Storage cabinets with doors are a popular garage storage solution because, by their very nature, they can mask unsightly home maintenance items we need to store. Typically, garage storage cabinets are used to house items like cleaning supplies and leftover paint – that is, items that can look like a cluttered jumble if left on an open shelf. Some homeowners opt for lockable storage cabinets to house toxic items, especially if there are children in the home (see example below).

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Because garage storage cabinets are enclosed, the interior space can contain more than a simple shelf. They can be subdivided into “cubbies” (useful when you want to maintain separation between items or different groups of items) or you might equip your shelves with drawers (as shown below) to organize smaller items like hardware or craft supplies.

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A cabinet that stands on the floor and is over five or six feet in height is sometimes called a “closet” rather than a storage cabinet.  This type of storage unit might not have shelves at all; instead, the entire vertical space might be left open (designed to store garden tools or sports equipment) or equipped with a hanging bar across the top (useful, perhaps, for storing bulky off-season clothing). Here is an example of this type of storage cabinet / closet on Amazon.

When Are Storage Cabinets Better Choice Than Shelves?

Storage cabinets are typically a more expensive solution than shelves, so when should you spend the extra money and opt to use them instead of garage shelving?  There are three main reasons:

To Hide Clutter.  A set of shelves where all sorts of “stuff” is left visible is simply not aesthetically pleasing. Some people don’t care how their garages look; others do. There’s not one right-or-wrong answer, of course, but the reality is storage cabinets make garage look more organized and tidy.

To Protect Items from the Elements.  Garages are seldom heated or air conditioned.  Often doors are left open for long periods of time, and cars drive in wet from rain or snow. Given these environmental considerations (not to mention dirt, insects or other vermin), some of your items in storage may need protection. 

For Safety’s Sake. Some commonly stored items really shouldn’t be left readily accessible — toxic chemicals, sharp tools or BB guns, for example — especially if there are children living in or visiting your home. For these items, lockable storage cabinets are strongly recommended.

Important Note: The images above are from Amazon.com, and clicking them will present pricing information and customer comments about the individual products for your perusal. The products featured on GarageCabinetSense.com are some of our favorite garage organization solutions and, as you’ll see in the customer reviews, they’re well-liked by others, too.

If you prefer, you can also click this link >>>– garage storage cabinets and organization –<<< for a more inclusive list of Amazon’s offerings.

Below you will find a step-by-step guide that’s chock-full of garage storage ideas. We hope you will simply take what works for you from the list and leave the rest for someone else. There’s truly something for everyone!

Basically, we are going to look at the SPACE you have for storage and the STUFF you need to store.  Then we’ll look at the different storage systems and solutions you can use.

First, start at the beginning – and think broadly about your STUFF:

image credit: flickr's rynosoft

• What can you throw away or sell and not store?  (One “solution” or “good idea” is to avoid the problem, right?)  Seriously, do you really need everything?  Is it time for a garage sale?
• What’s in your garage now that you need to store?  Would it make more sense to store some of those items elsewhere in the house – in a laundry room, a hall, a bedroom or the kitchen, perhaps?
• Conversely, what’s presently stored somewhere else in your house that should probably be stored in the garage instead?
• Now, move the car outside for the rest of this exercise.  That way you can use the space where the car will sit as a “holding pen” for the items you need to organize as you decide where and how best to store them.

Second, inventory all the SPACE that’s realistically available for storage.  How about the back wall?  The side wall(s)?  Overhead areas? For each such space you identify, determine:

• How deep and tall is the space?  Take measurements and try to envision the “volume” of stuff you can store there. Think about how often you might need to access specific groups of items. For example, holiday decorations are usually great candidates for utilizing your overhead garage storage space, whereas tools that are heavy that you may want to access frequently and in a hurry probably shouldn’t be stored in that area.
• What amount of space do you need to reserve for passage ways –- to get in and out of the car, for example, or to get to some of the storage areas directly?

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Next, consider the size, weight and other characteristics of each GROUP of items to be stored.  Generally, open shelves and cabinets with shelves should house heavier items LOW in the space, preferably contained in boxes or bins that hold several items and can be labeled.  Lighter, smaller items, on the other hand, should be stored higher, closer to eye level, and not piled deep. Again, use boxes or bins or, perhaps, drawers or trays or other “organizer” storage systems designed to corral smaller items to aid your future access.

Then, start evaluating different garage storage ideas and manufacturers’ solutions in light of the space you have and the stuff you need to store.  Consider each of the following and then sketch out how each solution might fit in your available space and best store your stuff:

• Freestanding garage cabinets – either full-size cabinets (6’ or taller) or half cabinets (30 – 36” tall).  The Sterilite half cabinet shown above is from Amazon, and they offer matching full-size garage cabinets (as shown on our home page).  You might also want to check out our Popular Brands of Garage Cabinets article for additional examples of freestanding garage cabinets.


