Pegging out a corner of the garage

Man caves, she sheds, workrooms or studios – whatever you call this kind of space, having somewhere to indulge in the time-honoured pastime of tinkering is in most of our DNA. If you simply don’t have a separate room or structure to convert or commit to this type of activity, then corralling a corner of the garage is the next best thing. All you need is a worktop, tool bench or desk and some storage.

To pep up an otherwise utilitarian space painted in Resene Quarter Iron and Resene Blackjack on the walls, add some pops of colour. Bright colours will be an intrinsic part of the look anyway, as many work tools and materials come in bright shades like red and yellow. In this garage the band of Resene Smokescreen, a hazy grey-blue, on the lower part of the wall helps anchor the workbench, but also freshens the space. And the Resene Colorwood Apollo Blue wood stain on the bench is a bright beckon of sporty blue in the corner.

Many people don’t realise that Resene stains come in a variety of colours, not just the more natural shades of brown, black and green that are more commonly seen. There are a number of bright shades like this blue, as well as red, orange, yellow and even purple. Check out the Resene Colorwood range at your local Resene ColorShop or online.

The floor of the garage has been given a clever treatment to disguise the scuffs, grubbiness and the general wear and tear that these sorts of spaces suffer from. It has been given two coats of Resene Quarter Iron then a scumble effect has been added to the top, using Resene Grey Chateau, to give a mottled, cloudy look that won’t show as many marks or dirt. You can apply the topcoat with a large brush, a rag or a sponge.

Top tip

Check with the staff at your local Resene ColorShop about the best products to use for areas such as workshops and garages that need to be more hardwearing. Resene has a range of tough paints and products that are designed to withstand knocks and scuffs, as well as products designed specifically for different surfaces such as concrete and floors.

Build a quick DIY workbench

Creating a workbench or set-down space is as easy as using a piece of plywood or mdf board, cut to size, then screw or nail it to the top of square dowls or battens that have been screwed to both the back and the side walls. To stabilise the front edge, use two pieces of square dowl or battens to form two angled struts. We finished ours in Resene Colorwood Apollo Blue.

Create a double-duty shelving unit

Converting a simple and affordable cubed shelving unit into a more usable garage storage unit is easy with the simple addition of a sheet of pegboard at the back of it. Just cut the pegboard to size, paint in your colour of choice, and nail to the back. We’ve used Resene Blackjack for the pegboard and painted the shelving frame in Resene Popcorn.

Then you can use both the shelf space and the pegboard to organise your tools and materials, and avoid a chaotic mess of stuff, and clutter-creep. It looks good and functions well. A win-win.

Open shelving is often more practical too as you can instantly see what you have to hand, or what materials you might need to replenish.

So many tool sheds or garages end up looking like junk yards but with some easy DIY projects and a smart new look, your working space can look amazing and function beautifully.

Project by Kate Alexander. Photography by Bryce Carleton. July 2022