Even the most clean and stylish homeowners often view garages as storage spaces. Considering it is a part of the house most people visit every time they leave their home in their vehicle, it shouldn't be left as an eye sore. Even if you don't mind the clutter, a cluttered garage can result in a lot of time wasted sifting through everything to find a certain item.
If you really want to give your garage an effective makeover- the best way to go is from the bottom up. Most junk and clutter will be addressed when you start on the floor. If you are looking for a quick fix, this may may not be a great place to start. Without further ado here is how you can get started giving your garage a much needed face lift.
Paint the Garage Floor
Oil spills, dirt, mouse droppings and lord knows what else, all cake on a garage floor over the years making the garage look like scenes from a horror movie rather than an integral part of your home. One way to really spruce up your garage, as well as ensure the long-term integrity of the garage floor, is to treat and paint the floor of your garage. Here is a website from DIY Network that takes you through the process of re-painting a garage floor.
To upgrade your floor even further when you do this, I recommend going for a more non-traditional color. We are all too familiar with the ugly grey of garages, and it has a negative connotation in our minds. Instead browse for colors like rose, sunset or any number of tan-hued garage floor paint colors to give your garage a more warm look. Here is one option for garage floor paint from Home Depot.
Clean the Garage Floor
If re-painting the garage floor is just not in the household budget right now, considering using a pressure washer or hosing out your garage floor. This will get out oil, dust, nests and all the other gunk that accumulates on the garage floor. Even just a quick sweep will make all the difference in the appearance of your garage. You'll be surprised how much your garage will shine after preforming any of these relatively low budget steps.
Remove Junk off the Floor
Like any room in a house, all items should have a place in your garage. Items that sit on the floor take up more space than they need to. It also makes things appear a lot more cluttered than they actually are in reality. Invest in shelves, organizers, hangers, bins, buckets or whatever else you need to get all the random items off of the floor. Make sure after you or a family member uses an item, that the item goes back where it belongs afterwards.
Avoid Using Cardboard Boxes as Storage in Garages
Cardboard boxes are cheap, versatile and great for moving, but when it comes to permanent storage they are not ideal. Cardboard can absorb moisture, smells, dust and can attract mice, so it is best to avoid them as storage items in your home. Not to mention that ugly shade of brown reminds many of us of the horrible process of moving, so it makes look as if you are transit rather than trying to settle in your home.
Instead of cardboard boxes opt for plastic, metal or just about any other material, because these material will last longer than most cardboard boxes will in the elements. You can find great sales on storage shelves and plastic bins a couple weeks after holidays (mainly Christmas and Halloween) when stores are trying to sell off extra bins they have on stock. Also, IKEA often has bargains on these type of items, as well as plenty of attractive options.
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