seasonal decorations Archives

Christmas Decorations Inside and Out of the Garage

October 23, 2018 by Rick Scully

garage renovation, garage interior design, garage renovation, slatwall organization system, garage cabinets, garage storage, aluminum, steel, wood, workbench, made to measure, swisstrax ribtrax,

It’s that time again to get out the Christmas decorations. There are a lot of people out there who enjoy going all out to do a light show with choreographed music themes and moving lawn ornaments to match. With an aging population, this may not be possible for all of us. And, getting up on ladders may not always be practical for everyone especially if you have a fear of heights.

However, many of us thoroughly enjoy this time of year and we want to participate in the merriment, the coming together of people as well as all the good tidings of joy and peace. Here are some ideas for how to decorate the garage from the outside while using the garage for storing decorations again in the new year.

Overhead Garage Storage for Rarely Used Items

The overhead space is the best place to store things we use only once or twice a year. Or, we may want to store summer garden tools in the overhead space during the winter and early spring when we need to use winter tools to maintain the driveway and yard in these colder seasons.

Overhead platforms offer open storage space where it is fairly easy to see what’s up there and it is only a limited distance of 18 to 24 inches to the back or furthest reaches of the platform. They come in a variety of formats including made-to-measure wood platforms with pot lights installed to illuminate work spaces below. There are also metal shelves which are mounted against the walls or platforms which hang from the ceiling and can still carry hundreds of pounds of belongings as long as it is properly secured to the ceiling. And, for garages with a high ceiling, a mezzanine makes using the storage space above a lot easier.

For the smaller items such as strings of lights or delicate ornaments, clear plastic storage bins are a great way to store and manage the decorations available. They not only store well on overhead shelves or platforms, but they help the family to seethe available decorations available so you don’t end up with duplicate items which go unused each year due to a lack of space.

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Decorating Around the Garage Door

We often will hang a wreath on the front door and add decorations around the front steps or porch. Often, we forget the garage door yet this door may be a large part of the presentation of the front of the home.

Keeping with the theme that we might use for the front entrance of the house, we can add garlands along the top and down the sides of a garage opening. Wreaths can also be used on the garage door or along the opening of the garage by hanging them over the outdoor lighting fixtures or sconces.

Garage Door Wraps

These days, garage door wraps are available for garage doors of all sizes. They come in a variety of Christmas themes from peaceful to fun and frivolous. Depending on your style, a garage door wrap can match the style of your lawn ornaments.

Whether you go to the extent of having a nativity scene or reindeers with Santa, a garage door wrap can stand on its own or compliment the whole theme of the outdoor landscape décor.

Add Lighting along the Driveway

Still keeping it simple, if you don’t have the ability to get on a ladder and string lights around the house, you can always add a little light along the sides of the driveway. With reliable LED lights, they can be installed temporarily or as a permanent feature of the driveway with spotlights highlighting potted plants of the season or seasonal ornaments.

At the foot of the driveway is a great spot to place over sized outdoor bows, wreaths or seasonal ornaments to welcome your guests with the spirit of the season. All of these decorative ideas not only highlight the garage and the driveway which is the first entry to the house, but it adds some practical benefits of lighting the driveway for more easily locating the driveway entrance on quieter streets.

Make Seasonal Storage Easy for the Whole Family

At the end of the season, most of these decorative ornaments and lights have to go back into storage until the next year. If you find that storing your seasonal decorations has become difficult to manage, start planning for a garage renovation and design which will create a garage storage system to help your family transition to the winter season, the holiday season as well as all the family activities which winter inspires.

Four Ways to Make Storing Holiday Lights and Seasonal Decorations a Snap

November 22, 2016 by Rick Scully

Decorating your home in celebration of the holiday season may be something you look forward to each year. However, if you’ve ever spent hours searching through battered cardboard boxes for a favourite holiday ornament, you know what a dreaded chore the annual holiday decoration hunt can be.

Getting your home ready for the holidays is a big enough job. Tracking down strings of lights and other seasonal decorations depletes you before the real even job begins. However, implementing four changes to how you store your holiday decorations will make storing and retrieving seasonal items a snap.

