Storage-Smart Garages

Your garage is one of the largest rooms in your house, so it's important to adopt a flexible storage system that allows access to your most important items. This space sorts supplies according to use so there's never any doubt where to look.

Commit to reusing and recycling by keeping an array of bags on hand. A metal hook for reusable bags, a shallow wire basket for paper bags, and wall-mounted dispenser for plastic bags placed near the door make it easy to grab and reuse bags as you need them.

Clear plastic bins are a sensible solution for stocking small items like rags, brushes, sponges, and tape. Not only are they budget-friendly, they are also easy to label and keep organized.

A utility cart is durable enough to handle a variety of accessories. It's also easy to maneuver, which is a plus when you're cleaning your car. Equip the cart with chamois, cleaners, and squeegees for a quick and easy car cleanup.

A handheld shower caddy corrals cleaning supplies in a way that is both durable and portable. For optimal organization, choose a caddy that is divided into compartments.

Designate a spot for collecting things you want to recycle but can't throw into your curbside bin, such as oil-based paints, batteries, and CFL bulbs. Use small bins to corral like items and use shelves to store chemicals and liquids. A wall-mounted cabinet like this one is ideal for organizing your recyclables; it also keeps them out of reach from kids and pets.

Wall-mounted rails are a space-savvy way to store larger items out of harm's way. This organizer features three S-hooks to secure long-handled tools, while a utility hook keeps items such as hoses, ropes, and extension cords tightly coiled.

For a multifunction garage, divide the space into zones, designed for different tasks. Transform a simple potting station into the ultimate garden storage center with a few space-saving solutions. Adjustable shelving enables you to customize your space as needed. Here, staggered wire shelves corral pots, seeds, and fertilizers. A neat row of hooks beneath keeps garden tools within reach. Use magnetic message boards to organize garden tips and to-do lists.

Keeping a garage workshop is a job in itself. Overcome that obstacle by enlisting wall space to mount small bins and tool racks around your workstation. Slatted wall panels surround the wall space around this workbench to make storing tools easy and efficient.

A storage bench in the garage is the perfect spot to keep sports equipment. This one stashes playthings in one tidy place. Not only is it an organizational gem, it's also a convenient area to put on shoes or a jacket before heading outdoors.

Garage and garden tasks are bound to be messy, but a wall-mounted towel dispenser makes tidying up a breeze. Keep a bottle or two of cleaner on hand for a quick way to clean up. This dual-purpose model is perfect for keeping supplies at the ready and also boasts a paper towel holder.

A tall metal locker is a safe haven for car maintenance, instruction manuals, and warranty information. Labeled magazine holders and storage files ensure that materials stay organized. Message clips are a handy way to display sketches, articles, or reminders.

Convert space at the head of the garage to a storage area with stock cabinets. Add a plywood countertop, pegboard, and task lights to make a workbench.

Tall cabinets with adjustable shelves and drawers keep hobby and recreational items out of sight until needed. Thanks to a layer of chalkboard paint on cabinet surfaces, chalk labels help the whole family know where to put things away.

Take a tip from your kitchen: Clear glass canisters make it easy to see what's inside, which saves you time when you're looking for just the right size nail or screw.

Stackable galvanized-steel bins keep small items such as coils of wire corralled and ready for use. Labels help keep you organized.

Millions of dads can't be wrong: You can't beat pegboard for providing an inexpensive, easy-to-install method of storing tools. Screwdrivers and more stay visible and within easy reach. Hooks can be moved when you want to rearrange the wall.

Think ahead to save steps. Storing your paintbrushes close to the paint and stain, as shown here, saves countless steps each time you start a painting project.

Got something too bulky for bins but not big enough for cabinet shelves? Stash those awkward items in labeled drawers where they can't escape.

This space recruits old and new workhorses to tame what used to be unruly room. Painted pegboard cut into 2-foot squares was attached to wall studs, then equipped with hooks for hanging often-used tools. A wood shelf was installed near the ceiling (with stylish corbels providing support) to tuck away seldom-used supplies.

Simple modifications helped transform a potting bench into a tool bench. Large holes routed into a shelf now offer storage for everyday tools. A metal ruler screwed to the bench top is always ready for a quick measurement. Jars, hooks, and magnetic clips provide easy access to notes, nails, and keys.

Ordinary S hooks -- with their tendency to fall out of pegboard holes -- were eliminated in favor of nylon tool holders. These storage helpers easily screw into place, providing stable homes for favorite trowels and other tools. Garden gloves are stashed in a colorful pencil caddy to keep them at the ready.

A wall-mounted four-bin school locker became a secure arsenal for power-tool storage. With the padlock option, the same locker could become a safe, secure location for storing dangerous chemicals.

Attaching a magnetic tool holder along the side of the bench means you'll never need to search for missing attachments again. (If the technology looks familiar, it's because it's similar to magnetic knife holders used in kitchens.)