multipurposegarages.pdf

Matt and I are all about the idea of multi-purpose rooms and the garage is no different.  Think about it, the garage is a very large space that is a good percentage of our homes square feet, and I think it is probably underused in many homes.

There are a lot of us out there that simply use our garages as a catch alls.  We throw anything in there that we can’t quite fit in the house or yard, and it becomes a real trash collector.  But, if we could show some really neat ways to use that space instead of waste it, I’ll bet a lot of people would rather clean it up and enjoy the extra space!

To prove this we decided to see how many functions we could find for Matt’s garage, and even if we have to say it ourselves, we did pretty good!

To begin, Matt already uses his garage as his shop, so there you have two functions already.  We have the parking of the car and the shop area.

So, what would you think would be a fun way to use a little extra space in your garage? How about this…who doesn’t like to garden? Well if you don’t, it might be that you don’t have a special gardening area in your garage and Matt and I set out to show you how easy it is to accomplish.  

First, attach some inexpensive pegboard to your garage wall using 1 by 2 furring strips.  To do that you drill a hole in the furring strip first, place the furring strip up to the wall and measure for its location.  Use a level to make sure it is vertical, and mark where the holes hit.  Drill a small pilot hole and add a wall anchor. 

Then, attach the furring strips to the wall by screwing through the furring strip into the wall anchor for maximum security.  Once you have a couple furring strips attached, about one every 24 inches, add your pieces of peg board by screwing through the pegboard into the furring strips.  This then leaves space between the wall and the pegboard so you can use different hanging devices to hold all of your gardening tools.

Now this might look familiar, it is one of those shop benches that Matt has shown us how to make.  It basically comes as a kit and you add the lumber! Can’t you just imagine the shelf filled up with potting soil, pots to be filled, all your hand gardening tools, gloves, organic fertilizers and such..plus, it is located right next to the garage door for easy access outside!  But, what if you aren’t much of a gardener?

Well, Matt likes to run and the garage is a prime spot for starting and ending his run.  So, he has an old TV shelf which is the perfect place for towels, band aids, ace bandages, even his various running shoes. Then things like the exercise ball and his wife’s yoga mat can be put up and stored when not in use.

He also has an area cleared out for his elliptical.  Of course, this stays up all year round since it is difficult to move, but he has it in a place that still allows enough room to bring the car in. 

There is a punching bag to work those arms as well!  Just remember, if you are planning to hang something as heavy as a punching bag, you need to use hooks that are meant for holding that amount of weight. For lighter items try a strip of wall mounted hooks.  These sports hooks are great for holding everything from bats to tennis rackets!

He’s pretty spoiled because he has a TV for the yoga and Pilates DVD’s or news and sports!  Plus, there is a refrigerator which is part of the exercise area or maybe the exercise area was created because of the refrigerator? Who knows!

This is the type of space my husband would love to create in the garage, but I would love a space like this for crafting which could easily include sewing.  You know, having a table to really spread out your materials.  Just think about scrapbooking on a long rectangular table with all the photos, papers, embellishments and tools lined up.  It would be fantastic and a simple old chest of drawers would be great storage for craft materials or sewing equipment.  Hey, you could even hang Matt’s gift wrapping station he built on the wall and have a very functional spot for wrapping gifts.

So, what do you think?  Are you going to get out there and rethink that extra space in your garage?   It’s easy to get started, just spend a weekend really cleaning that garage out.  Have a garage sale or donate items. Return your neighbors tools!
And, before you know it, you could be building in the shop or planting herb pots for your kitchen window ledge! Or, you could be finishing those scrapbooks or sewing those draperies in your new craft space! All good ideas that are great ways to make your garage a multi-purpose garage! Just thought, you’d want to know!

Shari

 
© 2012.  mattandshari.com, all rights reserved.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed