I know garages aren’t the most exciting spaces, but this project has added a lot of peace to my life! I am glad we put off working on other spaces to get this done. There has never been much organization to our garage since we moved in. There were times when it was not too bad, but I never felt at ease when the kids were out there. There was too much they could get into, and I always felt like it was dirty. Things just escalated while we were building the mudroom and Parker was using the garage  to cut moldings, build the lockers, etc. We reached a breaking point. Something had to be done. I’m sure you haven’t forgotten the images because they were disturbing; but I’ll go ahead and embarrass us again 🙂 This is the garage after the mudroom project:

It was so bad that I was no longer stepping foot in there. I was using the front door exclusively. We were even storing our kids’ favorite outdoor toys in our van because they were getting covered in saw dust on a regular basis. After the mudroom was finished up, we decided to make this our next project. We decided to install slat wall on every wall of the garage to maximize storage space. Our next door neighbors have slat wall, and it looked like a great option. If we could go back and build again, we would probably do a garage extension. A two car garage just isn’t a lot of space for lawn equipment, kids’ toys, and the amount of tools that Parker has. Plus, with all of the projects we have planned for this house, Parker could really use a work space. However, I think the slat wall was the next best solution. I really feels like we added square footage to the garage. I also don’t freak out every time the kids are out here anymore. Now the garage is clean and the bug sprays/weed killers and tools are out of their way. This project was a lot more intensive than you would think. We went through every single thing that was in the garage and either got rid of it or cleaned it. Most of it was hosed off with the garden hose. With everything out, we vacuumed the floors, windows, corners of the ceiling, etc. Parker also installed insulation on the outside walls. Then Parker proceeded to install the slat wall completely on his own. It was impressive. I don’t understand how he was able to do the high pieces completely on his own, even though I watched him!

Here is where we are now:

So, I wouldn’t say we are 100% done. Like I said, we’d like a little area for Parker to put his work boots and clothes. We also have a few outdoor toys in the basement (cozy coupe, sleds, etc.) that need to be hung out here. We just need to buy a few more hooks. We could probably also use another basket and shelf in the kids’ toy area. OH! And we need one more blind for the third window! We were given the first two from my sister and have never bought a third to go with it. Overall, though, this makes me so happy. With easy access to their toys and our new (to us) trampoline, the kids are playing outside a lot more, which is important for their health and well being. I also don’t feel like there is a section of my house that is a literal dump, which is important for my health and well being. I’m thrilled! If you are interested in doing a slat wall in your garage, I’m going to do another post with details on the wall (where we bought it, etc.) and the accessories that go with it. I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions!! Leave them in the comment section!

Also, stay tuned for more regular posts. We have knocked out most of this to- do list and will share the deck soon. I will also be doing a”Best of Home-a-rama” post. Follow ourcorneroftheworldblog on instagram to get sneak peeks!

Jalene