Tell us more about what you used like those cabinets with see through doors, the work bench, the flooring etc.
I'd be glad to, Russell.
FLOORING
After a 45 day cure period on the new concrete, I began with a Benjamin Moore M85 Concrete Etch to give some 'bite' to the brand new, smooth as glass concrete. I used the M83 emulsifier to stop the etching process and effectively make the concrete as pure as possible for the epoxy. After a bit of research, I opted for Benjamin Moore's M36 & M37 two-part polyamide epoxy coating in Platinum Grey. Apparently this stuff is rarely used in residential applications, but I wanted something with phenomenal abrasion and impact resistance. The cement retainer walls were painted in a Benjamin Moore Super Spec paint to match.
CABINETRY
All the white cabinetry is from IKEA. Clockwise from left, the lower cabinets are IKEA Aspvik with a fantastic 29.5" working height for hunching over detailed projects. I affixed indoor/outdoor carpet to the tops of these so I could work on chrome pieces or other delicate parts with no fear of scratching.
The tall cases are IKEA Billy bookcases with Billy Byom glass doors. The broom cabinet I had to modify, since the structure system of them includes a fixed shelf dead center. I left this out and instead built a bracing system on the back for stability.
The cabinet over the workbench is storage for spray paint. It's a combination of different IKEA kitchen cabinetry pieces and only cost me about $35 or $40 all told. I custom built 3.5" square cube shelves for the inside so I could store all the paints with the caps out for easy visibility and access.
WORKBENCH
I had NEVER built a workbench, or anything even remotely close, in my life (still a young buck at only 26 years old). I did a few rough scale drawings in Adobe Illustrator and just went to town. Began with a 2x6" brace secured to the wall, then built out from there with 2x4s. The sides and doors were cut from .75" oak plywood on our panel saw at work, which saved a ton of headaches with straight cuts. Once the framework was done, I used a Gliddan Gripper primer and Behr paint system to dress everything up. Working height is 36". Depth is 30". The back side is 105" from wall to edge, and the right side is 147" from wall to edge. Plenty of room!
As for the bench top, I wanted it to be as functional as humanly possible. I started with regular 2"x8" doug fir from the lumber yard (trying to keep costs down a little). My buddy brought his bench planar over and we stripped about 3/32" off each board for a phenomenally smooth and even work surface. I used 3 coats of Helmsman clear polyurethane to protect the boards from soaking up any oils or liquids that might get spilled. Not bad for a first try, I'd say.
One last note is the backing panel. I cut 8.5" high strips of .040 gauge aluminum and used a VHB double-stick tape to affix them to the wall prior to installing the bench top. This should hopefully prevent sending anything sharp right through the wall if the situation arises.
ELECTRIC
The existing electric was shared on a circuit with the breezeway and was constantly being tripped or was downright scary (there were only two boxes in the garage). I re-ran all brand new Romex and put each outlet (now four 110v) on its own breaker. Also ran a 220 line for a welder, but waiting on some extra cash to pick up something nice, after which I will install the outlet (right now it's the blank plate on the back wall, above where the compressor plugs in).
ENTERTAINMENT
I gave a blurb a few posts up, but for those looking for ideas let me give you the rundown. My best friend is an installer for high-dollar home theaters, so I had him 'lend' me some supplies and show me some tricks of running all the necessary wiring. Behind the two tall cabinets are three wall plates; one is a speaker jack, which runs through a trough behind the base molding and up to the ceiling overhang, where a pair of bookshelf speakers are tucked away. The second is another speaker jack, which runs outside the back and caps off for now. Next spring I plan to install a pair of outdoor speakers against the house directed into the backyard for when we have social gatherings, or are just relaxing out back. The third is a coax jack which follows the same trough and runs to a Terk FMPRO power antenna mounted to the ceiling beams between the speakers, again completely tucked away. The goal was to have a simple and good sounding stereo system, without any visible wires or components cluttering up the useful space.
OTHER NOTES (SLIGHTLY LESS VERBOSE)
The bike racks are Sports Solutions BUA Solo II wall racks, which worked great because the arms can be adjusted independently, allowing me to pitch the two road bikes at an angle so they fit in the space and were easily accessible. I decided to leave the four mountain bikes out back in the shed, since they are usually covered in mud or dust anyway.
A couple of 24" towel racks sunk in with heavy duty mollies made for GREAT spray bottle storage on a small budget.
The shelf over the toolboxes is an IKEA Lack. I cut a few 4" strips of Lexan down and affixed them to the edges to prevent anything falling out. Lord knows, when I've got something good clamped in the vise with the Sawz-All going, pretty much EVERYTHING wants to rattle.
And a last note, I'll never be able to 'justify' the decision, but I painted the entire ceiling a royal blue (it was just bare wood prior). I invested in a pretty nice Wagner Paint Crew XTRA spray system and masked the heck out of the garage. The ceiling was actually my first step after ripping out the old wood panel walls, since I KNEW it would be a total mess. Boy was I right!
