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Transform Your Garage into a Multi-use Room

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Your garage is often the most neglected room in your home. It gets dumped with everything from garden tools, to sports gear as well as everything to do with the car.  In many cases it gets so full there is hardly any room for the actual vehicle itself. If you could transform your garage into a multi-use room you could end up with a room which is high functioning and accessible for all of the family.

Below we will take a look at examples of high functioning rooms which I hope will inspire you to begin your garage weekend make-over.

Sports Hub

For most young families, keeping the kids active is really important. The garage will usually store all of the equipment needed to enjoy an adventure-packed lifestyle. This can include sports bikes, roller skates and blades, skate boards, tennis racquets, surf and boogie boards as well as balls and bats from all codes.

garage studios

A great way to manage most of these sporting items is by hanging them off the walls. It frees up the premium floor space but is also very practical in terms of accessibility. Rather than having bikes piled one on to of the other, having them hung off the wall keeps them secure and easy to access when required.

StoreWALL offers a bike ready hook which can be used to hang pretty much any bike, big or small. We also offer larger brackets which are ideal for your surfing, skiing and general water sport equipment.

By using the full length of the wall through the use of slatwalls, you can avoid shelving taking up all of the space. Shelving has its place but it is also a bulky storage system which isn’t easy to relocate. It can also begun challenging when needing to access smaller items that fall to the back of a shelf.

Manage Your Space with Zones

A great way to manage your space is through the use of Zones. It makes items easy to find but also access and return. Grouping your sporting goods together will give your kids ideas next time they are in the garage. The same applies to your camping or water gear. Having the range of equipment visible can motivate kids to put them on and get active. Roller blades are a great example. Stuffed inside a box, means they are forgotten and hardly used. On a bright sunny day, they could be a Sunday afternoon full of action.

Transform Your Garage into a Multi-use Room

Shelving is an important storage component for all garages. It gives you the ability to crate layers of storage as well as protect your goods by having them kept within containers.

Bottom Shelf – The bottom tiers (closest to the ground) of a shelving unit should be used for storing large, heavy items which are harder to lift and move around. Everyday items that are used regularly should ideally be stored on the middle shelves so that adults as well as kids can access them when required. If you are using containers, clear labelling can assist with keeping everything neat and in place. The less used and seasonal items should be stored up high so they are out of the way. The same applies to valuable or dangerous items like power tools and chemicals. Ideally this type of equipment or material should be locked away so that it can’t be spilled nor tampered with and dropped or damaged.

Your Creative Space

Sports equipment and power tools aren’t the only way to make great use of your garage space. If you are creative, a room the size of a garage could be converted into your very own visual studio.

By covering the walls with plaster or even slatwall you can keep the room insulated and moisture free. Some carpet or a rubbery tile on the floor will keep it warmer and cleaner.

By adding windows or even sliding doors rather than your traditional roller door you can also bring in much needed natural light and ventilation.

Remove the clutter and chaos and you have a room which can inspire you and the family to create works of art or simply just works that you can enjoy creating.

Once again slatwalls can provide the perfect solution for making great use of your walls. Small and large hooks can assist with hanging material and equipment. Baskets and shelves can hold paints, brushes, canvases, materials and samples. Off the floor and within easy reach makes working easy and a lot more enjoyable than keeping it all tucked away in boxes or containers.

For those bits and bobs StoreWALL offers a great range of slotboxes and bins. Small, medium and large sizes are a perfect way to separate smaller materials which otherwise could be thrown together into an impractical mess.

StoreWALL has chrystal clear bins so that you can actually see what is stored inside. Alternatively labels can also be added. Bins can be easily arranged high and low on the wall for easy reach.

Build to a Budget

Deciding to transform your garage into a multi-use room doesn’t need to be an expensive exercise. For under $1000 you can begin by transforming several walls of your garage with slatwall, shelving, bins and baskets. Once you have started you will be the envy of your neighbours.

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Organising your garage into Zones

rganize the Garage into Zones

Whether your garage is big enough to hold one or two cars, organising your garage is not easy and over time with more and more “stuff” filling it, the task seems almost impossible to start. Giving your garage an almighty clean and declutter is one thing, setting it up to stay organised means you need to create a garage organisation plan. The best way to get started is by organising your garage into zones.

A simple redesign of your garage can make all the difference.  Try assigning “zones” to each section of the garage.

First of all, what are storage zones?

Storage zones are areas in your garage where certain (similar) items should be stored. Sounds pretty simple, but you’d be surprised at how many garages just evolve over time with items all jumbled in together instead of being gathered together in certain designated areas.

Below I have listed a range of Zones or categories which comprise most of the items found in a typical garage. They will give you a head start to create your own Zones for the items that make up your garage.

Zone 1 – Household items

These are mainly items you will use at some stage within your home. You’ll want to store bulk items like laundry detergent, toilet paper, pet food, extra pantry supplies, brooms, mops and buckets, the vacuum and any other items you are likely to use inside your home in this area. Keeping these items close to the interior door leading to your garage allows you to grab them quickly and easily.

Zone 2 – Backyard tools and garden supplies

These are all outdoor items and will be needed when you are working in the backyard. This particular area should be kept toward the front of the garage since you’ll want these items to be handy while the front garage door is open and you’re working on the lawn.

