Young House Love

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How To Organize A Basement Workshop

Now that we’ve cleared out our backyard’s weed & liriope convention, let’s move on to another area that has been sorely lacking our attention. Yes, let’s spend some time in our basement, shall we? Oh wait – that sounds like an invitation to get murdered or something. Um, let’s just talk about our basement. You may recall that it recently went from a shameful deck-debris-filled no man’s land…

Bagster 1 Basement Messy

…to a slightly more presentable space thanks to our Bagster rental a few weeks ago.

Bagster 9 Basement Clean

Well, that Bagster purge and our recent yard sale were the kick in the butt that I’ve needed to finally put some energy into this room. Because honestly, we’ve put ZERO effort into organizing or fixing up this space since moving in nearly two years ago. It’s been kind of a dumping ground. But I guess that first picture gave that away.

We tackled a similar basement in our last house – a small cinder block fortress accessible from a separate exterior door only.

BaseOne Old Basement

But there are some key differences to these basements – and some lessons that we learned from the last one that will guide how we approach this one. For instance, the last one was kind of a glorified storage space. We didn’t work down there ever (that’s what the garage was for) so some of the effort that we put into “finishing” the room ended up being overkill. Sure it was nice to have the walls and floor painted (and it definitely seemed to help with resale) but we were barely down there to ever enjoy it. It was mostly just where all of our holiday decorations lived in the off-season, which now live in the attic of this house.

This new basement is MUCH more functional because it still serves as a helpful storage space for some things (like paint, unfinished furniture, tools, etc) but in the absence of a garage, it has also become my workshop. And as seen in our Day One post, we inherited some pretty awesome features – shelving, pegboards and even a large built-in work table.

BaseOne Day One

I’ve spent plenty of time working on plenty of projects down here: from the living room console to Clara’s dollhouse. So it’s kind of a shame that I’ve spent so many hours in a space that kind of depresses me (talk about Dude, Get On That).

BaseOne Projects

So I’m putting an end to it. My exact plan of attack is still kind of forming in my brain, but regardless of where I end up – I know the starting point is cleaning and organizing. And to that end, I’ve made it my mission to steal away for a few minutes here and there (mainly during Clara naps or on random Sherry’s-watching-housewives evenings) and I’ve gone through just about every nook and cranny of that room to figure out what should stay and what should most definitely not. Right at the top of the “definitely not” list was a strange collection of items leftover from the old owners. Some things – like the fire extinguisher below – dating back as far as 1984!

BaseOne Old Stuff Found

How creepy is that pig in the top right? We think he’s an old dog toy. Clara saw it when I brought it up to show Sherry and she was both delighted and impressed by it, but I was scared. Also, among a pile of old yard tools they left for us I found not one, not two, but three axes. I feel like there’s a Mike Meyers movie in there somewhere…

BaseOne 2 Axes

Speaking of yard tools, those were one of the first things that I decided to tackle. I started by taking inventory and seeing if what I had was what I actually needed (what didn’t make that list? Three axes).

BaseOne 1 Yard Tools Leaned Up

This part of the organizing mission was actually before our yard sale, so whatever I didn’t need anymore (i.e. extra rakes) was sold there. And as for where to put the stuff I was keeping, I figured storing the (sometimes dirty) yard stuff far away from my work table was best. And luckily the area that looked like this a few months ago…

Basement Labels 2

…now looked like this post Bagster/yard sale.

BaseOne 3 Corner Before

I zeroed in on that pegboard on the far left as my new yard tool headquarters, which did mean I had to get rid of this old rotting slash bug-eaten shelf that the previous owners left.

BaseOne 4 Old Shelf Before

Good thing rotting = easy to break apart and toss into the Bagster before it got picked up.

BaseOne 5 Shelf Busted Up

Plus, I discovered the spare section of fence that I’ve been storing since this project fit perfectly into the little recessed nook next to the pegboard (so perfectly that when I wedged it in there it didn’t want to come back out). I did bolt it to the cinder at the top just to be safe though – just so it doesn’t fly down and get me someday after intense hammering or sawing nearby. Even though it’s upside down, I like that the wood texture breaks up the cinder a bit.

