day and a half and the results are amazing. The after pictures don’t show one of those garages that you see in magazines (that no one ever uses) but a space that has function and an organized layout that my client can maintain.
The left side of the room is dedicated to household storage that has a short term life span, i.e. things she uses more often. I had my assistant rip the old shelves down because they weren’t serving a purpose and we moved the white shelving across the room (you really can’t see them in the before shots). All of the items from the upper shelving was also brought down and sorted and now houses the household items that she uses infrequently like holiday decorations and memorabilia.
The right side of the room functions as a craft room and craft storage. My client likes to create mosaics so we gave her ample table room and stored all of her tiles in the tall Rubbermaid shelf. You can also see that she uses spray paint (the red spots on floor), with the changes we made she has room to put down a tarp and let her items dry.
We repurposed vinyl tablecloths that we found while organizing the space. The checked table on the far back wall serves as her tool station. All of her power tools have docking stations and can always be charging. She also has her hand tools in quick reach…
There were several large furniture items on the left side of the room. We put the trunk and a large roll top desk out on the sidewalk (I’m so proud of my client for letting go!) and a nice man stopped and picked them up. Turns out he was a furniture restorer so it was great that both pieces would have a second life. The smaller furniture pieces and miscellaneous items were brought back to my warehouse to be sold online.
I love her new outdoor pantry and household storage area. She can easily take an inventory of what she needs at a quick glance and after we grouped like items together it looks like she will be stocked for awhile.
The new craft area on the right side of the room makes me so happy. It really shows that you can create a customized space by using items that you already own. My client can really be free to work without having any clutter cloud her creative juices.
I used my clear shoe boxes to house supplies that are used less often and placed them on the top shelf to maximize storage. All of the other baskets, bins, and storage items were things she already owned.
Well I hope you enjoyed this transformation as much as I did! This project really illustrates that sometimes it is just the clutter that is causing a room not to function, not just the room itself. I hope this inspires you to tackle your garage and turn it into a useful space instead of a holding zone for things you don’t love or need.
Absolutely amazing!!!! I sooo feel like my stamping room is very similar to the “before” pics. Great job!!!
Awesome transformation! I love your commentary that explains your clients’ needs and goals for each space! As significant as is your gift to organize is your gift of listening to your clients. You are truly an inspiration!
Thank you Tari!
My only question is where does the car go??
Hi Paula! Her garage is to narrow to fit a modern car so she parks it in the driveway.
Great organizing, love the way the entire garage has been organized. Get organized NYC