Make your garage door or shed stand out. Instead of sticking with the same old solid-colored wood, venture into new territory by trying a new material or design. Frosted glass garage doors still keep your garage private but provide a nice backlight and create a more contemporary feel. If that idea makes you a little wary, you can always opt for a traditional wood garage door with a trendy design or multicolored paint job. For your shed try glass, metal or mixed materials for a fresh look.
Store items only along the perimeter. Even though it’s perfectly fine to use part of your garage as storage, keep the stuff to a minimum by placing cabinets, shelves and wall organizers against the sides. You will still have plenty of room to add a workbench or toolbox, but now you can also fit a car or two (what a concept!). While a shed is easy to stuff to the brim, be careful: Leave enough walking room and use storage containers, boxes, modular shelves and cabinets to group like items and keep everything organized.
Turn it into a man cave (or something else). If you don’t need the extra storage, or maybe you have more garage than you can handle, convert the garage into a bonus room. With all the tools and automotive equipment, garages can easily transition into a man cave, complete with TV, stereo and refrigerator. You can even store your workout equipment in there and use it as a home gym. Sheds can often be transformed into another living space; if built in the right way, a shed can be a quiet, secluded home office, an additional living room or a playroom.
Go for the built-ins. If you have a lot of stuff to store and nowhere to put it, you can always invest in high-quality built-ins. Line the walls with sturdy cabinets and drawers, and have a builder install wall-mounted hooks and organizers for hanging tools and larger accessories, like ladders and brooms. Don’t forget about your vertical space: Set up overhead garage storage racks for lesser-used items, like camping gear.