The minimalist garage: a new trend!
Décormag
/ July/August 2008
Creative Trends
Les Affaires
/ May 3 to 9 2008
More room in the garage please!
Décormag
/ May 2008
An end to the chaos
Décoration chez-soi
/ March 2008
Sponsor of Maison de Rêve BMO 2008
Pubzone
/ January 24, 2008
Article published in Pubzone.com
Aménager votre garage
Le Grand Journal TQS
/ January 17, 2008
Vidéo on TQS.ca
The garage gets a face-lift!
Décormag
/ October 2007
The garage: the other kitchen.
La Presse
/ September 22, 2007
Article published in Cyberpresse.ca
Organizing the garage!
24 Heures
/ August 22, 2007
Organized to the max!
Journal de Montréal
/ August 18, 2007
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DÉCORMAG OCTOBER 2007 The garage gets a face-lift! INFO On the heels of the walk-in and other space organizers, we’re finally starting to realize the full potential of the garage--a room that usually ends up being a dump for a million household items. GarageSpace+ is the first company in Québec to offer a unique garage organizing system that turns the garage into a multifunctional home with ultra-resistant floor surfacing, solid cabinets with adjustable shelves and wall-hanging units… You won’t recognize your own garage. Info: (514)686-5941 or www.garagespaceplus.com
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LA PRESSE SAMEDI SEPTEMBER 22, 2007 MY HOME The garage: the other kitchen. Isabelle Audet A couple of new companies specializing in residential garage organizers have sprung up recently in Québec. They’ve all come to the same conclusion: more and more homeowners want to reorganize their garages and some have even gone for a slick, clean, kitchen-like look. “Our clients want to be able to leave their garage door open without being embarrassed,” says Roberto Wilson, cofounder of GarageSpace+. “They want home and garden designs that are impeccable and they want a garage that reflects their taste for well ordered spaces.” To meet storage and esthetic needs, the professionals suggest closed cabinets. Made of treated wood or metal, they lend a little interior design to a room that’s generally used only for storage. The GarageSpace+ showroom, located in Roberto Wilson’s own garage, is nothing short of immaculate. The grey cabinets with stainless steel handles hide the owner’s many tools. The wooden countertop is spotless. You could just as easily imagine seeing a roast with a sprig of rosemary on it as you could a saw and a screwdriver. The epoxy floorwhich is blue with flecks of navy and silvercould easily double for an industrial carpet but it cleans up with a quick sweep of the broom or a spray of the hose. The only elements that give away the fact that this is a garage are the bicycles, the shovels, the skis and a ladder which are neatly hung from hooks on the wall. And yes, despite the clean, well ordered look of the garage, the owner does park his car there. “Renovating a garage is a lot more affordable than a kitchen, but the appeal of a garage with cabinets is that owners can also use the space for games or get-togethers.” Mr. Wilson goes on to say that “A few of our clients have had oyster parties in their garage; others send the kids there to play when it’s raining outside. It’s a great space for games or entertaining.” Recognizing this growing new trend, GarageSpace+ and another company specializing in garage organizers, Prodesign Garage, were both founded in the past year in the Montréal area. Tired of the usual hooks and shelves, homeowners who contact these companies are ready to invest several thousand dollars to create the space they want for their garages. For example, the cost of doing a single garage, with a new floor surface, plus cabinets and wall hanging units can easily exceed $5,000. According to Jean-François Morin, President of Prodesign Garage, “the price of high end products varies considerably and it’s hard for consumers to choose what’s best. When it came time to do my own garage, I realized that there weren’t many companies in Québec that offered turn-key solutions. That’s when I decided to start my own company: Prodesign Garage.” Home-made In an attempt to save money, most consumers will turn to big-box stores and try to do the work themselves. The director of sales and merchandising for Home Depot in Québec, Silvio Pintal, has noticed that consumers are increasingly selective. “Today’s consumer wants closed cabinets and high-end storage systems. But, when it comes time to buy, they go for 16-inch while melamine shelves because of the cost. It’s a question of money not taste.” “When our ambitions are bigger than our budget, it’s a good idea to take things one step at a time, regardless of whether we’re hiring a professional,” says Roberto Wilson. “You start by getting rid of the things that you haven’t used in a while. That way, you don’t spend money on storage for items you don’t need. Then once the clean up is done, you create a schedule: this year, the floor; next year the wall hangers, and the cabinets the year after that.”
