Phase 1: Declutter Your Garage

The first step of any cleaning project is to declutter. This is an important step because this is where you decide what to keep or what to throw away. What can use actually use in the future? Can you sell or donate any of the items? The purpose of this process is to make more room and reduce the amount of stuff you’re hoarding. This is probably the most difficult part for me. My first instinct is to just get rid of everything. I found old fabric swatches from the COCOCOZY textiles. I initially was going to throw them out, but then my sister convinced me to keep them for the archives. So I ended up putting different items into piles: keep, sell, donate, and trash!

Garage Organization Tip #1

When organizing your garage, it’s essential to separate the space into different zones. These zones can include tools, outdoor furniture, seasonal decor, and party supplies.

Phase 2: Deep Clean For Spring Cleaning

Once I sorted out the items I no longer need then I deep-cleaned my garage. I swept out leaves. I dusted everything from the top to the bottom…literally. I dusted boxes, equipment, shelves, old artwork, and anything else I could reach. You will not find any dust in my garage.

Garage Organization Tip #2

Once you clean out and purge items it’s important to clean the windows and doors in the space. It will make the space look fresh and bright. This is also a good time to scan the room for any pests. You never know what you might uncover.

Phase 3: Garage Organization

The last phase is also the most time consuming. Since you sifted through everything in your garage and cleaned out everything you don’t need. Now it’s time to get organized. Design a plan or an ideal layout for your garage. I created aisles in my garage. That way everything can be stacked vertically which allows for more storage space. This worked out since I have a lot of large times like furniture and supplies.

Kitchen Organization

The garage is additional storage for my kitchen gadgets and accessories that I either don’t use or are too bulky to keep in my kitchen. My kitchen is small. I don’t have a lot of counter space to keep a cake mixer or slow cooker. During my organization process, I kept a section specifically for my kitchen supplies. I labeled the containers kitchen so I can easily read and remember where it is and what’s inside of them. The items are neatly organized on a shelf that is for kitchen items only!

Garage Organization Tip #3

Label! Label! Label! When organizing kitchen supplies or any other supplies into bins make sure they’re labeled. That way you don’t have to take the bins off the shelves, open them to see what’s inside, and then put them back up. It’s a time saver!

Lighting Organization

I have so many lights. No really. I have vintage chandeliers and lamps, and other items gifted from previous partnerships. Since my garage is organized into different sections, I made an entire section for my lighting. Everything is bubble wrapped so nothing cracks or breaks. If they’re small enough I put them in containers. I honestly didn’t really how many lights I have until I organized them in my garage. Oh yeah….I also have tons of outdoor lights.

Garage Organization Tips #4

While I was in my garage, I thought about installing smart lighting. Smart lighting systems can control the lights in your garage. You have the option to set up your light preferences remotely. That way if you forget to turn off your lights, then you can have an automatic timer. This is great for anyone who always leaves their garage lights on.

Rugs & Carpet Organization

One of my longest partnerships is with Capel Rugs. I have my own collection. I have many different rugs rolled up in my garage. I made a specific section for my rugs. I also found my old rugs from the COCOCOZY x Tommy Hilfiger collection I did many years ago. This organization process actually turned into a walk down memory lane.

Party Decor & Furniture Organization

As most of you know I throw a lot of parties and dinner parties. So you can only imagine the number of tablescape accessories I have collected over the years. I organized my outdoor furniture in the back of my garage so it doesn’t take up too much space. However, it’s easily accessible for when I need folding chairs or tables because I’m hosting a last-minute party. My party supplies are stacked near the front of my garage. I pull my nice plates and table decor quite often. It’s now super easy for me to run to my garage and grab my favorite teal plates when I need them.

I hate that I have all of this stuff. I’ve collected everything from flipping houses, my product lines and samples, vintage lights, and outdoor furniture. I’m definitely overprepared. It’s way too much stuff. My friend Leah wants to help me have a garage sale. The problem is that I need to bring all of the stuff to her her and her husband’s house in the Hollywood Hills. Argh! Should I do it?

I hope my garage organization tips help encourage you to do your own spring cleaning!

Xo,

Coco