Tip 1 – Use ALL of your wall space efficiently

It's not enough to pop a handful of hooks on the wall and hope for the best. In a confined space you need to think of your walls in a much smarter way.

Dura's StorePanel™ wall-mounted storage system has always been a key ingredient for our garage designs, but it really demonstrates its strength where space is limited. Cladding the walls of a single garage from floor to ceiling is an economical way to bring all of this square footage into play. Suddenly you'll be able to position and reposition hooks and baskets everywhere, even in previously inaccessible places and squeeze EVERY LAST BIT of usable space out of the room!

In addition, the StorePanel™ system is designed to be 'trimmed to shape', so you cut it to fit into every nook and cranny, even around the pillars and under any windows or sloping ceilings. This is far more flexible than rigid box shelving systems typically offered by DIY superstores.

Tip 2 - Select cabinets which fill your space efficiently

We call our solution a 'Fitted Garage' for a reason, as it offers the flexibility you would normally see in a kitchen or bedroom. Our huge range of modular furniture gives us the ability to tailor the design to get the most from ALL of your space, with widths of 300, 600, 900 & 1200mm, which help avoid wasted gaps. Combined with high and low level configuration options, you can organise your storage like a beautifully tailored wardrobe.

Tip 3 - Carefully consider the depths of the cabinets and door openings

There's obviously little point in fitting beautiful cabinets which prevent you getting the car in. Unless you're considering parking it elsewhere, you'll need to design the storage solution AROUND the car dimensions.

Smart ways to save space when doing this are:

A) Use shallower depth cabinets... we have slimline 300mm options, which still provide plenty of vertical space within a compact footprint.

B) Use sliding doors or open-fronted cabinets, rather than hinged doors. This eliminates the need for 'clearance space' infront of the units ...which is really handy when positioning storage cabinets adjacent to doorways.

C) Fit high-level cabinets to the wall WITHOUT cabinets underneath. This allows you to park the nose of your vehicle underneath, preserving those extra few inches of room. It also has the added optical effect of spaciousness when the floor is kept as clear as possible.

Tip 4 - Fit a full ceiling with a loft ladder

This can make a HUGE difference!

Many small garages have triangular roof trusses offering an unexploited void. Rather than simple balancing a few cardboard boxes on the beams, convert the space properly to provide a 'second floor' to your garage room. Our professional installation team can fit this as part of your garage make-over, so no need to source additional tradesmen.

Tip 5 - Use visual tricks to create the illusion of space

You don't want to feel you're walking into a stock cupboard, so keep the area 'roomy' with these techniques...

A) Use lighter colours for everything. Dura cabinets are available in over 200 colours, and when combined with light coloured floor tiles, you can enhance the space.

B) Install brighter lighting in multiple places across the ceiling. Eliminating shaded areas increases spaciousness, which a single lightbulb in the middle won't deliver!

C) Fit weather-hardy mirrors to give the illusion of extra space. It's an age-old trick but works well in the garage, but WATCH THE ANGLES so you don't dazzle yourself with your own headlights!

So... there you go!

We hope these tips have inspired you to take a fresh look at your smaller space, and if they have then please share this article with your friends! We'd also love you to follow us on social media, so that you don't miss our design guides and new products. Our links are shown below.

Our design team are here to help you bring your ideas to life!

Dura’s design team are available throughout the current COVID-19 restrictions, with help and advice whether you’re considering a DIY build, or planning something for our team to install for you, working with safe social distancing procedures.

We offer a free no-obligation design service, so if you’ve got an idea in mind for a customised space then why not call our team who will be happy to help you visualise exactly how it could look.

Why not download a FREE brochure today?…and give us a call on 01280 700563 or email info@duragarages.com