BaseOne 7 Fence Nook Close

But my crowning achievement of this process so far is this baby. Oh yeah. It took me a good hour to figure this out, but it was so worth it. Organizing stuff like this makes my pulse race. And I may have developed a new obsession with pegboards in the process. Seriously, I was walking around for days afterwards looking at things and thinking “ooh, I could put that on my pegboard.” Or “my girlfriend Peggy” as I call her.

BaseOne 8 Garden Tools Hanging

But before I get too hot and bothered talking about pegboards, I’ll share another one of my loves in a not-so-lovely storage solution. This is the bike rack from our old basement that is so cramped in this basement that I can barely weasel both bikes onto it (the top one grinds up against our lower ceiling).

BaseOne 10 Bikes Before

So I grabbed two of these heavy duty bike hooks at Home Depot (about $2.50 a piece) and screwed them into one of the exposed beams near my wood fence nook.

BaseOne 11 Screwing Hook In

MUCH better. Especially since it doesn’t take me 15 minutes to get the bikes on or off like the last solution. Is it hot in here or is it just me? Plus, putting them in the recessed area means the fact that they stick out into the room a bit isn’t a big deal.

BaseOne 12 Bikes Hanging

And I realized Clara’s bike seat and our bike rack for the car hang nicely on the ledges created by the fence rail. Oh how I love getting things up off of the floor.

BaseOne 13 Seats Hanging

I’d love to end with some big beauty shot of the whole room, but there were like five other organization projects going on simultaneously so I’ll be back with more progress as I go. Isn’t it funny that no matter if you’re chipping away at a lawn makeover or a kitchen redo or a basement refresh, it just seems to come down to tackling things in phases? What are you guys doing one step at a time these days? Do pegboards get your pulse racing or is it just me? Hubba hubba.

Comments

  1. Michelle says

    Just curious, where is the door to your basement? I was looking at your floor plan, and I couldn’t figure it out. Does the basement run under just the original part of the house?

    Reply

  2. Tiara says

    The Basement is looking good! Love the bike hooks! There’s only two of us in the house, but 4 bikes. We used them for the first time this summer and will use them again. Our bikes are stored in the shed during snowy winters.

    Reply

  3. Krissy says

    Our current one-step-at-a-time project is the siding of our house. Had to cut down the trees, mill them on the sawmill, rip the old shudders and window/door trim down, replace window/door trim… Yesterday, half the front of the house got sided. That’ll get finished this week (after work). And then the process starts over for one side of the house. (And then next year, we’ll do the back and other side… neither of those can be seen from the driveway, so they’re not a priority)

    Reply

  5. Jessica says

    I enjoy your blog, but it’s much too wordy! You all are very talented, and I think could increase your readership if you focus and self-edit a little more.

    Reply

  6. Linda says

    Loved this post – may inspire me to work on my utility room this weekend! FYI – West Elm Chicago has reached capacity and closed RSVPs for the Chicago stop. Looks like books there will be $25.95. I’m planning on gettng a copy there, as well as my pre-ordered Amazon copies. Gosh, hope West Elm lays in plenty of hot chocolate and cookies!

    Reply

  7. Sarah Clark says

    Well, one giant garage sale, cleaning out of storage unit after a sale of the cottage and cleaning of the garage followed by painting the garage floor with epoxy paint we feel accomplished! I want to have dance night for the two of us in the “all objects off the floor” garage! Yep, things are done in phases.

    Reply

  8. Kim says

    You guys are getting me super excited about basements. I just signed a lease over the weekend for a house with a basement so now I can FINALLY do projects and not have to worry about my cat climbing/rubbing on it and ruining it!

    Plus it’ll be my first place with my boyfriend! We’ve been long distance for 4 years and he moved into my apt over the summer. But now we’ll have a place “together” and I’m super excited! :)

    Reply

  13. Julia at Home on 129 Acres says

    We had a bad experience with peg board when we moved into our current house. In the process of gutting our basement to address insulation and electrical issues, we found peg board installed floor to ceiling behind all of the drywall in one room. It was so difficult to remove that I’ve said I will never every use it! Although, I admit the shambles of my current work room are starting to make me reconsider.

