Heaven is a well organized garage
I used to be terrified to go into my garage. It was filthy, filled with spiders, and an absolute mess. If you know me, you know I can’t relax if something is out of place. My garage makeover was a HUGE undertaking - but I couldn’t be happier with the results.
Where we started…gross.
Clearly, attention was needed.
Punch List:
Epoxy the concrete floors
Install slat wall storage
Install ceiling storage
Create a cabinet space and a mitre saw table
Clean everything in sight
Sources & Tools:
Rust-Oleum Garage Epoxy Kit I went with the “grey” color but created my own mix of Epoxy Chips by mixing another black and white bag with the one that came with the kit. I ultimately needed two of these to do my 2 car garage, but it was due to the time between drying on sides. If you can do it all in one go, one kit should be enough
Pro Slats wall slats I went with two of these kits to cover this huge wall and I’ll likely add more in the future. It’s an amazing, durable system that holds a TON of weight
Garage Ceiling Storage It was important that I added more storage so that we could grow into this space. It has been about 6 months and I still haven’t used these, but someday, I’ll be very glad they’re there.
Ikea Pegboard System This was pure luck that it fit so perfectly nestled in between the two sets of Pro Slate, but these are hugely useful for smaller items. My husband even uses these in his office.
Ikea Alex Drawer Unit I went back and forth on going with these vs. an expensive garage specific storage solution (Gladiator makes a beautiful white one). But ultimately, I wanted to save a bit at first and these have functionally been perfect.
Ikea Countertop This was by design because my guess is it will get pretty beat up over the years. So far, there isn’t a scratch on it so these hold up really well.
Bright Lights As you can see from the before and after, lighting was a big problem here. These lights replace your normal bulbs and change the game.
The Process
Clean! I started by taking everything that could be moved out of the garage. Some things like our freezer and our existing storage stayed and I worked around them. I vacuumed, swept, and power washed the floor and the walls, getting everything sparkling clean. It’s imperative that your floors are perfectly clean before you start the epoxy process. This is the most time consuming and least fun part of the process.
Epoxy! This was the longest part of the process due to dry time. As I couldn’t move everything out of the garage, I needed to split the process in half. I was a bit worried at first that the two sides would dry differently, but they didn’t. It worked perfectly. Other than that, I followed the directions on the box. They actually make it super user friendly and easy to do. Pay special attention that you are doing this under the right weather conditions. This makes a difference. There’s an etching process to rough up the concrete so the epoxy has something to stick to, then you paint it on! Easy Peasy.
The most fun part of the epoxy process is throwing the chips (actually the most fun I’ve ever had DIYing). The chips are key because they cover up imperfections and divets that may have appear. I added way more chips than come with the kit and I’m glad I need. My number one tip when throwing the chips is throw them up high. They will fall and spread more evenly that way. Do your best flower girl impression and have a blast.
Finally, clear coat. The clear coat is key because the chips are rough when you put them down. Not only does it look nice and shiny, but it smoothes out the chips so you can sweep and mop easily in the future. The kit comes with an anti-skid and I highly recommend it because these floors get very slippery when wet without it.
After the clear coat on the left and before on the right.
3. Wall storage! The Pro Slats are crazy easy to install, just find a stud, and drill in along the studs. They have a beautiful design that hides the screws. Nothing brings me more joy than organizing something for the first time and this was WELL needed organization. The Ikea pegboards were a breeze to put up and they come with so many little organization add ons. I’ll likely be adding more of these as well.
4. Finally, lighting. All I did here was unscrew some bulbs, and screw in these amazing garage lights and it completely transformed the space. If you have a dark space these will illuminate the f$*% out of it.
Final Results
It’s brighter, it’s clean, and it’s so white. It feels like an extension of our home now, and not just a gross dark place to park our cars. Would you try this? Let me know in the comments!
Fitz was in awe of the new space
I even have more room for wall storage.
