Custom Garage Makeover - Corvette Cribs

Consider making a shallow cabinet between studs (or in an old doorway), and cover the shelves with a folding door. Storing commonly used tools and supplies one or two-deep makes them easy to find. It's amazing how much clutter can be completely hidden from view, but still be right at hand when needed.

Prefab cabinets are available at Home Depot, Lowe's, and similar building supply stores. For a rough idea on pricing, a 72-inch-high, 48-inch-wide, 21-inch-deep cabinet costs about $99. Twenty-four-inch-deep cabinets enable storage of large plastic tubs and still leave enough floor space, even in smaller garages.

Target, Lowe's, and Home Depot have plastic storage tubs, racks, and baskets to provide many options for organizing items of all different sizes. Water-resistant items can be stored directly on the floor below the lowest shelf.

Quarter-inch Tapcons by 1 3/4-inches long with fender washers will securely hold the cabinets to a concrete wall. If more than a few holes need to be drilled into concrete, you'll want to borrow or buy a hammer drill to speed the job. For wood framed walls, use 1/4-inch lag bolts 1 1/2-inches long into the studs.

Cabinets that are placed next to each other can be made much sturdier by drilling holes in the adjacent sides and bolting the cabinets together. Unless the walls and floor are perfectly square, expect to shim the bottom of the cabinets to make the cabinets level and properly aligned.

Frame and hang posters and photographs to eliminate the warehouse look of a garage. A few well-placed pieces of artwork will dramatically change the mood of the space.

Can't find a place to conveniently store something like a bulky floorjack? Camouflage it. This was a poke in the eye when it was orange, but painted white it unobtrusively blends in. And it's easily accessible when needed.

An inexpensive fluorescent lamp makes a big improvement for a dimly lit garage. The fluorescent tubes produce fewer shadows, but they really show paint defects. That's an advantage if you like inspecting or finessing your finish. This lamp is positioned to shine into the engine compartment when the Corvette is driven straight into the garage, but illuminates the interior when the car is backed in.

Older pivoting doors have an advantage over the newer roll-up doors: you can store items above them. This storage area is best suited for bulky, light, and seldom-used items. The hooks in the ceiling hang removable white panels that further hide the clutter from view.