The garage and unfinished parts of our homes may be the least glamorous and hardest working. If it weren’t for our garage, our house would look like...well, a garage (or storage unit). I know...

• You want to actually be able to pull your car in.

• You are tripping over things to get to your car

• and you want to be able to find what you need.

I also know you don’t have time to scour Pinterest looking for the perfect solutions, but I (kind of) do. In between nap times and breast-feeding, I looked high and low to find you solutions that will actually work. I grouped them into three categories to make it easy to look at everything:

• Non-Permanent Storage Shelving

• Track-Wall Storage Shelving (think Elfa!)

• Storage Containment/Bins

I included my product recommendations at the end of each category as well.

Non-Permanent Storage Shelving

This is the most common shelving type I see in garages and unfinished spaces. The benefits are its:

• Affordable

• Non-Permanent (You can take it with you)

• Heavy-Duty

• Deep Shelving (24”) to fit big storage bins

Although some of the units are “adjustable,” it's like assembling Ikea furniture without the directions to move a shelf. I love the combination of black sturdy shelves with clear bins and black labels.

To get this look, here is what I recommend:

Track-Wall Storage Shelving

I love the look of track-wall storage in a garage. In case you aren’t familiar with this type - a single bar extends across the top of the unit. Vertical tracks hang from the top horizontal bar. From there, you attach shelves, drawers, hooks, etc. There a lot of benefits to this type of storage:

• Adjustable

• Aesthetically Pleasing

• Available accessories: Drawers, hooks, shelves

Some of the negatives include:

• Permanent

• Cost prohibitive

• More difficult installation

To get this look, I recommend the Elfa System from the Container Store (below):

Storage Bins

In the garage or unfinished parts of your house, there are three things I look for when it comes to containment:

1. Durable

2. Air-tight

3. See-through

You don’t need all three in every setting but some level of durability is ideal. Here are my favorite containers for the garage setting: