Garage Overhaul: Phase 1

Last month I mentioned that I was beginning work turning our small garage into a functional workshop. I finished what I'm referring to as 'Phase 1," which mostly just included making The Tinkery functional. Future phases will focus on further refining the functionality and improving aesthetics, but this will be a bit more intensive and I'm not sure when I'll have time to get around to it.

For Phase 1, the first step was clearing out the unnecessary junk to maximize space. Once we had a bit more space, the canoe was pulled out of the backyard and hung in the garage. Then I designed and built a new workbench and hung our bikes - minus the tandem - on the south wall.

The garage started out something like what you see above. We basically just piled anything we didn't want in the house into the garage as it came off the moving truck. There was a narrow path through all those piles, allowing us to walk in and out of the house. Our bikes were leaned against one another and all of my tools, spare parts, etc. were packed away in boxes.

Now the garage is much more roomy. The bikes are handy and my tools and supplies are organized on the new workbench. Miscellany has been organized on the shelves in the back of the garage and there are only a few items still sitting on the floor - the tandem and the trailer among them.