    Reply

  14. Halle says

    As an employee of a company that services fire extinguishers, I advise you not to use that one in the basement ;)

    Reply

  15. Eva says

    Good job! Are you planning to do something about the woolly insulation stuff in the ceiling? The pictures make me itch… because the insulation stuff we use over here in Iceland is so itchy and dusty… if it was my basement, I would cover it up with some plastic using a staple gun

    Reply

  17. GreenInOC says

    Nothing to do with the post but I think you guys should put up a countdown clock to November 6th. I feel like and idiot but yesterday it popped into my head that 11/06 was almost here and I found myself calculating the days like it was MY book!!!

    Reply

  18. Anna, Sydney says

    Aaaaaah. Fi.Na.Lly. I’ve been waiting for this post so long. My CDO (OCD, but in the right order – as it should be) has had my toes curl in apprehension. ;o)

    Painting walls at all? Covering ceiling? Pretty but functional lighting, industrial perchance? Any teasers?

    Go you good thing!

    Reply

  19. Heather says

    Mr. Moon has been working on the garage since FEBRUARY! Between other projects obviously. Phase 1 was sorting through the food stash. Phase 2 sorting everything into boxes of broad categories like “hardware” and “tools” and “office supplies.” Phase 3 was re-sorting those broad categories into better storage boxes of things like “flat head screws,” “Philips head screws,” “wall anchors,” etc. and getting them back on the shelves. Phase 4 is where we are now, Mr. Moon and his dad going through and deciding what’s getting kept, trashed, or donated. Anything that is being kept for inside the house has to find a space to live inside the house, the only thing being kept in the garage is tools and food backups.

    Phase 5 will be organizing what’s left in the space, phase 6 is setting it up as a bar/lounge/rec room. We had been hoping to have it all done by end of September, but now we are hoping to have phase 5 done by end of October. Not happening. We’ll be lucking to have phase 5 done by the end of December.

    Reply

  20. Mandy S says

    Love this!! My husband and I just got the same bike hooks to use in our basement, I am glad to see them in action in yours!

    Reply

  23. Caren says

    I’m so glad I’m not the only one who names their pegboards! I’ve been thinking of spray painting the ones in the basement a crazy color like teal and the ones in the garage orange.

    Reply

  25. Angie says

    I made a nifty pegboard Nerf gun holder for both sons recently and even coated them with homemade chalkboard paint so they could outline their guns to remember where they go. Fun and a big space saver!

    Reply

  26. Erin says

    John, I loved this post. We have a similar setup at our house (no garage) and two small rooms which have turned into our “storage unit” and “work shop”. I’d love to give my hubby a new girlfriend (peggy) to help him organize the work shop. Doesn’t it feel soooooo good to be organized? Holla!

    Reply

  27. Rabia says

    Awesome job!

    Question – Will you guys have a How-to post on Peggy? We want to do something similar and would love to see that. Also, what kind of paint would work best on pegboard?

    PS- Can’t wait to see you guys in Dallas.

    Reply

  28. Kathy K says

    Way to go John!! Excellent organization skills. Even more excellent band reference.
    Dear items in the Ace of Basement:
    If you wanna leave,
    I won’t “peg” you to stay
    And if you gotta go, darling
    Maybe it’s better that way.
    I’m gonna be strong
    I’m gonna do fine
    Don’t worry about this heart of mine….
    but don’t turn around….
    hahaha cheeseball-city, but i know you guys love it.
    xo
    kathy

    Reply

  29. Nicole Y. says

    Is it just me but I got a little giddy that the basement is finally being tackled. I can’t wait to see the final results. I love me some before and after pictures :)

    Reply

  30. KarenH. says

    Nice! I’ve been slowly (like, for a year now) been organizing my basement. I haven’t made much progress lately because I’ve been busy trying to get the yard and shed set up for the winter, but I can relate to wanting to go down into the basement and just admire it.

    My home’s previous owners left pegboard, too, but in the storage shed. There’s some extra pieces in there, so eventually those will come into the sewing room.

