After extensive research, the Lehigh Group found that people generally embraced garage storage ideas that “got things off the floor” and “used unused space” creatively as a way to be safer. For example, the space between the two overhead doors of a two-car garage is a perfect place to store that torpedo-shaped car top carrier when it’s not being used. You won’t hit it with the car or trip over it there.

The wooden, metal or resin-based storage cabinets, available at modest prices from the big box retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot, are still very popular, but more and more homeowners seem convinced more sophisticated systems are worth the extra cost.

~image is clickable~

Bicycle storage is a great slatwall application. Getting bicycles off the floor not only reduces the chance they will fall over and scratch the car, it also minimizes the storage footprint. And, hanging bikes on a slatwall system is preferable to hanging them high overhead on ceiling hooks, as it takes a great deal of strength and coordination to hoist a bike high overhead. Not everyone can do it as easily as they can pick up a bike and place it on a slatwall hook at chest or eye level.

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?

~image is clickable~

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.


~image is clickable~

• 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.

An old fashioned manual winch can open up lots of overhead garage storage

In the garage, a winch is used for lifting something heavy — the classic case being lifting an engine out of a car.  But our interest is more in how you can use it for creating garage storage — specifically, overhead garage storage.    Sure, if you have a garage winch, you can use it for anything, but a cheap winch, especially a hand crank one like that show here, is often all you need.  Just imagine this winch anchored near a side wall with an attached cable that goes up the side wall to a strong pulley where the wall meets the ceiling (or roof), which then goes over to a pulley or two in the center of the garage, and then down to a basket or platform that is raised or lowered.

Lower the platform or basket, put items to be stored on / in it, and then use the winch to lift the platform or basket out of the way.  This works especially well with open ceilings.  This is a great solution if all your garage cabinets and other garage storage places are full.

This electric winch is probably overkill for most garages

Sure, you can buy an electric winch and save yourself a little cranking.  But that adds cost and complexity.   If all you are doing is adding some garage storage solutions to your garage, you don’t really need to set up an electric winch.   It definitely would be more hoisting power than the typical overhead storage solution would need, that’s for sure.

A garage winch powered by your existing drill might be a solution

If for some reason you don’t want to deal with a hand crank, but you want to avoid the expense of a permanent, electrical winch, consider a hybrid system, like the garage winch provided by Pulley-Man(tm),  pictured here.   This device has the anchoring hooks, coupled with some steel cable running through a geared-down pulley that can be powered by a conventional 1/4 inch power drill — you know, a Black and Decker or other drill found in almost every workshop in the USA.   When you need to raise or lower the overhead storage, you just get your drill and voila! you have a powered garage winch for the time that you need it.

So, fear not.  That overhead space is ripe for the storing.   And if you don’t want to deal with ladders, then have the storage space come down to you on a pulley and cable system, then hoisted back up using your new garage winch!.

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.

Wood Storage Cabinets

“Wood” refers to all sorts of wood — plywood, veneer, natural woods, and even pressboard or particleboard.  There are major benefits to using wood. Normally it is less expensive.  It is easier to paint and maintain.  It is easier to install.  And it is normally it is easier to modify for your particular needs, for example, changing hinges or decorative hardware.

That said, however, wood is susceptible to a destruction by pests, moisture, and age if not properly maintained. This is particularly true for particle board if it is not kept dry.

Another benefit of using wooden cabinets is that they do not need to be “special made” for the garage.  You can repurpose kitchen cabinets, old furniture, and even shipping crates and convert them to use as garage storage cabinets.  By painting them a common color and unifying hardware, you can create the look of a custom-made solution.

Metal Storage Cabinets

Custom Made Aluminum Cabinets

The most common metal cabinets are steel, primarily stainless steel, and aluminum.  Steel cabinets can be very effective, especially when carrying a heavy load.  Stainless steel and aluminum cabinets are resistant to rust, but still need to be maintained.

Buying metal cabinets works best when you know what you need and want and can buy a complete set of cabinets.  Adding or changing cabinets later is difficult, as the model may no longer be available.

Consider, for example, the cabinets at the left.  What would you do if one of them were damaged?   Or you decided that you needed another one with drawers?   Unless the manufacturer were still making this model, you might have to replace the entire set.

Plywood, Particle Board (MDF) or Melamine Storage Cabinets

Melamine is heavy, hard to modify but resistant to moisture.  (You will sometimes find melamine cabinets categorized as plastic storage cabinets, by the way.) Plywood and particle board is the opposite — not good around water, but easy to modify, paint, install and maintain.   And veneer-covered plywood can be very attractive and durable if not subjected to moist conditions. Largely, this is a matter of aesthetics and personal choice … and cost, of course. I’m not going to argue for one over the other.

Whatever you decide, work with what you have … and it will serve you well!