Save Time and Frustration with Specialized Storage Containers

The size, shape and fragility of seasonal items make them challenging to store. Large artificial trees can be unwieldy. Wrapping paper and ornaments can easily be damaged. Strings of holidays lights easily become tangled, damaging bulbs or wiring, which creates a fire hazard. However, just as selecting the right tool makes household repairs quicker and simpler, so does choosing the right storage container for each seasonal item.

Specialized seasonal storage containers are available for the most common seasonal decorations. Storage bags—many with a rolling base—are the perfect way to store a large, artificial tree. Multi-level, compartmented storage totes provide safe storage for fragile tree ornaments. Specialized storage spools keep holiday lights tangle free and complementary storage bags prevent damage to bulbs or wiring. Holiday wrapping paper organizers keep wrapping paper clean and dry while preventing rips.

Relatively inexpensive specialized storage containers make storing and retrieving artificial trees, holiday lights, ornaments and wrapping paper simpler. However, what is the best way to store holiday décor odds and ends for which specialized containers are not available?

Transparent Storage Bins—Clearly a Better Option

Clear storage boxes make seasonal items easier to find. Any big box store has a variety of plastic storage bins in stock. Available in a wide range of sizes and colors, plastic storage bins can accommodate an endless array of seasonal decorations. Solid colors can be festive. However, transparent storage totes are more functional. The contents stored inside can be quickly and easily identified. Still, items in the center of the tote may be difficult to see. One more step makes keeping track of all of your seasonal items a breeze.

Label Holiday Lights and Seasonal Decorations Before Storing

At the end of the holiday season, seasonal decorations are frequently tossed in random cardboard boxes and shoved in a corner. This storage method takes the least amount of time or effort. However, it necessitates far more time and effort when the next holiday arrives and causes needless frustration. A little forethought while storing seasonal items will make life much easier next holiday season.

Labeling each plastic bin and specialized storage container with its contents may seem tedious. However, it must only be done once. At the end of the season, return items to the appropriate storage bins. The time invested in neatly labeling storage bins will save time and prevent frustration for years to come.

Plastic storage totes and specialized storage containers make storing holiday decorations and other seasonal items a breeze. However, large storage bins can take up a lot of space in your home or garage. Creative storage solutions can multiply garage storage space without sacrificing valuable floor space.

Reserve Floor Space with Overhead Garage Storage

Floor space is at a premium in your garage. Only so much can be stored along the garage perimeter before parking your vehicle inside becomes precarious, if not impossible. However, creative storage solutions can significantly increase the storage capacity in your garage.

Overhead shelving converts unused space into usable storage space that won’t interfere with vehicle parking. Standard overhead garage shelving options require a step ladder to access the space, making overhead storage ideal for storing seasonal or seldom used items.

A range of overhead shelving options are available, but always consider safety first. Overhead garage shelving should be installed by a qualified expert or someone knowledgeable about the safe installation of weight-bearing overhead shelves. Strong racks steel shelving, for instance, is made of tough, 11-gauge steel and can safely hold up to 750 pounds when installed properly.

An experienced garage renovation expert can install pre-fabricated shelving or build made-to-measure wood shelving designed specifically for your unique space and individual needs. A garage renovation expert can also install hydraulic lift shelving that can be raised and lowered with the push of a button, eliminating the need to scale a step ladder with bulky items.

Storing and retrieving seasonal decoration doesn’t have to be a dreaded chore. Use specialized storage containers and clear plastic totes to store holiday lights and seasonal decorations. Label containers to make it easy to identify contents. Then request a consultation to discover how overhead garage shelving can expand garage storage and make storing seasonal items a snap.

Spring Cleaning

May 21, 2013 by Rick Scully

Over the winter months you likely don’t spend a lot of time in the garage. Your main goal is to get from the car into the warmth of the house as quickly as possible, or grab the skis or hockey equipment you need and go. Now the weather has finally warmed up, you might be a little more interested in spending time in the garage doing a little spring cleaning. But more than just a sweep and a mop, you need to switch around the winter stuff to make it easier to access gardening supplies and summer recreation equipment. If your garage is already organized, this becomes a much easier task.

