In every living space, there’s a place that holds all your stuff. For some, your unused knick-knacks end up under your bed, and for others, it’s that dark faraway corner of your closet. But for 1 out of 4 people in America, their stuff takes over an entire room: their garage. According to one survey, Americans revealed their garages to be so cluttered that they couldn’t even fit a car in the space. So, if your clutter is taking up valuable garage real estate, here are some tips on how to stop the stuff and reclaim this space as your own.
When it comes to redefining the living space that is your garage, Kristen Pawlak, DDCD, interior designer, and owner of KP Designs, says people want better function in their busy lives. “They don’t want to dig around to find things,” she says. KP Designs — Decorating Den Interiors is an interior design firm located in Louisville for nearly 15 years. This is why Kristen knows firsthand how clutter, especially all that visual clutter, can contribute to rising stress levels. Having a nicely designed space feels better because it first creates a physical space which translates to feeling freer mentally.
If you decide you’d like to see your garage floor instead of the boxes stacked on it, Kristen says a good first step when reorganizing is to ask yourself: How will this space be used? Your garage is a highly functioning space and she asks you to consider variables like: Will this space be a workshop? A home gym? Will I use this primarily as storage? Once you decide how you want your garage to work, it’s time to create a plan that supports your new design. This could include cabinetry, shelves, or even different flooring.
In some cases, your garage doesn’t always need to provide storage or house those hefty power tools. Realtor Julie Hook decided she wanted her garage to function as a pool house. “We wanted to redo the garage because it’s a detached area beside our pool,” Julie says. So, her once garage became the pool house she envisioned — complete with a wet bar and outdoor restroom. Julie hired plumbers for the bathroom piece and a handyman to create the wet bar area. They also added a mini split unit (a heating and cooling system that allows you to control the temperatures in individual rooms) so this space could work independently from their home.
There are many roads to achieving a garage space that feels organized and comfy, but if you’re looking for a DIY way to get started, Kristen suggests going through all that stuff and purging what you don’t need. “You don’t want to design around things you won’t use,” she says. Once you’ve donated or dumped, you’ll also have a better idea of how your space should function. “Walking out of your home and into your garage should continue that feeling of a nicely designed space,” Kristen says.
By Tonilyn Hornung
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