No-one expects your workshop area to be completely pristine, but there are smart ways to minimise clutter and make the overall space more efficient and user-friendly.

This garage had only a basic bench that was turned into a workstation with just a few DIY additions.

A lockable cabinet was built from plywood under the bench to conceal bulky items and safely store away dangerous items out of reach of kids.

A pine shelf was also added under the window, which provided another useful storage area to help to free up space on the bench.

The wall behind the workbench was then clad in pegboard so hand tools and other items could be displayed within easy reach on hooks.

Make the cabinet

Make the cabinet
Sue Ferris

Whatever the dimensions of your workbench, it’s quick and easy to turn it into a storage cabinet to conceal power tools and other equipment.

For this project, two sheets of 1200 x 897 x 12mm plywood were cut to fit for the doors and 12mm particleboard was used to make the base of the cabinet.

Metal brackets were used to secure the cabinet base to the workbench sides and pine moulding added for a door stopper.

As a finishing touch, the benchtop was given a coat of paint.

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Secure the base

Secure the base
Sue Ferris

Measure the internal width and depth of the workbench, then cut a piece of 12mm particleboard to size.

Position it at the base of the workbench, then secure to the sides using metal brackets and timber screws.

Attach the door

Attach the door
Sue Ferris

Cut the doors to size from two 12mm plywood sheets, allowing for a 5mm gap all around.

To hang, support the doors in the opening using spacers, then secure hinges to each door and the frame of the workbench.

No-one expects your workshop area to be completely pristine, but there are smart ways to minimise clutter and make the overall space more efficient and user-friendly.

This garage had only a basic bench that was turned into a workstation with just a few DIY additions.

A lockable cabinet was built from plywood under the bench to conceal bulky items and safely store away dangerous items out of reach of kids.

A pine shelf was also added under the window, which provided another useful storage area to help to free up space on the bench.

The wall behind the workbench was then clad in pegboard so hand tools and other items could be displayed within easy reach on hooks.

Install the stopper

Install the stopper
Sue Ferris

To provide a stopper for the doors, cut a length of 20 x 8mm pine moulding to the internal width of the bench.

Drill pilot holes and secure to the underside of the workbench 12mm from the front edge.

Attach a door lock.

Build the shelf

Build the shelf
Sue Ferris

Space is always at a premium in the garage or workshop, so creating places to store items is a top priority.

Simply adding a shelf under a window can make all the difference.

And if you want to add a little greenery and colour to your workspace, it’s also the ideal spot for a pot plant.

Before the shelf was built and mounted, 7mm plywood was cut to fit under the window between the studs and secured using screws.

Install the shelf mounts

Install the shelf mounts
Sue Ferris

Cut a shelf brace to fit between the studs and two 100mm lengths for the shelf mounts from 42 x 19mm pine DAR.

Secure the mounts to either side with timber screws, checking for level using the brace and a spirit level.

No-one expects your workshop area to be completely pristine, but there are smart ways to minimise clutter and make the overall space more efficient and user-friendly.

This garage had only a basic bench that was turned into a workstation with just a few DIY additions.

A lockable cabinet was built from plywood under the bench to conceal bulky items and safely store away dangerous items out of reach of kids.

A pine shelf was also added under the window, which provided another useful storage area to help to free up space on the bench.

The wall behind the workbench was then clad in pegboard so hand tools and other items could be displayed within easy reach on hooks.

Make the shelf assembly

Make the shelf assembly
Sue Ferris

Cut a length of 89 x 19mm pine DAR the same length as the brace for the shelf.

Apply PVA adhesive along one face of the brace, then clamp the brace to the shelf so the edges are flush.

Secure using timber screws.

Attach the brackets

Attach the brackets
Handyman Magazine

Position the shelf assembly on top of the mounts.

Pre-drill pilot holes, then attach the shelf assembly to the mounts using angle brackets and timber screws drilled into the shelf brace and the mounts.

Add tool storage

Add tool storage
Handyman Magazine

A great way to add extra storage for tools and to keep the workbench clutter-free is to make the best use of vertical surfaces.

Here, a stud wall was clad from floor to ceiling in 7mm plywood, then pegboard was secured to the area behind the bench.

Hooks were then added for hanging tools from the pegboard, making them easily accessible.

No-one expects your workshop area to be completely pristine, but there are smart ways to minimise clutter and make the overall space more efficient and user-friendly.

This garage had only a basic bench that was turned into a workstation with just a few DIY additions.

A lockable cabinet was built from plywood under the bench to conceal bulky items and safely store away dangerous items out of reach of kids.

A pine shelf was also added under the window, which provided another useful storage area to help to free up space on the bench.

The wall behind the workbench was then clad in pegboard so hand tools and other items could be displayed within easy reach on hooks.

Clad the walls

Clad the walls
Handyman Maagazine

Cut 7mm plywood to fit the wall, making sure the edges of the panels align with studs and noggins.

Secure plywood to the studs using timber screws along the edges every 300mm, drilling countersunk pilot holes.

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