Easy Garage Ideas for Creating the Ultimate Dual-Duty Space
Updated: Mar. 16, 2022Family Handyman has been improving garages for decades. This year, we found a family overdue for a garage makeover. Their simple desire to clean up the garage led to a unique conversion that extended their living space while still leaving space for cars. It was a big transformation, but the projects were easy.
The Dempseys—JD, Heather, sons Donavan and Jack, and their puppy, Joe Louis—have lived in their home for 14 years but had never given their garage any TLC. “It was kind of a mess, just a place to keep things,” says Heather. “When we first started the project, all I wanted was to declutter and clean up. Now it’s a great space to hang out with friends and family and entertain more often.” The following DIY projects can help you transform your garage into a multipurpose space, too:
Add an Attic Lift
We installed an electric attic lift for additional hidden storage space. That made moving out-of-season gear into the attic safe and effortless—and opened up lots of floor space. Aside from careful positioning and adjustments, the installation was quick and simple. Get the full how-to plans for this project.
Watch this video to learn more details about installing a storage lift like this yourself:
Wall Organizer
Get all those tools and accessories in order with this wall organizer for your garage. Much more than a pegboard with hooks, this garage organizer has bins for loose hardware and other small items. "This worked perfectly for my garage. There are enough drawers and hooks to hold all of my things and everything is adjustable," said one buyer.
Garage Door Rack
This clever garage door storage rack gets those fishing poles off the floor or out of the rafters and saves space by utilizing the back of the garage door. All mounting hardware is included and no tools are required. It can also be attached to the garage wall or ceiling. "Great way to store rods! The product works wonderfully," said one buyer.
Ceiling Mounted Rack with Hooks
Not only will you be able to store items on top of this garage storage rack, you'll be able to hang bikes, garden hoses and sports equipment from its hooks. The ceiling-mounted rack holds 600 pounds and has 12 handy hooks. "For years my garage was a landmine field. I would walk and trip over things that were just laying on the garage floor, and besides that it looked a mess. I saw a picture of this ceiling storage rack on the Home Depot website and decided that was what I needed. I've only had it about two weeks now, but I can't believe how much better it is having a ceiling storage rack," explained one buyer.
Storage Tote on Wheels
An upgrade from traditional plastic bins, this tote on wheels is easy to move around in the garage. It's a great way to store and transport tools, sporting equipment and camping gear. It can also be locked with a pad lock (not included). "This storage bin is impressive. From the sturdy and large 169-quart-size of the bin itself to the reinforced dome lid this tote is great for the storage of sporting goods items, camping gear or large tools and equipment. The uses are pretty much endless and thanks to the oversized handle and smooth rolling wheels this Store-It-All tote can be moved from one area to another," said one buyer.
Steel Garage Cabinet
Easy to assemble, this eight-piece cabinet is the ultimate garage storage solution. We like that it comes with locking drawers and doors for added security, unlike many similar units. It also has a 6-foot workbench for all of your DIY projects. "Was very easy to put together took about two hours for the whole set, with easy to follow directions. Everything is built with quality materials. Thought we would run into shipping damage but these were packaged very nicely, we had no damage. The mounting hardware made it a breeze to mount the cabinets. The bench top is nice thick wood not cheap veneer," said one buyer.
Rolling Garden Organizer
Instead of an organizer that stays in one corner of the garage, this rolling garden organizer makes it easy to bring all your tools from the garage to the yard and then back to the garage. It features numerous slots for tools, along with places to store extension cords. "Easy to assemble! Great product for the price! Easily stores tools! I love it," said one buyer.
Shelf Organizer Kit
With this wall-mount shelf kit you'll be able to keep bins and boxes off the floor, and have the space to hang golf clubs, bikes and sports gear. Eleven shelf sizes are available. "Easy to install and customize to your space and needs, especially when the studs aren't always where you need them to be. With this system if you need to make them an inch farther apart to find a stud, no big deal," said one buyer.
Battery Organizer
This battery organizer keep all those batteries visible and in easy reach, unlike when they're in a drawer in the garage workbench. This organizer holds six different size batteries and a total of 93, if it's completely filled up! It also includes a battery tester. "It solves the problem of searching for batteries when you need them. I see myself buying fewer batteries as now, all my batteries are neatly stored in one central location," said one buyer.
