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Low On The Glamour List

Todd Oldham gives you some insider design tips.

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Sometimes as a designer we are asked to design rooms that are very low on the glamour list, but ultimately are very important to the overall function of a household. One of these rooms is indeed the garage. This week the designers were challenged to reconsider the family garage with the added pressure of meeting five different family members needs. The almost impossible task did yield some inspiring results you can use at home to simplify and organize your life. A good start is to find a way to install a storage system that honors the old adage of "a place for everything and everything in its place." Clear storage bins with tight lids are a perfect choice. Check out The Container Store either online or in person for so many options your head will spin.
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Spend a little time making a list of everything you need your room "to do." Remove anything that is absolutely not important now and divide your space up proportionately. If you're storing massive collections of stuff you might not need to access very often -- think of a double wall of containers. Put the stored stuff in the containers nearest the wall and the stuff you need to access more readily in the accessible ones. Curtains are a good way to help mask some of the clutter. Use steel cable, a turnbuckle and two eyehooks to install a curtain rod and use shower hooks poked through your fabric panels for a quick curtain. This could also function perfectly as a backdrop for a play or performance.
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Lighting is just as important in the garage as it is in the rest of your house. I know it sounds excessive to suggest installing dimmers in the garage but it does make a huge difference. Have a couple of clamp lights on hand to help out when a little more light is needed or for a quick follow spot. Color brings such life in a room and this should not be overlooked in the garage. Try working with light clear colors that can help bounce the light around and allow a high visual contrast between your stuff to allow fast retrieval. Happy sorting, Todd

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