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• Wall-mounted storage cabinets typically hang on the wall at or above eye level, like the Stanley Tools wall-mounted cabinet shown on the right (available from Amazon). There are matching freestanding garage cabinets in the Stanley Tools line, as well, which you can view by clicking on the preceding link.
• Workbench – a handy addition if you frequently need a flat surface to work on. (Don’t forget the storage space under the workbench!)
• Garage shelving, with the following alternatives:
  • open sides and back, floor mounted
  • closed sides and back, floor mounted (like a bookshelf)
  • fixed shelves
  • adjustable height shelves
  • shelves on wall-mounted brackets
• Rail-systems where the rails hang on the wall and everything else hangs on the rails.  See Garage Cabinets on Rails for more information.
• Hooks, pegboards and other wall-mounted systems to hold and display smaller items or to utilize wall space for bike or other sports equipment storage.
• Ceiling-mounted storage systems. See our Overhead Garage Storage article for more information.

Last, on a piece of paper, act like you’re an architect or interior designer: Sketch the SPACE you have (whether or not you already have garage storage cabinets, shelves or other solutions already in place) and then sketch the volumes of STUFF you have to store.  From there, just mix and match and play with the alternatives (e.g., bikes on the floor?  on the wall?  hanging from the ceiling?) Think about how you want your garage storage to serve you and other members of your family (e.g., do you really need a workbench or simply a “lower” cabinet with a flat top?) and focus on garage storage ideas that will be easy to maintain.

If you’re reading this, you probably have some empty space in your garage (or space you plan to make empty soon!), and you have items you want to store and keep organized there. Work on different arrangements on paper, utilizing storage cabinets or shelves you may already have and supplementing them with additional storage units you need and/or those handy bins and boxes. Remember, too: this doesn’t all need to be accomplished in a single weekend! When all the pieces for your perfect plan arrive, then physically move the items into the space where they will be stored, pat yourself on the back for adding value to your home should you ever wish to put it on the market and then just enjoy your new-found sense of organization. It truly does feel good!

That should give you a good idea of which garage storage solutions will work best for you, but if you have items that might require specialty storage considerations (e.g., tool storage), you might want to scroll up and check out some of the articles on offer in our Advice Center. We’re here to help, and we aim to please!

Important Note: Except where noted, the images above are from Amazon.com, and clicking them will present pricing information and customer comments about the individual products for your perusal. The products featured on GarageCabinetSense.com are some of our favorite garage storage ideas and, as you’ll see in the customer reviews, they’re typically well-liked by others, too.

If you prefer, you can also click this link >>>– garage storage cabinets and organization –<<< for a more inclusive list of Amazon’s garage organization offerings.

All garage organization is animated by the principles of retrieval, not of storage.  Storage is easy.  Remembering where you put something –or finding what you want — well, that’s hard.  So, if you put all your “electrical stuff” in a single garage cabinet, that is a form of “garage organization.” Either you will remember that all electrical items are there. Or you will see it fairly quickly when you start searching. You might even label the cabinet itself.

Garage cabinets assist in organizing your garage two ways:  first by getting the items stored away, out of sight and second, by putting similar stuff in the same space, be it a garage cabinet, a drawer or a shelf inside a garage cabinet.

Generally speaking, garage cabinets come in four flavors:  garage cabinets that mount to the wall, often at eye level; half cabinets that fit on the floor and come up to your waist; workbenches that have drawers or shelves below the main workbench surface; and full garage cabinets that stand on the floor and extend to 6, 7 or 8 feet tall. Of course, there are also overhead garage storage solutions, but “cabinets” are simply those enclosed storage containers that are on the floor or attached to the wall.

The best way to plan your garage organization is to assemble your “stuff” into the logical categories you’d  use to find it. In my case, that’s “fasteners” (nails, screws, bolts, glue and bailing wire!), “sports” equipment, “off season”, “painting” supplies, “drills/saws”, “electrical, TV and computer” (primarily cables, antennae, converter plugs and those teeny screwdrivers used on computers), “Christmas” stuff and so on.  Some items fit nicely into a whole cabinet.  Others only need a drawer.  One shelf might be assigned to “drills”.   A whole floor-to-ceiling cabinet might hold “sports equipment.”

