Reader Space: A Groovy Garage

This month we are taking our focus outdoors, and for us, that means sprucing up our outdoor living spaces.  For others, it may be planting shrubs, edging a sidewalk or cleaning out the garage...

Garage?  That is part of the outdoors too right?  Or at least we keep many of the items we use outdoors, within the garage.  Are you taking on your garage soon?  Or in the middle of a big garage overhaul?  Well, if so, I have some majorly fun and fresh inspiration for you! 

James from the Cavender Diary Blog, contacted me and shared some incredible details about his garage.  I have never ever been so excited about a garage in my entire being.  Ever.  The color, the personality, the attention to detail and the organization!  So much greatness!  Ready to see!?!  I asked James to give us the lowdown on the space.

What is the main function of the space?

"Although we should be keeping a car, or 2, out there we use our garage mostly for working on projects. We are both avid D.I.Y.ers and each of us usually have several projects going at one time....in various stages of completion.  Jamie does almost all the yard work, planting, and maintenance outside the house. I usually have something that I'm building, painting or even crafting. Our washer and dryer are located there too, no one wants a filthy room to do laundry in. Storage also, we store a lot in there, but it doesn't seem cluttered at all. It's actually pretty easy to find things now."

Any superstar tips for keeping it organized?

"The best way to stay organized is to make sure there is a place for everything. Knife magnets keep important tools - pliers, screwdrivers, etc. - easily accessible.

Cabinets stash away all the things we don't need to see on a daily basis. A plumbing pipe mounted along the wall holds yard work essentials on kitchen pot hooks.

The red medicine cabinets hold screws, nails, and all the other little things that can get lost in a garage.....in recycled salsa jars too. Towels are always close at hand in red baskets on open shelves under the counter. 

OOOh, a constantly clear work surface is essential. We have a work table on locking casters (a curbside trash find) and an agreement that that surface always be empty. It makes a big difference to always have a place to fold clean laundry, sort recycling, or even lay out all the small pieces of a project. Casters mean that it glides around the space to be right where we need it to be. 

We hung 2 8 foot shelves over the garage door. Most people don't even know they have that storage space. They holds 10 tubs of Christmas decor perfectly."

What items did you find were essential in organizing this space, and why?

"We have one whole wall of metro shelving. Metro shelving is my favorite because we can adjust the height of each shelf to fit our exact needs. Most of our storage tubs are clear too, that's the best way to know what is in each one quickly. I couldn't live without a label maker either. I put labels on everything. EVERYTHING. 

Plumbing pipe is pure genius too. We use it to store hangers over the washer, tools on the walls, and even make coat pucks by the kitchen door."

What did you do to go the extra mile and make it stylish and unique?

"The walls were completely unfinished when we bought this house.  We thought it would be a cool idea to plank them in inexpensive fencing cedar. We just shot the pieces over the unpainted drywall with a brad nailer. It looks like a modern cabin...and smells like heaven. Our collections of metal signs, flags, and lanterns are hung from the plumbing pipe that surrounds the ceiling. Reminds us a little of a Bennigan's, but we love it anyway."

What items did you DIY to stay on a budget?

"We overhauled our kitchen last year, replacing all the upper cabinets with taller ones. Those former uppers were painted crisp white and hung in the garage along the wall at counter height. Then I slipped a couple boards on top to make a shallow work surface. It was that simple. The 2 cabinets that are hung high hold cleaners and other poisons, not that we have children....but you can never be too safe."

How has this space impacted you for the better?

"What used to be a nasty, dingy garage, (2 years ago it was nothing but stacks of cardboard boxes and a narrow path from the kitchen door to the outside world) is now the place that we want to spend the most time in. It's just a pleasure to hang out there listening to our iPods and working on projects."

Alright friends.  Time for you to join me in creating a giant ol' why IHeart this garage list!

• I typically avoid garages because they are lackluster, dirty and boring.  I would want to live in this garage.  Yep, I could move right in and be happy!  
• They repurposed old kitchen cabinets and created oodles of beautiful concealed storage.
• They acknowledged their needs and found ways to achieve their garage goals:  a workspace for tools and projects, a rolling table for gardening or folding laundry and a stylish place for laundry. 
• They got creative with storage.  Pots and pans rail and hooks for garage supplies?  Check.  Knife rack for paint brushes, soup cans and tools?  Check.  Plumbing pipe for rods and hooks?  Check.  So many creative and unique ways to add extra storage in the garage.
• They utilized the space above the garage door, by adding shelving for their many bins of holiday decor.  
• They use clear storage to quickly identify bin contents.  
• Label maker was used.  Enough said.
• What really did it for me, was the personality injected in this space.  As a family who also loves to DIY, I can appreciate that they created a space that reflects that, and makes the process fun and enjoyable.  I would much rather work in a garage that makes me smile and inspires me, than one I run away from {yeah, ours looks like a nuclear bomb went off... three times}.  They brought in signs, bold colors and special small details like globes, a chalkboard door and the tortoise shell wall decor.
• They planked the walls to give the garage a finished, rustic feeling, which aligns with the interior of their home.

Did you have any idea that a garage could make you so giddy?  That one could looks so amazing while also excelling in function?  Swoon.

Head here to check out all of the glorious garage details and projects.  And endless thanks to James for taking a moment to write and share his oh-so-inspiring space!

ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please submit your story and photos here and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!