16-Piece Storage Kit
With plenty of versatility, this garage storage kit holds up to 1,700 pounds and is made of heavy-duty steel. Store all those gardening tools, your sporting equipment and tools on hooks and in wire baskets. The design makes it easy to attach, remove and reposition items as needed. "We use it for kids gear as well as garden items," said one buyer, adding, "Very happy with our purchase."
Multi-Purpose Bins
Instead of metal shelves, on which some items can roll around, these versatile canvas bins are perfect for storing items that are hard to keep in place. Use these bins to store sports equipment and outdoor toys, and simply wipe clean when needed. "I grabbed this on a whim after I was tripping over my kids sport balls in the garage. It took about 15 minutes to put together and I put it in the garage and filled it up. Works great and easy to move around," said one buyer. It is available in three sizes.
Garage Mesh Storage Basket
A functional option for storing sports equipment, toys and hand tools, this mesh storage basket holds up to 35 pounds. Install it on the wall, and it can easily be repositioned to meet your needs. "The basket is useful for storing bulky, difficult to store items such as balls, plastic tubing, gear bags and kids toys. Weight capacity is 35 pounds, so you can fit quite a bit of stuff in here," said one buyer.
Customizable Pegboard Organizer
Instead of putting up one piece of pegboard, this customizable pegboard organizer can be configured for your unique garage storage needs. It's 16-inches by 16-inches, so buy several and hang them in a way that works for you. The 1/4-inch holes work with 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch peg hooks. "My garage walls are finished with drywall, so these are exactly what I was looking for. The provided mounting holes line up with the studs in the wall so mounting was a breeze," said one buyer.
Corner Tool Rack
This corner tool rack/organizer tucks into that often unused corner of the garage. It organizes up to 30 tools and is lightweight so you can move it around easily. "Having recently renovated my garage I needed tool storage in one of the corners and found this easy to use rack. The price and size were just right. What surprised me was the large amount of stuff I was able to easily store. It is a well-designed tool stand and so easy to place and or remove the stored items," noted one buyer.
Garage Hoist
To make the best use of overhead space in your garage, consider these garage hoists. They come in a two-pack and hold up to 125 pounds, making them perfect for items such as kayaks and ladders. "Excellent for storing our kayaks, which is why I purchased this. However, after seeing the design, this can be used for many other applications (ladders, bikes, lawn chairs etc). Gives us our garage floor back," said one buyer.
Four-Drawer Cabinet
You'll be able to maximize you garage storage space with this four-drawer cabinet. Not only does it have drawers for storage, it also features a solid-wood top for some extra workspace. The single lock secures all drawers for added security. "It's a nice size for a smaller work area, holds a lot but doesn't take up a ton of room. It's very heavy and solidly built and looks very nice. High quality materials and a nice top on it that provides additional workspace in our small shop. The drawers are nicely sized and work well," said one buyer.Build a Basic Media Cabinet
This idea could be as simple as hanging a TV on the wall. But we wanted to protect all the electronics from sawdust and stray basketballs, so we built a giant cabinet. Don’t be fooled by the size; it’s big, but construction was basic. Get the full plans for this impressive media cabinet.
Livable Floor Coating
Concrete floors are bland and hard to keep clean. Our solution was an epoxy floor coating. More than any other project, this stunning floor transformed the garage into an inviting living space. Learn how to apply an epoxy floor coating with this step-by-step guide.
Add Garage Outlets
Installing surface-mounted raceway is the slickest way to add lighting or outlets in a finished garage—even if you’re already a master at running conduit or fishing wire. Like conduit, it eliminates the need to tear into walls or ceilings. Unlike conduit, it doesn’t require special tools or materials. A raceway system typically begins at an existing outlet. From there, it can run anywhere: up, down, around corners or in multiple directions at once. Get the full how-to for installing more garage outlets yourself.
Install a Ductless Heating & Cooling System
We added ductless mini-split heating/cooling in the Dempsey’s garage for year-round comfort. If you’re intimidated by this HVAC project, don’t be. Supplying the power took creative planning, but the rest was amazingly easy. See how it was done here.
Watch this video to learn more about what installing a mini-split system entails, so you can do it yourself:
Workbench That Stows
If you need a work surface in your garage, but don’t have enough space for a permanent workbench, build one that folds up and rolls away! Get the full plans and watch a video tutorial for how to build this inexpensive folding mobile workbench.
If your garage is an unusable space in colder climates, consider purchasing a garage heater.
Next, check out our favorite garage door paint ideas.
