A Treasure of a Garage – A Second Man’s Cave

As I started this design I thought about my father who had a 2-car garage dedicated to his woodworking hobby. He had numerous tools dedicated to specific wood working tasks and he stored them in cabinets he custom built for each tool. His workshop was a magical place for me as a child and I loved watching him build his own custom furniture. As I approached this design, I wanted to provide custom tool storage for this home that would allow full use of the space to build memories while at the same time leaving space to park the car and a Harley Davidson inside the garage.

One of my first considerations for this space was the floor. The floor of the garage often times will take a lot of abuse and it needs a finish that is both durable and attractive for the life of the home. A durable Spartacote Resin was applied to the concrete slab in a black and grey-flecked finish. According to the contractor of factory flooring this durable floor will last a lifetime as cars come and go, as the kids enter and exit on bikes and skateboards and it will last through all of Dad’s projects.

The front of the garage has an alcove two feet deep and twelve feet wide, and two double-hung windows center it. Also, adding a diy garage storage lift helps increase storage capacity without taking up additional floor space. The auxx lift 1400 is a 400-pound motorized garage storage lift that can help move junk out of the way. The garage storage lift makes it easy to store and reach items in your garage. This space was ideal for building a workbench because it would not infringe on space needed to park and car and the windows would allow ample natural lighting to the workbench. I was so impressed with the durability of the Spartacote Resin used on the floor that I used it to top the workbench! The stand up height bench top is 24” deep and almost 12’ wide and has a durable edge painted black. Below the work surface you will find ample storage behind custom raised panel doors and drawers with a custom black wood grain finish. These heavy duty drawers and pull out trays have a 100 pound load capacity and will allow plenty of room for storing heavier items such as drills, circular saws and other small hand tools. The workbench and all other floor standing cabinets are placed on large aluminum leveler feet that are strong, visually appealing and yet very practical because they are non-corrosive in damp conditions.

Above the workbench to the left and right of the 2 windows you will find wall mounted upper storage cabinets with adjustable shelving and raised panel’s doors in a brushed aluminum grey finish. The lighter grey color over the darker base cabinets provide a beautiful two tone custom finish to the garage and provides a striking finish to compliment the black and grey resin floor. These upper cabinets will be the ideal place for storing smaller items such as boxes of nails or screws, packages of sandpaper, glue and other items frequently used at the bench.

Adjacent to the bench there are several large cabinets with brushed aluminum grey finished doors on the top portion and black doors on the bottom. Behind these doors is ample space for storing larger items on adjustable shelving and it roll out bins. These cabinets are the ideal location for paints and stains, camping gear, riding helmets, soccer balls, basketballs and other items often stored in the garage.

Adjacent to the large utility sink in the garage I built a small workbench for use as a potting station. This bench also has the Spartacote Resin finish on the top and it has doors and drawers below to store all you gardening supplies. There are upper cabinets over the bench have brushed aluminum finished doors with adjustable shelving for additional storage.

To complete the garage, I selected the metal Omni Track system and placed it on several areas in the room. The Omni Track system has dozens of hooks designed to hold bikes, hand tools, gardening tools, helmets, and a wide variety of sports equipment.

I know my Dad would simply love this space. I am sure you will as well.

Marvin Peck, Closet Factory Design Consultant – has Master of Service Management degree from the Stetson School of Business at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia; and over 20 years of experience designing spaces and selling furniture to City, County, State and Federal Government as well as commercial accounts. Marvin has been designing with Closet Factory for over 2 years.