Often, a cabinet is too big to properly organize all the items within it — hence the need for drawers, shelves, cubbies, hangers, etc. Once you have the main organizing done — say, “electrical, TV and computer” — how you sub-divide the space inside the cabinet is driven by what you are storing. In my case, a drawer for each one: electrical” holds octopus plugs, three-prong to two-prong converters, electrical tape, soldering stuff, extension cords, and so on. The computer drawer has some extra mice, some printer cables, and the detrius of earlier computers I’m saving for some unknown future need!

The measure of success is whether you can tell a visitor where something is and they can find it without you. And you get extra credit if they can find it without you telling them where it is. Hopefully, they can simply SEE from the gross organization that an extension cord won’t be in the paint locker but might be in the cabinet with a bunch of TV and computer stuff. That’s the acid test for great organization.

A “garage organizer” is any device that contains and subdivides space so that stored items have a logic or a visibilty aiding retrieval.  A rolling mechanics tool chest is a “garage organizer” to the extent it keeps wrenches and other tools organized in a way let’s your FIND what you need.

Chest serving as a garage organizer

Remember: Storage is only half the problem. Knowing where something is and being able to EASILY find it is the real success.   Garage organizers exploit the fact that having a specific place to store a logical grouping —  e.g., all your nails, nuts, bolts, washers, screws, clips, grommets and other “fasteners” — will help you find that 1-1/4 inch wood screw you need.   Likely, the garage organizer you select for your “fasteners” (or any other logical category of things)  would quickly display everything — so you  see all the different sizes and can quickly find what you want.   This can be done with an organizer chest, like that shown here.  Or it can be an insert in a drawer – something like the organizer you use in the silverware drawer in your kitchen.

Freestanding, garage organizer

My favorite garage organizer is this wonderful standalone tower by S. Kuramata comprising a rod which serves as a hub for a stack of rotating shelves.  It’s beautiful.  It’s elegant.  And it will give you lots of ideas about how to think about “garage organizers.”  They don’t need to be boring, that’s for sure!

The most popular types of garage organizers are those which hang items on the wall.  The old-fashioned pegboard system  was a very popular way to hang up tools – easily seen, fetched, used and replaced.  But as power tools proliferated and as single tools became sets (e.g., of wrenches or Torx bits), storage of these items on pegboards became more problematic.  Have you ever seen a Skil saw hanging on a pegboard?

Popular "rail" systems serve as garage organizers

Some wall-mounted systems – sometimes called “rail systems” or simply “rails” – are meant to carry heavier, bulkier items.  Special hooks can even carry bicycles and cantilevered boxes or shelves that support heavier loads.

Cubbies, especially those that can be adjusted, create nooks which can hold medium sized items, be they sporting equipment, tools, paint supplies, woodworking materials or whatever.  Cubbies are like a constellation of open-faced (doorless), small, compact, garage cabinets where “everything has its place and everything is in place.”

Cubbys serve as garage organizers

The last popular non-cabinet garage storage solution is simple:  garage shelving.   Shelving is just cubbies without the vertical dividers!

Standlone bookshelf-type shelves are popular, and  the shelving that attaches to walls offer great space to store and then see the items stored.

Kuramata's Homage To Piet Mondrian

Kuramata created two cabinets (for the Cappellini collection) paying homage to the 20th century artist Piet Mondrian. The rectangular, geometric shapes are perfect for a garage cabinet door. And the colors can complement most any garage.

But why stop with that idea? How about a Jackson Pollock? After all, your paint splatters could be repurposed to high art! Or buy some poster of a Van Gogh or a Rembrandt … or anyone really … and adhere it to the garage cabinet door with some shellac (for wooden cabinets) or clear lacquer (for metal ones). See also Should Garage Cabinets Be Wood, Metal, Plastic or Other? Should Mona Lisa be on your paint locker?

Don’t forget that there are multiple cabinets to take care of. Let’s say you have two doors on workbench cabinets that are on the floor and two that are wall-mounted, just above the workbench. What four pictures might work together to form a coherent whole? Aces of spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds? The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Or maybe something whimsical, like a four quadrants of compass rose, showing NE, NW, SE and SW respectively.

When you consider planning out your entire garage cabinet system, don’t forget to add a touch of color this way, or a unique, personal touch.

You even know where to get it all.  Now comes the question.  Do I buy all (or most) the garage cabinets from a single source AND buy installation as part of the bundle?  Or do you buy installation separately?   Or do you do the job yourself?

Assuming you are a reasonably competent handyman or handywoman (otherwise, hire someone!), what should you consider before deciding whether to do-it-yourself?

