Before and After: A Garage Makeover the Whole Family Can Enjoy

Don’t overlook the garage as a potentially stylish and functional part of your home. See how we transformed this ho-hum garage into an organized mudroom and creative craft space—and still left room to park a car.

By: Shannon Phillips

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Photo By: Portland Premier Photography

Pretty and Practical

You probably never thought your garage could be your favorite room in the house, but with the right storage accessories and decorative accents, it can be. On one wall of this garage, we created a super-organized mudroom to help the whole family stay organized and keep clutter out of the house. On another wall, we added a fun, functional craft area for kids and adults alike. Best of all, we left enough floor space to park a car.

Before: Disorderly Shelves

Boxes, bins, sports gear, cushions and other items are stored haphazardly on shelves. A more cohesive storage system will work wonders on this space.

After: Handy Mudroom

A new system of shelves, hooks and bins turns this garage into a family-friendly drop zone. On the adjacent wall, labeled bins keep lesser-used items tucked away yet easy to find.

Organized Outerwear

If your family struggles to get out the door on time in the morning because no one can find their jacket or backpack, no more! Install a series of hooks where everyone can hang their out-the-door essentials and easily grab them before getting in the car.

Shelf Space

Using simple wood brackets, install a shelf where you can store bulkier items you may need on the go, like yoga mats or other gym gear.

Bonus Baskets

Sneak in some extra storage underneath a shelf: Just screw in cup hooks and tie on lightweight plastic baskets with ribbon. This is a great place to stash small items like gloves, hats and sunglasses that can easily get lost.

A Spot for Shoes

Look for benches with open shelves when designing your makeshift mudroom – the extra space is ideal for storing grimy shoes and boots that shouldn’t come inside the house. If you have kids, you can also add a labeled bin for each of them to toss sports gear, toys and other belongings.

Personalized Touches

There’s no reason why your garage can’t feel as warm and welcoming as the rest of your house. Add a potted plant, frame your child’s artwork for a low-budget splash of color, and hang chalkboard signs with a cheerful message.

Easy Art Gallery

If you’ve run out of room on the fridge for your kids’ artwork, put some of it on display in the garage. Tack up some wire and use clothespins to hang your favorite masterpieces.

Before: Poor Use of Space

A kayak and bulky shelves take up a lot of floor space in this garage. Getting those large items off the ground will help us maximize the square footage.

After: Chic Craft Area

Don’t overlook the walls and ceiling when organizing your garage. By moving the kayak above the garage door and repositioning the shelves, we made room for this adorable crafting space the whole family can enjoy.

Pegboard Perfection

Pegboard is a super-versatile storage solution that’s ideal for a garage. Here, we mounted pegboard above a simple table and chair to create a budget-friendly yet functional workspace, and used some scrap pieces to create a portable craft supply caddy.

Flexible Storage

Get creative with your pegboard storage accessories. Use hooks to hang baskets, clipboards, buckets and other containers of various sizes. The best part: You can easily reposition them at any time to better fit your needs.

Sleek Shelf

Use straight pegboard hooks to add a simple white shelf for potted plants, decorative accents and additional craft supplies.

Upcycled Organization

Don’t toss those empty tin cans! Dress them up with some ribbon and hang them from your pegboard to hold paintbrushes.

Cozy Corner

For the kiddos, a tent with a comfy beanbag chair makes this an even more inviting spot to hang out.