The stage of life you are at will determine the level of organization and the type of garage storage you need. A couple with no kids around will have very different needs to a family with young children. Let’s explore some different scenarios:

The no-children or post-children-at-home couple

This is my situation now, and boy it sure makes a difference to the amount of clutter in our life. I’ve either given away or sold anything that I no longer need and there’s not a lot of new stuff coming in to be stored. I’ve organized my garage into zones for gardening supplies, seasonal decorations, car supplies and my golf clubs. When the season changes I just have to switch the things I’ll need to where I can find them easily. Slatwall with hooks and baskets makes this easy. And anything I won’t need for the next six months I can store away in overhead bins. I then just have to give the flooring a wash with soapy water and a mop and I’m done.

The family with growing children

This is the most challenging stage for garage organizing. There’s bikes of varying sizes, sports equipment, maybe some boxes of old clothes and toys, as well as gardening tools, car accessories and other treasures you just haven’t been able to part with. It’s time to take stock of what you need and what you can get rid of. A little cash to be earned from having a garage sale or listing items on Kijiji or Craigslist is a great motivator for kids to help sort through their stuff. Once you’ve gotten rid of what you no longer need, you can organize the rest. Hooks, baskets, overhead containers and bicycle racks make it easy. And before you store away the hockey equipment for the summer, treat it to a professional washing. Most sports stores offer this service, and you can also check out ProCleanGear and Fresh Gear for more information.

The family with aging parents and children away at university

They don’t call this the sandwich generation for nothing. In the garage, it can feel like your car and your stuff is literally sandwiched between your kids’ and your parents’ stored furniture. Granted, it’s difficult to part with furniture that has sentimental value – but there are solutions. Take an honest look and decide if you’ll really ever use it again. And ask your kids. Most of us gladly furnished our first homes with our parents’ old furniture, but today’s generation seems less willing to. Sell what you can and look for ways to re-purpose the rest. An old wooden coffee table or chair could have new life inside your house with a coat or paint or a faux finish.

No matter your age or stage of life, an organized garage can make spring-cleaning a simple task. For more ideas on how to create a garage that fits your life, have a look at my website.

Overhead Storage

March 5, 2013 by Rick Scully

A recurring theme in helping my clients with garage organization is getting stuff off the floor. Having hooks to hang tools and racks to store equipment keeps the garage neat and maximizes your space. But there’s often an overlooked way to get even more storage space from your garage. Overhead, there’s a whole new area for storage.

Overhead racks are an ideal place to store items that you use infrequently. It’s a great place for storing garden furniture in the winter, as well as camping gear, out-of-season sports equipment and seasonal decorations. Tires can also be stored on overhead racks, but it’s best for tires without rims. Tires with rims are heavy and you likely don’t want to lift that much weight over your own head.

Where can I place overhead storage?

Selecting the ideal area for ceiling storage depends on the height of your ceilingand whether you have an entrance to your home from the garage. Over the garage doors, for example, is an ideal spot if your ceiling is 10 feet or higher. The tops of the rear and side walls make excellent storage areas as well, provided that you leave enough clearance for parking and walking below.

Types of overhead storage solutions

Ready-made

There are ready-made durable racks made of steel with a scratch-resistant finish. The ceiling unit is 48 x 96 inches and is secured to the ceiling joists. The rack can extend from 16 to 34 inches from the ceiling and holds up to 750 lbs.

For ready-made overhead storage on the side walls, there are 24 x 48 inch cantilevered racks that can be attached to the wall studs with sturdy metal brackets. These shelves can hold lighter items of under 200 lbs.

Custom-made

Garage Tailors Garage can create custom-made overhead storage that opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Canadian garages are rarely a standard size or shape and this limits what is available in ready-made storage solutions. Having overhead storage custom-designed to fit your garage ensures you are making good use of every inch of available space.

Ready-made overhead racks come in limited sizes and are often wide and open on all sides, making it difficult to see and reach items stored in the middle. We can design and make overhead platforms out of wood to any shape, size or depth you need.

Garage Tailors Garage attaches custom-made overhead storage to the ceiling using aircraft cable. These sturdy cables can support more than 1000 lbs. And we’ll finish your platforms to complement the design of your garage. The possibilities are endless. We can even install pot lights underneath to create a lighted workspace or create something as elaborate as the mezzanine we recently built for a client, complete with a space-saving retractable ladder.

Often clients will choose a combination of ready-made and custom-made storage to make their garage space work for them. If you’re ready to get organized, consider overhead storage.

