Help me organize/redesign my garage

[Crusher47]

There are many fine garages on here and people that are much more creative than myself, so I defer to the experts..... I have a basic 2 car garage. I can fit 2 cars fine, but not much room on either side or front to back. Right now my wife parks her X5 on one side and I park my bike on the other.

My main issue is that the side walls can't have items stick out too far, otherwise you can't open the doors. The other issue is that I need storage, but don't like the clutter of the open shelves, so I would like to get cabinets with doors on them to hide it. I do have a shed, so I can move some stuff out there.

I did have a side bench under the pegboard, but had to remove it once my wife started parking her truck in the garage. I would like to make a bench that would fit.

Here are some pics and some comments. I do know the garage is a little messy right now as I haven't stayed on top of it the last couple of weeks and my son is working on sanding down a free desk he was given by a co-worker..........

Let's start with the left side wall....I would like to build a bench where the shelves are now.....I would like to hide the hose reel and shop vac underneath the bench and preferably have doors to cover them. Above the bench I'd like to have cabinets with doors to cover up all the automotive cleaners and paint cans.... After that, not sure....move the tool chests?

Another view of the left side wall.....I'm thinking move the pegboard over the bench I build or remove it entirely...

Tool chests.....move these closer to the door or to the other side wall?

 

[D rock]

I'd stay with what you got. Hell if my shop was as neat as that I'd be stoked. Wife's got a bunch of BS in my shop and it looks like a damn tornado hit it.

 

[Titanium Frost]

A couple of comments:
- I personally am not a fan of pegboards. I feel they take up a lot of room for very little storage. The room it's taking up could be much better used with some shallow upper cabinets or shallow shelfs.
- Also, there are tools on the pegboard that I would be putting in the tool cabinets.
- Get a storage bin to organize the painting supplies in that are on the peg board.
- Definitely go with upper cabinets. You have a lot of room on that wall where the posters and other stuff are if you are willing to take them down.
- Also, you don't say if you are going to make your cabinets or buy them. If you buy them, use upper cabinets below your bench. Upper cabinets are generally shallower than regular lower cabinets, which would give you some added clearance to open vehicle doors.
- Use clear storage bins in your upper cabinets. I have large ones for fasteners and electrical (plugs, wire, home audio, switches, marrettes, etc), and small ones for batteries, plumbing, rags, microfibre towels, car polishing, etc... No more digging around in the cabinet. I just pull the bin down onto my bench and sort through it to find what I want, and then put it back in the cabinet. It makes keeping the cabinets organized and tidy.
- The tool cabinets are a bit of a space hog. I incorporated my rolling tool cabinet into my workbench. Not sure what your budget is, but I would look at incorporating a third rolling cabinet and move the tools out of the top tool chests and put all the rolling cabinets under your bench. That would give you a great work surface.
- I agree, lose the open shelves for the small items and put the items into upper cabinets with doors. I would leave room for one good size elevated open shelf for your shop vac and other big items. I have one elevated open shelf in my garage for my compressor, shop vac, large bin with painting supplies, portable air tank and some other bins I take to the track.
- If you are concerned about clearance for the car doors, only put uppers in the area where the doors open. You have a lot of room if you include the other 2 sides of the garage.
- Move the hose reel outside. I have a wall mounted reel in the garage for washing the cars, and a mobile reel that lives outside (except during winter). If you purge the water, you can put it in the shed if you are concerned about freezing.

Good luck!