Garage Makeover

With expanding my business in 2021, it was time for me to dedicate a true workspace. Currently, I have a tiny desk setup in my bedroom that I have been operating my business out of. Obviously, this is not the best method!

So here I am, doing something my husband has probably been begging me to do for the last 5 years – cleaning out the garage.

If I am really living my truths, I must tell y’all…..I am a hoarder. My garage is stacked high with nowhere to walk full of boxes and bins of things I ‘might need someday’. (Yea right!)

So now that I need a true workspace to expand my business and put my creativity to good use, I must roll up my sleeves, and get this garage in shape.

So that is exactly what I did. I started box my box going through things to determine if I truly needed them. I made three piles- Shed, Trash, Put Away.

I would say like 80% of that stuff I ‘may need’ was trash. What in the world do I need with a old binder of homework from high school! Seriously y’all, it was bad, but I am putting that behind me!

I was able to work through my garage and get it all cleaned out for my next step- turning it into my new workspace/office!

Our house is from the 70s, so with that, the garage walls were wood paneling and the floor had a weird green carpet. I decided I wasn’t feel advantageous enough to rip down the paneling, so I decided I would paint it!

Down to the hardware store I went with my brother to pick out paint colors. Since the wood paneling is dark, we made sure to get a primer and then chose Crisp Blue by Sherwin Williams.

I didn’t want the color to be too much, but I didn’t want just white or gray, so Crisp Blue works perfectly. It is a very light soft blue and goes perfectly with my brand colors for The Joyful Bee.

One thing about painting paneling that you must know, is you have to remember to take a brush and paint in the lines. Just a roller won’t cover the lines enough for the wood color to show through so don’t skip this step!

Once I got the lines all primed, I moved on to the tops and bottoms of the wall to trim everything out. I did not tape off the bottom since the paneling didn’t quite touch the ground, but I did tape off the top with handy dandy blue painters tape so I didn’t get the ceiling.

After I did all my linework and trimming out, I went over the entire wall with primer on my roller.

Surprisingly, the paneling seemed to dry pretty quickly. I took about an hour lunch break and then came back and it was ready to start painting.

I repeated the same process – use the brush for line work and trimming around the top/bottom/sides, and then used my roller to come back over the entire wall.

I will say, if you’re painting an interior wall that has paneling, you will probably want to go over it again with your paint. For my purpose, this is the garage and just a workshop space, I wasn’t super concerned with it being perfect. You may also want to prep your wall ahead of time by filling any holes or making repairs if painting an interior wall.

I am nowhere near done with the garage, but my painting is all done and now my brother and I will start working on building a work table and desk. Once everything is built and assembled, then I can start the fun stuff- decorating!

I want to see your DIY projects or rooms you’ve transformed- post them in the comments below!