Spring Purging

February 5, 2013 by Rick Scully

Spring Purge

For many people, hanging onto the memories & sentiments of kids sporting equipment, science projects and bedroom furniture or pieces of wood from recently completed renovations is comforting. You just never know when you might need a piece of wood for a home project or an extra roll of insulation.

Purge before Adding Storage

2 car garage willowdale showcase - garage door, clutter, painted garage floor, slatwall organizer, shelving, drywall finished walls, drywall finished ceilings

2 car garage willowdale showcase - garage cabinets, overhead platform storage, tire storage, seasonal storage, flatscreen tv, work station, polyaspartic garage flooring

Why bother getting rid of perfectly good things when you can always store things in the garage? But wouldn’t you like to be able to park both your cars inside during the winter, or not have to worry about your kids taking out their bikes and scratching the car doors? Maybe it’s time to purge.

Start with a manageable task. Just charging ahead and trying to tidy everything up sets you up for disappointment. Take a good long look at all the stuff living in your garage and divide it up into what you need and what you no longer use. Old bikes, skiis and other household items may be useful and valuable to other people so give them away. Give away online via freecycle, donate items to a charity, prepare for a garage sale or just leave things at the curb. It’s almost guaranteed someone will scoop them up.

The next step is to review what you need to store in the garage and organize it into groups by category. Decide how often items are accessed as well as their use & placement within the garage. For example, holiday decorations can be placed into a sealed plastic storage bin instead of a cardboard box in the corner of the garage. For seasonal items, the best place for them is off the floor and above in overhead storage where you will only be accessing them occasionally or once a year. If you don’t create a well thought plan for storage locations of items, you’re likely to resort to old habits and pile them up in the corner.

Creating designated storage areas in the garage is the key to good organization. Unlike your kitchen, which already has specific places such as a pantry for food or drawers for cutlery, a garage usually starts as a bare room with walls & doors. Create specific zones for items so they can be found when you need to use them, or stored safely away when you don’t. Imagine the ease of knowing where to look and finding your weed remover when you need it, or no longer tripping over your son’s skates on the garage floor. Clearing the clutter and a bit of organizing can do wonders for your state of mind. Start by deciding how you want to use your space, then transforming it to suit those needs.

Gardening equipment such as rakes, hoes and spades can be stored in one zone and can be hung from hooks. Shovels and ice breakers can also be hung on the wall. Sports equipment, such as hockey sticks and pucks can be placed on hooks or in baskets. And while you’re re-arranging your space, garbage and recycling bins placed near the entrance to the house makes for convenient access.

A happy consequence of purging the garage and getting it organized for spring is a sense of freedom or heavy weight finally being lifted. I’ve helped many people transform cluttered garages, where there wasn’t room to park the family car, into garages with the space to store family belongings, to become a workshop and to park the full number of vehicles intended. When the garage is no longer a dumping ground for things without a home, it becomes a functional living space and frees up room for tools, sports equipment, seasonal decorations and garbage and recycling bins. I can show you garage storage solutions and fabulous products to transform your garage into the envy of your neighbours.

My clients say they feel happier and uplifted when they are finally free of the shackles of a cluttered and dangerous garage. Organizing allows them to concentrate on things that really matter and to stop stressing about the mess hidden behind the garage door. If you’re interested in discovering your garage’s potential, start by purging.

What to Expect When You’re Organizing Your Garage

November 22, 2011 by Rick Scully

In the last several blog entries, we discussed clearing the clutter out of your garage. In today’s blog, you’re going to find out about the process of a garage transformation, getting an estimate and what questions you should be prepared for.

When I’m called in, the decluttering should be nearly complete. Only the stuff you want to keep should be in the garage. When we can see the space we’re working with, it makes planning a whole lot easier.

You may also find that there’s stuff in the house such as seasonal decorations that you’d like to store in the garage as well as boxed items like clothes, or tools that are currently in the basement.

Some people have a good idea of what they want or need, such as shelves for storage, tools they want to hang on the wall, cabinets to keep things out of the way. Most people show me what they want to store and ask for recommendations.

The main questions I need answered are:

What’s your objective?
What do you want the garage to do that it’s not doing today?
How many cars do you want to fit in the garage?

The answers to these questions and the initial visit can last up to an hour. I get a sense of how the client lives and what they are looking for. I try and understand their aesthetic priorities versus their functional needs.