Zone 3 – Workshop space

Keep your hammers, pliers, nuts, bolts and clamps in the area of your workbench. Keeping these items together will make any “fix it” project much easier to manage if all of your tools are all easy to find and access.

Zone 4 – Sports Equipment

Cricket bats, soccer balls, bike equipment, even a surfboard! Keep these items together for quick grab-and-go availability. Look at how high you want to store them so that even the kids can grab them on their own.

Zone 5 – Holiday Decorations

Plastic storage bins and bags are a great way to organise this type of stuff. These items are not accessed often, so can be stored on shelves up and out of the way. Be sure to clearly label all bins to make locating particular items an easy process.

Depending on the types of items you have and your particular interests and hobbies, you may have several more zones.

The single most important thing to remember is to group “like” items together.

Life works so much better when it’s organised!

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Save Space with Garage Storage

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Surprisingly even with so much new building going on, space for your car(s) and storage for everything we need to just put away is actually getting smaller. With garage storage at a premium, we need to think smarter about how we organise and declutter.

Your garage is not just a place to park your car, it stores so much of what we can’t fit or don’t want in the house. The demand for smarter storage solutions for the garage is growing.

Better Use of Your Walls
Garage walls offer significant potential in a garage and are often under utilised.  Your wall storage can include adjustable shelving, dedicated racks for those bulky items like bikes and tools and adjustable hooks for your tools. These garage wall solutions can then be complimented with wall-mounted cabinets and multilevel shelving.

Get the Expert or DIY
Search online and there are plenty of garage storage solution experts who will review your space, your clutter and design the perfect layout for you. They will also recommend the garage storage solution you need and build and install it. This can cost you between upwards of $5000. You can also Do It Yourself for much less. For around $1000, you can fit out an entire wall with StoreWALL panels and a great range of adjustable shelves, brackets and hooks. All of StoreWALL’s equipment can be easily installed and then maintained.

A popular addon for your Garage is ceiling-mounted storage. This is shelving that sits above the bonnet of the vehicle.

How to get Started

  • Step 1 is to declutter. Pull everything out and divide into three piles: everyday, occasional and deep archive. Throw out what you don’t need.
  • Store frequently used items at hand height, occasionally used ones at shoulder height or above, and heavy items down low.
  • Keep the lawnmower and bikes near the garage door so they don’t track in dirt.
  • Drawers are great for small, similar items. You can use the cabinet top as a work surface.
  • Create a ‘clutter trap’ near the door to the house to prevent mess entering – think coat hooks, boot storage, and generous baskets.
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April is Organisation Month

slatwall messy garage

April is organisation month and we are focusing on organising your garage so that it can be everything it can be. A real slatwall messy garageopportunity to take the project on, and to see it through and reclaim your garage.

One month from today, you could have a garage that is actually a pleasure to spend time in. A place where you can easily find what you need. A place where you can accomplish things: fixing something old, building something new, finding your inner peace, etc. Times change, seasons change and ideas change, so what we store and how we store it should change accordingly. Having a flexible organisation system is very important.

StoreWALL can be the foundation of every wall storage and organisation project in your garage, workshop, gym or laundry. Tough enough to perform in any environment, our panels are waterproof, mould and mildew resistant and performance guaranteed. Plus, storeWALL panels are resistant to nicks, scratches and chipping! Storage and organisation at your finger tips! Further more, StoreWALL is easy to install with installSTRIPS, which attach easily to any surface.

And accessories, let’s not fail to mention the storeWALL accessories! Accessories that are built rugged and look great; the storeWALL hooks, baskets and shelves are the perfect storage solution for all of your garage storage and home organisation needs. The exclusive camlok keeps the accessory, and your stuff, in place yet allows for easy repositioning.

Get Organised

This includes dusting, wiping, sweeping, mopping, etc. And speaking of “organised” – take the time to organise your items. Group items together according to tools, lawn and garden equipment, sports and recreational equipment, automotive, seasonal decor, etc. Trash, donate or recycle items that are broken or haven’t been used in quite a awhile. Doing this step now will make the last step much easier.

Plan

Measure your space! It’s important to know the exact measurements and the layout of the space that you’re going to utilise. Now is also the time to choose the desired colour of your wall panels and some accessories to at least get you started.

Hang

Whether you’re a DIYer or you’re going to have a local installer/contractor install the panels for you, they need to be secured to the wall. We recommend InstallSTRIPS.

Arrange

Now for the real fun! Arrange your hooks, baskets and shelves on the wall panels and then organise your stuff on the accessories. storeWALL accessories are so simple to use that you can move them, change them or reposition them in seconds, yet they lock in place with the twist of the camlok.

So, there you have it, getting organised in organisation month can be pretty easy. storeWALL can easily and quickly bring your garage to order based on your needs and personal style. So go ahead and tackle this project, storeWALL will certainly exceed your expectations.

Oh, here’s one last important tip for after the project is complete in order to keep your garage organized and de-cluttered. Remember to put things where they belong after you’re done using them! A place for everything and everything in its place!

storeWALL…Walls That Work!