Dreaming of {functional & affordable yet design-y} garage interiors.

Does anyone else get goosebumps when they walk into a garage that is neater than their house? It is the rarity, but an organized garage that meets Martha Stuart standards can be done. It may not always look pristine, because lets be honest, life is messy, but just some simple additions can really transform a space. One common thread is vertical storage, hooks, and labeled containers. For some people, their garage is a work space, so having an area that is charming and inviting, with things in their place, makes work and projects that much more efficient (and you can spend more time on the actual project rather than digging around for materials). Matt and I are lucky this time around, because not only does moving into a new place mean a new chance to purge and reorganize (done and done), but moving into a new place with a brand new garage means starting from scratch in the design department. The wood still smells freshly cut, its that new. Up until now, and most likely forever, the garage is Matt's space....but a girl can still dream about design elements, right? Honestly, having a handy man engineer for a husband is a dream, and one that is on the neat side of the spectrum to boot. I should really thank his mom again for that (Thanks, Jayne!) You should see our garage progress so far (You will see it eventually, its in the works. For now, see some early garage construction here and here). That man has a hidden talent for garage organization. Hallelujah. I may just enter in to add some labels and organize my own area of diy/paint/misc storage. So back to that dreaming about beautiful yet functional garage bit (even without built in cabinets).

Martha Stuart Living
Vertical and mint green

Tip Junkie
Peg wall gardening station

BHG
White bright and labeled. 

Martha Stuart Living
Tool tracing and mason jar storage

BHG
Potting space with cleaning storage

Goodhousekeeping.com
Traditional and functional (This could be my grandparents garage)

For specific photo credits and more ideas meander over here.

And here is a * gold star if you actually have a garage that looks like any of the above! You could teach a thing or two about donating the unneeded and organizing like a pro. Any tips out there for garage design from you readers? What has been super helpful and something you would suggest for a soon to be "use the garage as a catch all work space in the dead of winter" girl? 

How to build a garage for your husband.

I have the best husband. Not only does he support me in my ups and downs, but he makes plans with me. Thought out and efficiently engineered plans. (I'm not talking about date plans. I'm talking about DIY plans.) And he does them late at night before going to bed so that we can get excited about our next project that we get to work on together (any guess as to what it is?).

And he comes home from work and makes the trek to help me pick up a rickety dresser, take a trip to home depot, and still finds time to read about fixing things, teach me about the tools I'm using but still have a lot to learn about, and catch up on basketball articles all while fitting in a cat nap. He is my favorite, and my very own Westley (for you Princess Bride fans out there).

And then he loves me even when its been almost far too long that our countertop has been filled with paint cans, measuring tapes, and thrift store finds, and drop cloths. I am so thankful to have him because he is the person who encourages me the most to be creative even when it seems like it won't work, to try new things, and to be my toughest critic. I think to show him my appreciation, I will build him a garage. The ultimate DIY gift a wife can give her husband, no? Look, I already poured the concrete today.

Garages facing alley...That's the back side of our home.

I'm just kidding. I only wish I knew how to build a garage. We'll leave that to the professionals though. Our garage should be done soon, fingers crossed!