You expect a lot out of your garage—it’s a workroom, potting station, closet, toy box and toolshed all rolled into one. You might also want to park your car inside. Truly, the garage is the most multipurpose room in your home. Fortunately, new garage-savvy systems can transform underused or cluttered space into an efficient storage wonderland ready to accommodate lawn equipment, gardening supplies, sports stuff, a workbench and the family cars.

GO DELUXE Stainless-steel cabinets? Faux marble floors? In a garage? That’s right. The design efficiency and sleek surfaces you find in many kitchens and baths have moved into the garage. Garage Envy™, a design company that can make garages pass as dens, offers modular storage, shelving and heavy-duty (and really attractive!) flooring—after all, you drive your car on it!

Garage organizing systems get extra points for ingenious solutions. For example, Custom Garage Systems, Inc.,™ uses a pulley system that suspends a canoe or bicycles in the wide-open space above parked cars. The load capacity is 145 pounds, and a self-locking block system prevents accidental release.

BUILT GARAGE-TOUGH Components in a garage make-over have to stand up to the toughness that an automotive storage area demands. Garage Envy uses 1-inch-thick industrial-grade materials for heavyduty cabinets built to hold messy, heavy things such as chainsaws and sports equipment. Yet, compared with the cost of kitchen cupboards, it’s a deal. A 10-piece component storage system runs about $1,800.

WALLS THAT WOW Transform an unfinished garage interior with grooved wall panels that seal garage walls in a bright, easy-to-clean surface. Grooved panel systems are designed to accommodate modular cabinets, shelving and hooks. Like paneling, wall panels can clad the entire inside of your garage floor-to-ceiling or in strips.

BENCH PRESS You can amp up the functionality of your garage space with a workbench. ORG® and Custom Garage Systems, Inc., offer heavy-duty bench tops that can be used for woodworking projects, potting areas for gardeners, or hobby areas so your kids can exercise their creative—and messy—talents. If you plan to use your garage as a workshop, ask your garage makeover expert about venting dust and fumes away from your living areas. At the very least, adding a ceiling or exhaust fan will improve the circulation and air quality while you work.

MORE STORAGE Every square inch of wall (and ceiling!) space can be employed to store your stuff. Here are some of the options:

Cabinets From sports equipment storage to a wine “cellar,” garage cabinets offer safe havens for the overflow of your home. Many garage systems feature cabinets with adjustable feet, so if water is ever an issue, your stored items will be high and dry. Cabinets range from freestanding armoire-type pieces to above-table options that hang on the wall like kitchen cabinets. If you’re interested in changing the configuration of storage in your garage, get your cabinets on wheels for easy moving.

Loft storage Look up in your garage and you’ll see lots of unused space. You can gain up to 38 cubic feet of storage using an EZ-Loft™ system that stows stuff above your cars. Perfect for seasonal items (this is where you can store your holiday decorations), this ceiling storage system measures 48 x 50 inches and is adjustable from 18 to 26 inches in depth.

Hooks, hangers, shelves For easy-access tool storage, hooks and hangers are your best bets—options run small to large, so you can hang everything from trowels to wheelbarrows. For large, oddly shaped items (like car carriers, skis or kayaks), custom shelving can be built to the specific length and width of whatever you have to store.

LIGHT & POWER Many garages, especially attached ones, are short on windows. Illuminate your garage with overhead ceiling lights or energy-efficient fluorescent lighting tubes. Add natural light with the installation of skylights or windows if your garage design allows. And make sure you can power up for any activity by having enough electrical outlets. Talk to an electrician about adding power points to use power tools, a car vacuum or stereo system.

GET FLOORED A major sore point with garage owners is the flooring. Frequently cracked and oil-stained, an old floor in a new garage make-over just doesn’t cut it. Here are some flooring options—from simple to sublime:

Paint A cover coat of paint helps protect concrete floors while repelling stains such as dirt, grease and oil.

Mats Rubber mats can be installed permanently or semi-permanently, so you can roll them in and out for easy cleaning.

Snap-together tiles Durable and tough, floor tiles, such as those from RaceDeck®, deliver a colorful finishing detail for a decked-out garage.

Liquid granite This product combines epoxy coatings, vinyl chips and polyurethane sealants to transform concrete into a granite look-alike.