If you can’t fit your car in it’s time to take action

A9

Design
Jill Madore, Becky Geyssen

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Even a hasty jaunt outside at this time of year will tell you that colder weather is coming… in fact it’s practically here already. The beautiful autumn leaves are quickly falling from the trees and breath is visible in the mornings. We are days away from scraping the frost from our car windshields and, if you are like us, this is not an appealing thought.
It is much nicer to envision going from your warm house into your warm(ish) garage and getting into a car that has not seen a bit of frost, ice, or snow. So all you have to do is move your car into the garage, right? Well… maybe not. Many things seem to accumulate in one’s garage over the course of the spring, summer, and fall, and when winter hits there may not be much room left for a car or two. In that spirit, we have some ideas on ways to organize your garage so that everything is accessible, tidy and, most importantly, out of the way.
Clear out the clutter
Sell, recycle, or donate anything that you no longer need. Anything that is truly trash should be thrown away. Clear everything out of the garage so that you can see the space completely empty and better judge the room you have in which to put things back.
Mark your cars’ territory
Make a masking tape outline of your cars’ position in the garage and the path you will need to take to get into your house. This allows you to organize the space in a way that will not interfere with its function.
Group like items
It is much easier to find things when items are grouped. For example, you should put all tools together, all sporting goods together, all gardening things together, etc.
Designate a spot in the garage for each grouping
Move your piles around the perimeter of the garage so that you know how much space you will need for each group. If you have a lot of sporting goods, like bikes, hockey bags, golf clubs, and skis, you will need more space for them than your small amount of gardening tools.
Organize with vertical storage
Now that you know where each group is going it is time to put everything in its place. Because your cars will be taking up most of the floor space, take advantage of wall space with lots of vertical storage. Use a combination of open and closed shelving units, floating wall shelves, hooks, and stackable plastic tubs. And don’t forget about the ceiling. Special hooks can be purchased for hanging items like bikes and strollers for the off season.
It doesn’t hurt to label the bins and shelves so you, and everyone else in the family, knows where everything goes.
Add some decorative touches
Yes, we know we are talking about a garage but it doesn’t hurt to make it a little visually appealing. Things like cleaning the floor, giving the walls a quick coat of paint and improving the lighting can make a big difference. There are products like anti-fatigue mats and flooring that can make work spaces much more comfortable and will hide imperfections in the concrete. Plus if you are interested in re-sale, this is a great way to add value.
The last thing to keep in mind is the feeling you get when you are standing in front of your clean garage, admiring how well your car fits inside. Unless you have extra space left over, you must remember that if you add items you will have to remove something of equal size to keep everything organized and functioning well. Enjoy jumping into your snow free vehicle and spare your credit card or CDs from scraping away the frost!

Interior decorators Becky Geyssen and Jill Madore are kitchen designers at Design By Valley Dream Kitchens on Hampton Road. Questions or comments can be sent to becky@window-shop.ca or call 849-1010.