When you walk through an Ikea store, you will notice they don’t have a garage section. It’s pretty hard to beat Ikea’s prices, though, so why not “think outside the box” a bit and use some of the furniture they sell for other rooms of the house in the garage, instead? The three main areas you’ll want to look at in an Ikea store are the kitchen area, the utility area and the shelving area.

Ikea’s kitchen area has a host of storage solutions you should consider. The counter-level cabinets make a great alternative to standard garage cabinets, and have the added benefit of being equipped with drawers and adjustable shelves. As most kitchen counters are 24 inches deep (or more), the depth might be too large, though, so be sure to come prepared with the precise measurements of your available space. If you find something that fits, you will also want to make sure the counter top is something friendly to garage environments — something like “butcher block” should work well.

Another nifty feature is that kitchen cabinets often allow for a more varied configuration, allowing you to “mix and match” more easily and to add things like a corner cabinet with a built-in lazy susan. This can be a great boon to helping you later find what you’ve stored! Furthermore, upper cabinets designed for kitchens are also quite practical for garage spaces. Think about it: a cabinet loaded with plates is actually quite heavy; so, properly secured, kitchen cabinets can carry most garage storage loads without issue, becoming your de facto Ikea garage cabinets.

While you are in the kitchen department, take a look at the “organizers,” too. Spice shelves and drawer dividers can offer efficient ways to organize your garage gear, and some of the smaller storage bins intended for counter-top storage can help you organize the items stored in your cabinets.

The utility area of Ikea offers some other storage options, as well. Metal storage cabinets meant for hallways or utility rooms make wonderful garage storage, and industrial (wide) shelving — especially metal shelves with framing/supports — can be a very viable and inexpensive alternative. Also in the utility area are smaller shelves that can be cantilevered on a wall, perhaps above other storage spaces like those reserved for garden tools or sports equipment.

See what we mean? Even though Ikea does not have a “garage department,” with a little imagination you can find garage storage solutions there that rival those found in your favorite home improvement store.