Styling The Aspirational Garage.
The last thing you want to do every day (or want open home viewers to have to do), is squeeze between muddy bikes and collapsing cardboard boxes, tripping on old boogie boards and the cord of the weed whacker on your way to the car. If the car even fits!
First, yes you guessed it… De-Clutter!
You probably don’t need that length of old hose that leaks, or the broken outdoor chairs that you were going to fix the year before last. Donate the good stuff and take the junk to the tip or pitch in with neighbours and get a skip. There are also junk removal companies who will come to your home and take it all away.
Then when you only have the useful, practical and loved things left over, it’s time to work out storage and clear the floor.
A fast and effective way of making this area look as spacious as possible is to install shelving and tool racks or holders.
You can choose from handy-person built wooden shelves, metal freestanding units (check out The Warehouse, Bunnings & Mitre10), or professionally installed workshop storage systems.
Match shelf dimensions with plastic storage boxes, either clear boxes so you can see what’s inside or get that label maker out! Matching boxes look best, but you can also use colour to indicate purpose. Use a label maker anyway – they’re fun.
Put like with like in those lovely new storage boxes:
- Power cords, spare light bulbs and fuses.
- Hose parts and watering system gadgets.
- Car cleaning equipment.
- You get the idea.
Install sturdy holders and hooks to get bikes and garden tools off the ground, keep cords loosely looped and tidy.
If you have the wall space a pegboard with tool holders always looks impressive and is very practical.
If you just don’t want shelving, fair enough. Get some big plastic storage boxes with lids, fill them, stack them and label them (did I mention label makers are awesome?).