Some people like to be able to see everything at a glance. In this case it could be mostly hooks and shelves. Other people are a little messy, and I understand that. Cabinets are great for hiding messes, as well as keeping things like chemicals out of the reach of small hands, for people who have kids.

Within two days of the visit, I’ll send a detailed drawing, proposal and itemized estimate. It’s not something I can do on the spot as each job is custom, which is one of the benefits of using Garage TailorsGarage.

The transformation can be done in as little as two days, if all we’re doing is getting the garage organized. If we’re drywalling, that will add another two days and flooring will add a day.

Once you’ve had a chance to look over the proposal and estimate, you have a chance to ask any questions you might have, give me additional suggestions and make the decision to move forward and have the garage that you’ve always wanted.

Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder: Getting Started

October 25, 2011 by Rick Scully

Last time, we discussed Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder and how to cope with it. Today, we’re going to prepare you to start your garage cleanup.

Remind yourself why you’re doing this. There are probably tools, seasonal decorations or other items that you know are in your garage, but you just can’t find them. Maybe a paint can spilled or things are piled so high there’s a risk of something falling.

Sometimes when we can’t find something, we replace it. Don’t be surprised if you end up with multiple sets of tools, weed whackers, etc. When you have proper storage systems with slatwall hooks for tools and equipment, you won’t be spending money on things you don’t need because you’ll be able to find everything you have.

Here are some things you can think about when you’re preparing to attack the clutter in the garage:

First, plan to dedicate an entire day for this and get members of the household on board.

Second, before you start removing items, designate areas for three categories: Keep it, donate it, toss it.

Be prepared to experience emotional attachments to some of the things you find. This is where a family member can help you decide – if you’re not putting it to use, it’s best given to someone else.

I have three basic rules:

If it can’t be used, or has no value, toss it.
If you no longer need it, or plan to use it, give it away or sell it.
If you need it and use it, keep it.

Tip: Half-full cans of paint can be taken to Rona. If you’re throwing out a lot, you can take it to a dump yourself, or call a company like 1-800-Got-Junk.

Once the garage has been purged, it’s time to get organized. We want to maximize the space we’ve got on the floors, walls and overhead. Stay tuned for the next blog.

Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder

October 13, 2011 by Rick Scully

For most of us, the garage is likely the largest room in our house. Our cars are probably our second largest assets. It makes sense to use this space to house and protect our vehicles.

During spring and summer, however, we leave our cars on the driveway to have easy access to things like lawn mowers, bicycles and gardening tools.

It’s during the first cold snap of the year as we’re putting everything away that we look into our garages and wonder how two cars are going to fit. Seeing everything that’s filling up the garage, we experience paralysis. Often, there’s no clear way to start the clean-up process, so it doesn’t get started at all.

I call this Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder (SGAD): All the stuff is preventing us from using our garages for what they’re meant for and it causes concern.

In the next two blog entries, I’m going to help you cope with your SGAD! But first, we have to think about motivation: how badly do you want to get your car in that garage and why?

If the garage is de-cluttered to make room for vehicles, we can:

say goodbye to scraping ice off the windshield before the sun comes up
get into a warm car – in the middle of winter
worry less about security, especially for those who spend much of the winter down south

One of the main objections to cleaning out a garage is the amount of decision making that has to happen. It requires some tough choices about what to keep and it’s usually a full day’s worth of work.

I’ve encountered garages that were full of furniture – both from parents who have downsized and children who were moving out, seasonal decorations, winter tires, garbage and recycling bins. Some of the clutter has value, but there is only an emotional attachment to the rest.

The feeling of relief that’s experienced once all the stuff you’re not using is gone, will give a sense of release and freedom necessary to move forward with new activities and projects.

How great would it be to have shelving and storage systems that allowed garden tools, holiday decorations and toys to be found without digging through boxes? Easy access and storage for seasonal items like paddles, kayaks and canoes and tires? A discreet space for your garbage bins?

Garage storage systems, whether it’s cabinets, wall organizers, shelving, or a combination, can keep the garage organized all year round. So when next fall comes, we’re not standing in front of our garage doors, wondering where we’re going to park our cars, we simply drive them in.

Stay tuned for the next blog: How to get Started.

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