I’ve shared a little bit of the horror story that was our garage.

And how we started getting it all cleaned out by moving the workbench and hanging some pegboard.

But then we started talking about some of the other projects we have going on and left you all in the dark about the state of our half-cleaned out garage. So, in case anyone was waiting in suspense to see if we were, in fact, able to get our garage whipped into shape, I thought I would share a few “after” pictures.

The pegboard makes me smile so much, even though he isn’t quite finished with it. I so appreciate organization.

I’m a little messy (creative?) but I really do feel better in an organized, clean environment. I just don’t like cleaning, and I tend to forget to put things away when I’m done with them since I’m already onto the next project. Still, this pegboard has given me high hopes about the amount of junk  that will end up of the workbench from now on. We might be able to use that as a work surface now!

Technically, these are more “progress” shots because we still have some work to do out there. But we had to get rid of a ton of junk to get to this point, so it already feels a lot like the “after” photos in a big transformation. The doors and such in the back corner need to go to the ReStore.

We also have a pile of stuff to donate in the middle of the floor so we don’t forget/procrastinate/allow this stuff to collect a bunch of sawdust for the next six months instead of just getting rid of it now.

We need to hang a few more things on the wall (like Wyatt’s bike) and build a shelf for some storage (the totes full of painting drop cloths and such need a place to go) and we’re still undecided on the best way to design/build/implement a little recycling station where these doors are currently propped up waiting to be painted.

But we did get our old cabinets (the ones we didn’t sell with the kitchen cabinets last summer) installed where they go. It’s going to be a little gardening/grilling supply area and work surface. Plus, the cabinet on the bottom rolls out for an extra work surface for bigger woodworking projects.

Unfortunately, we have hit a little snag in the project because Wyatt and I disagree on the best way to move forward from here. I want more shelves and stuff on the walls. Wyatt likes to leave things on the floor where he can get to them. He keeps saying that he’s too short to have stuff on high shelves. I get that…but I also know I hate having stuff just sitting around on the floor. Shelves make the floor space look cleaner…which makes the garage look cleaner, right?

I don’t know. It’s his space, mostly, so I want to be respectful of what he wants. But I just have this urge to get rid of all the “junk” I see sitting around on the floor. Things like fishing gear, brooms, and motor oil will hopefully have a shelf in the near future…if I get my way.

But, wowza, it feels good to have gone from this:

to this:

And this:

to this:

So, for now, I’m trying to just enjoy the sign of relief and lower blood pressure I feel every time I walk out there instead of focusing on the few areas I think still need improvement.

A big part of that came from Wyatt’s awesome shelves he built for his wood storage. Those things are so awesome to have gotten all those boards up off the floor. He’ll be back with a specific post to talk about how he made those later on.

Of course, we got rid of A BUNCH of junk. Seriously, when my parents visited last weekend, they took a truck bed and a trailer full of scrap wood/trim/doors to the burn pile on the farm. IT felt SO GOOD to say goodbye to over half of the junk we had just sitting out there.

Plus, we had a huge garage sale this past weekend, which, in addition to putting $320 bucks in our pockets, got rid of a BUNCH of clutter from the basement, too. Which is another area I’m really focused on getting ready for the baby’s arrival this summer.

Where do you fall on the garage organization chart? Are you pro-shelves or pro-floor? Maybe you have a garage like my sister and brother-in-law that’s so neat it can be considered another room in their home. Or you have a garage like my parents who have collected every used kitchen cabinet they can find in an attempt to keep all my dad’s tools in some system of organization in their unfinished (no drywall) garage.

Tell us your garage organization tips!