    My shed tools are quite as nicely organized as yours–I have smaller tools hanging on the pegboard, but the taller stuff won’t fit where the pegboard is currently installed. The previous folks also left an old wheeled garbage can–biggish plastic honker, but with no lid. So I cleaned it out, dried it and put it in the shed and the shovels and rakes and brooms all go in there. It’s not fancy, but it keeps all that stuff from bonking me in the head when I need in there. :)

    Reply

  31. alisha says

    Yay John! Yay pegboard!
    (LOVE the visual aesthetic & practicality of putting the spare fence to use, too) =]

    Every time my husband and I discuss storage/organization solutions for our basement it always ends with me exclaiming: “…AND then we will hang pegboard! And I will paint it minty aqua! And organize ALL our tools on it with contrasting color background silhouettes! And then we will have no excuse for piles and messes! And THEN all will be right in the world!”

    BUT we have yet to reach that stage–still currently in “get big stuff off the floor and onto wire shelves” stage)

    keep up the good work!

    Reply

  32. jim chen says

    hi YoungHouseLove:
    The Basement is looking good!You guys are getting me super excited about basements.Love the bike hooks,and Do you not consider spraying a crazy color in your basement?

    Reply

  34. Chris says

    I’ve been working on organizing the garage and came up with a clever idea. I put up peg board to hold the tools I use most often but I had a lot of miscellaneous items to store. I had 2 old upper kitchen cabinets in which the shelves were permanently affixed. After removing the doors, I hung them flipped so that the shelves were vertical. I then stacked plastic shoe boxes (4-5 fit perfectly in each row)to hold the miscellaneous items. I then labeled the boxes so I know what’s stored in each of them. Now everything is stored away and I can find what I need at a glance.

    Reply

  37. Gillian says

    Oh my! its sad how in love i am with that pegboard!! I’m getting my garden shed moved to a new spot soon & then the shed organising will begin – I can’t wait ha!
    Gillian xx

    Reply

  38. Katie McIntyre says

    You guys were in my latest copy of Redbook!! AHHH! So cool! I ripped out the instructions for the fabric headboard. I told hubby that is what I want for my birthday, for our new king sized bed.

    Reply

  39. Sam says

    That looks amazing!! Love Peggy!!
    Do you have to use a special bike hook or can you get away with any ordinary big strong hook?
    xx

    Reply

  40. harmony says

    Love this. I’m slowly working on my garage now, trying to stop the dumping ground mentality and making me actually like to be there… but its slow going. Thankfully florida is finally starting to cool off so i can get some work done. :)
    The setup is great, i love the use of the fence and pegboard. great job. :)

    Reply

  42. Lisa says

    EVERYTHING off the floors, everything off the counters. Some day my prince will lift all our stuff onto peg boards and ceiling hooks. Peggy loves my pots and pans, but no room for her in this galley. Love the tidy basement; perfect for a sneaky after bedtime dance party (is there a powder room down there?). Don’t let Clara hear the chip bags crinkle…

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hahahah! I wish there was a bathroom down there, it’s just one big unfinished room under our bedroom with a separate entry door out back. But it’s a great workshop/dance party. Hahah!

      xo
      s

  43. Melissa says

    I love using peg board! I had a big peg board hanging in my crafting/sewing room. Now that room needs to be transformed into a nursery, so everything will be coming down and moving out to make room for baby things. It is such a mess right now! At least we’re changing things for a happy reason!

    Reply

  47. Paloma R says

    OMG Pegboards are the BEST! I decided to tackle our horribly cluttered washroom/toolroom/storageroom thing this summer by installing a whole wall’s worth of pegboard (yes, by myself- and yes, I felt like a flippin’ DIY wizard by the end of that)and HOMG it is AWESOME!

    Reply

  48. kate says

    Love it John! I need to forward this to my husband. We have a lot of bikes and bike parts (he is obsessed with triathlons and I dabble a bit). I have been dreaming of ways to organize them, but I’m scared of dying beneath the disorder of “his” garage.

    Reply

  49. Cheryl says

    It’s like when you reorganize anything….every time you walk by said closet or room, you just want to gaze and smile and sigh……even if its messy everywhere else….it’s a peaceful easy feeling…ya I know I didn’t pen it, but well, it fits!

    Reply

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