Cost, Quality and Time – Pick Any Two Out Of Three

There’s a famous saying that all projects have three dimensions: cost, quality and time.  And you can optimize for any two of them, at the expense of the third.  Some examples:

• If you need it fast and good, it will be expensive.
• Taking your time saves money.
• If you do it fast and cheap, it won’t be good.

So, if you have the time and the tools, you can probably do just fine.  After all, with an appropriate amount of time, you can learn what you need to know and even do it over if you must.

credit: mrbill

The actual “how to” courses are beyond the scope of this page, but, basically, installing cabinets is no more complicated than attaching the cabinets firmly the wall (or overhead) when needed. Those cabinets that simply sit on the floor require virtually no installation. The only difference is that some garage cabinets will carry much heavier weights than, e.g., kitchen cabinets).

Metal garage cabinets may require a wrench set and most cabinet suppliers will happily point out the need for anything special – if only so they can sell you what you’ll need.

The only other considerations other than time, money, your skill, special tools and whether installation is bundled with the purchase price of the cabinets is liability for mistakes. If you damage the cabinets during a botched installation, likely you have voided any warranties. And if improper installation causes injury (e.g., a cabinet pulls loose from the wall and falls on someone), you could be liable.

But installing cabinets is not rocket surgery either – most experienced handymen/women can get the job done adequately, within a reasonable time, and without having to buy or learn any exotic new tools or installation methods.

If you want to start a fight, just say which brand of garage cabinets YOU think is best! I have my preferences, but, bottom line, there are brands that might meet your particular needs better. We’ll mention the leaders here to give your search for “the perfect garage cabinet” a jump start.

Another consideration along this same line is whether you’ll need help installing your garage cabinets. That’s often much easier to arrange with a local retail store. Alternatively, you might want to simply use a service such as craigslist to find a handyman to help with the installation since buying online often allows significant cost savings. The infographic below — a slide from a presentation about Amazon.com — illustrates that point quite effectively:

As promised, here are the major / leading brands you should consider, along with a bit of commentary and a link to a representative cabinet on Amazon or another website, if available. (The “$” amount in parentheses represents an estimate of street costs for a middle-sized wall cabinet.) We’re of the mind that organization and space utilization is the primary consideration; that is, a “garage cabinet” can be simply a cabinet in the garage; it does not have to be something exotic or expensive. On the other hand, there are some wonderful specialty cabinets to be had and almost surely something for everyone, whatever your needs or preferences.

• Ameriwood – Ameriwood is known for kitchen and bathroom cabinets, but they make “multi-purpose cabinets” that work just fine in the garage. ($150)

• Closet-Maid – Again, this company makes all sorts of storage products for inside the house (and closets) as well as wire and laminate products (white melamine, too) for the garage. ($150)

• Coleman – Coleman makes private labeled cabinets for Lowe’s and Builder’s Square. Some Coleman products are metal, but many are MDF, so be sure to check. ($160)

• Craftsman – The store-brand for Sears, known for tools, it’s not a surprise that Craftsman also sells garage cabinets, workbenches, and floor cabinets with tool-storage drawers. Most Craftsman models are made from heavy-duty steel construction with baked enamel finish. ($140)

• Frontgate – Yes, this is the same Frontgate that makes beautiful furniture for your house. They have a line of steel garage cabinets, one with glass panels on the front doors. A bit pricey, but also nice. ($ N/A)

• Gladiator GarageWorks – This modular garage storage system includes several different components (some that utilize a slot wall system which allows easy rearrangement and addition of new components if/when needs change). Like Frontgate, cabinets can be equipped with casters as shown in the Amazon image to the left.

• Hercke – a collection of stainless steel and baked steel cabinets, drawers, and work surfaces — some on legs, some on wheels and a real mix ‘n match set of possibilities. ($219)

• Husky – Available at Home Depot. Some are all steel construction and some are advertised as “metal front” – the latter being resin (synthetic) cabinets with metal doors. ($150 for the all steel; $80 for “metal front”)

• Powell – the “hot rod collection” includes steel cabinets and a butcher block workbench. ($250)

• PremiereGarage – garage storage solutions delivered by a nationwide network of specialty shops – and solutions range from custom-designed layouts to “standard cabinets” in a host of materials from maple to stainless to “powder-coated” (whatever that means) to melamine “cabinetry systems.”

• Ulti-Mate – Two lines – Ulti-Mate and Ulti-Mate Pro, the latter being optimized for auto enthusiasts. Ulti-Mate cabinets are constructed from MDF with solid hardware and nice finishes. Middle-of the road options. ($120 – $185)

• Vault – An upscale provider of garage storage systems.

If you prefer, you can also click this link >>>– garage storage cabinets and organization –<<< for a more inclusive list of Amazon’s offerings.