By Sarah Koehler | Photos by Ben Hanson Photography, courtesy of Project 2 Architects
For many households, a change in seasons means a time of transition: we tune in to football instead of baseball on Sunday afternoons. We put away swimsuits and sandals and take out our sweaters and boots again. We change our bedding from lightweight cotton to cozy flannels.
But one area of transition that we may forget? The garage. A recent American Housing survey showed that more than 80 percent of homes and condos in the United States include garage space. And for many of those homeowners, garages serve as more than just a place to keep vehicles clean and dry, they also serve as additional storage for the many accessories of modern living. But trying to manage all of those extra belongings in an orderly way can often be a challenge.
This is where some expert help can come in handy. Joseph Wilburn is a State of Wisconsin Registered Architect with Project 2 Architects LLC in Lake Geneva. He has helped dozens of local residents streamline their garage projects, as well as design new garages which utilize space in the best way possible to make room for all the tools, equipment, toys, supplies and various other possessions that find their way into the garage.
Wilburn says if you’re struggling to allocate space for all the things in your garage, the best place to start is prioritizing, especially by season. “Organizing and decluttering at the beginning of any organizing session is essential to utilizing the valuable real estate you do have,” Wilburn says. “Evaluating and streamlining the items that you actually use and keeping just those items seasonally will help.”
At this time of year, this means recognizing what will be used in the upcoming fall and winter months and moving it forward or making it more accessible, while relocating the off-season gear for the spring and summer months to spots which might be further back or higher up.
Wilburn suggests tackling the project in three steps: planning; decluttering and creating space zones; and processing. “Planning comes first,” he says. “Assess the items and make a list of materials that may be needed to start the organization process. Plastic bins, labels, marker pens, hanging hooks, wall shelving, peg boards, slat walls and hanging systems are great material considerations.”
He stresses that it’s important to start small. Oftentimes a project of this size can seem overwhelming, and homeowners will often get overwhelmed and “shut down” during the process. Working in smaller, more manageable pieces is key to success. Realize that you may not finish the entire project in a day, and that’s okay — taking the time to do the job thoroughly and with attention to detail can lead to the best outcomes in the end.
After you’ve planned how to tackle the project, Wilburn says to move to the decluttering phase. “This is a perfect time to declutter!” he says. “Create a junk pile, donation pile and resale pile to purge items no longer needed or that have been sitting unused for the last millennium. Reselling items is a solid option to gain cash flow for purchasing organizing materials.”
Finally, take time to process the job and look at which items are used the most versus which are used the least. “Plastic bins with easy-to-read labels located on shelving units can help with seasonal storage,” Wilburn explains. “As the seasons change, rotate the plastic bins.”
Wilburn says that with all of his clients, he points out that floor space in any garage is premium space, and it should be treated as such. When floor space is no longer available, you may need to think vertically and use the space you see above the floors. “Don’t forget to utilize walls for shelving or the ceiling for hanging storage,” he says. “Sometimes a structural analysis is recommended to understand the wall’s and ceiling’s weight limitations.”
Wilburn also says things like slat walls, peg boards, toolboxes and cabinet systems offer flexibility to store smaller items that may remain in the garage year-round. Shelving can offer great opportunity for seasonal storage and easy accessibility, and you can also consider things like ceiling-mounted bike mounts or kayak racks to keep sporting equipment off the floor and out of the way until it’s needed again.
For those looking to renovate or build a completely new garage space, Wilburn explains that taking the clients’ lifestyle habits, hobbies and space expectations into consideration is extremely important. “Living in the Midwest is a storage challenge. Seasonal large items like snowblowers and lawn mowers can take a lot of floor space,” he says. “Utilizing wall- and ceiling-hung storage solutions will open up floor space for the largest and heaviest of seasonal items.”
Insomecases,Wilburnandhisteam may even suggest including a loft or “attic” space within a new garage, often accessible by a pull-down ladder or staircase. Essentially, by incorporating “storage-style trusses” into the roof ’s structural system, a portion of the garage’s upper space can be made more open and usable. This can add a significant amount of additional storage space for out-of-season items or things which don’t need to be accessed frequently.
Wilburn says that it is human nature that no matter how much space we have, we tend to fill it up. By looking at what you have before you move into or build a new garage space, you may be able to purge unwanted items and be more organized about the things that remain. By re-evaluating what’s important to you, you can determine how much space you really need.
When all else fails, there are other options as well: transitioning items to other areas such as basements, storage sheds or even rented storage units might be an option for homeowners who need more space for their belongings. However, Wilburn stresses that it’s important to check with your municipality before putting a shed on your property as there may be rules or regulations about having one, and you need to be sure you’re following the proper protocols.
But when it comes to creating an organized and uncluttered garage space, Wilburn adds that he often finds inspiration in the words of decluttering expert Julia Ubbenga: “Decluttering your life changes more than the way your home looks and feels. It makes space for your soul to discover that your happiness never was found in all that excess stuff.”
