Garage Makeover: Part One – The Power of Paint

For years, painting the garage was one of those projects that lingered in the back of my mind. Every time I brought it up, my wife (and honestly, most people I know) would ask: “Why waste your time and money painting the garage? It’s just a garage.”

But here’s the thing: I love cars, I like things neat (my closet is proof), and my OCD tends to take over. So, I had a vision. I wanted to go bold with a deep, moody shade—something like Dark Night or Inkwell from Sherwin Williams. Maren, however, held her ground. “Dark gray is as far as I’ll go,” she said. And as any husband knows, that’s the end of the negotiation.

Luckily, we had a gallon of Iron Mountain by Behr sitting around, so that became the color. And you know what? It actually turned out pretty great. Sure, I still think a darker blue would have been awesome, but when your wife has a say in most things (which is basically everything), you learn to take the win where you can.

The change isn’t huge, but it makes a real difference—especially when pulling into the garage every day. Like my closet, I’ve always kept the garage neat and organized, and now the fresh coat of paint adds to that feeling. Rookie mistake, though: I completely forgot to take proper “before” pictures, so I had to dig up a few random shots from the past to compare with the “after.”

Paint really is the ultimate fixer-upper. It instantly transforms a space, sets the tone for what’s next, and makes everything feel more finished. And this is just step one of the makeover. Next up, I’ll be tackling the floor (epoxy or grid tiles—I haven’t decided yet), painting the ceiling, and upgrading the lighting.

For now, though, paint has given the garage a fresh start—and that makes all the difference.

Yes, the floor is awful, I am definitely going to work on that next.