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24 HEURES WEDNESDAY AUGUST 22 2007 LIVING Organizing the garage! A company in Blainville, Quebec is targetting an all-new highly promising market: garage organizing! Usually home to the car, today’s residential garage is about to become a clean, multifunctional space that’s well organized and enjoyable, thanks to GarageSpace+. By creating sufficient space for organizing and storage, the largest heated room in your home can also be used for other activities like handicrafts. This dynamic new company offers a number of multipurpose, highly durable configurations. Garage floors can be refinished with a high-quality long-lasting surface that’s easy to clean and resists chipping and staining. The wall cabinets are solid, designed specifically for residential garages. And adjustable 1-inch shelves make room for every type of household tool and accessory, even the heaviest. GarageSpace+ also offers unique, steel wall-hanging grid systems with a wide variety of hooks and supports for sports equipment, gardening items and other tools so they’re always within easy reach. It seems that garage organizers are all the rage in the U.S. In 2005, the National Association of Homebuilders did a survey and found that homeowners with single, double or multiple garages had already spent more than $2.5 billion arranging and organizing their garages. According to the Wall Street Journal, the garage organizing industry in the United States today can be compared to the closet organizing and walk-in industry 15 years ago. For more information, contact GarageSpace+ : www.garagespaceplus.com
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LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL YOUR HOME SATURDAY AUGUST 18, 2007 DÉCOR Valérie Gilbert Special collaborator Organized to the max! GarageSpace+ is the first company in Québec to design and install complete organizing systems for residential garages. The garage was designed for a car. And despite the fact that it often becomes a household dumping ground, it offers a huge utilitarian and even esthetic potential. GarageSpace+ transforms the humble garage into a clean, multifunctional, highly enjoyable room. As time goes by, our garage has to accommodate a wide range of storage needs as well as offer space for games, hobbies or even family get-togethers. The garage organizing solutions offered by GarageSpace+ are among the most versatile available in Québec. The ultra-resistant, industrial grade epoxy floor covering system provides an attractive high quality surface that’s easy to clean and resists stains and chipping. The solid cabinets offer virtually limitless storage options, with fully adjustable 1” shelves that can handle even the heaviest of loads. And the steel wall-hanging grid units come with an infinite variety of hooks and supports for almost any type of tool or sports equipment. The result: everything is in its place and within easy reach. GarageSpace+ adapts each system to the homeowner’s lifestyle and to the home itself, making the very most of the garage’s potential while increasing the value of the home. For more information, visit the website at www.garagespaceplus.com
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PUBZONE.COM JANUARY 24, 2008 EspaceGarage+ Becomes a Sponsor of Maison de Rêve BMO 2008 by Gail Chiasson For the first time, the Maison de Rêve (Dream House), the construction project in the Montreal region for which tickets are sold annually to benefit charity, will offer a completely finished double garage, which will add to the value of the luxurious project. EspaceGarage+, the first company in Quebec to offer a complete residential garage enhancement system, will head this as an official sponsor of the Maison de Rêve BMO 2008. This Maison de Rêve BMO, evaluated at more than $950,000, wll allow the winners to also benefit from a dream garage that will offer a maximum of space and storage, thanks to the solutions offered by EspaceGarage+. EspaceGarage+ turns garages into practical, attractive storage and living spaces adapted to the lifestyle and style of home of the owner. It uses 3D simulation software to show garage enhancement propositions to give clients a clear view of how it can turn a garage into a practical, attractive storage and living space. Founding president of EspaceGarage+ is Roberto Wilson, co-owner and creative director at Tourbillon Productions, whose background includes senior creative positions with Cossette Communications Group, Cirque du Soleil, Saatchi & Saatchi and Young & Rubicam. Partner with Wilson is Michel Marcoux, whose extensive background includes Desarts Communications as a partner and vice-president of client services, and Astral Media as director of marketing. Maison de Rêve BMO 2008 at Villas-sur-Rives in the Ste-Dorothée area of Laval, can be visited from June until the end of Sept./08. Tickets, at $10, can be purchased at all Bank of Montreal branches and at about 60 participating charitable organizations. The sale of the tickets will go towards various non-profit organzations, especially those dealing with ill and handicapped children. Information on the Dream House can be found at www.maisonderevebmo.com.
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DÉCORATION CHEZ-SOI March 2008 Room by room A must-have for 2008 GARAGE At last: a clean, well-organized storage space! AN END TO THE CHAOS A garage is a catch-all room that’s home to virtually everything: carpentry and gardening tools, paint, leaf-blowers, recycling bins, bicycles, skis and more. If you want to get it all in order, call GarageSpace+, the first company in Québec to offer a residential garage organizing system offering highly resistant floor coverings, solid cabinets with fully adjustable shelves and a unique, super practical wall hanging units. From now on, he’ll have no excuse if the garage is a mess. Who knows, once everything’s been put in its place, you might discover you have enough room for games, hobbies or seasonal get-togethers. (514) 686-5941, (514) 686-5942, www.garagespaceplus.com
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DÉCORMAG MAY, 2008 NEWS More room in the garage please! You know all that extra stuff that’s cluttering up your home, ever consider storing it in the ceiling of your garage? GarageSpace+, the first company in Québec to offer complete residential garage organizers, has a new offering: Tuffrax, a steel storage system that can handle up to 600 lbs of household accessories. Everything, from Christmas decorations to garden furniture to winter tires can finally be stored away neatly. Tuffrax is fully adjustable in height, length and width and can be adapted to virtually any need. For more information, visit: www.garagespaceplus.com
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LES AFFAIRES MAY 3 TO 9, 2008 By Dominique Froment > dominique.froment@transcontinental.ca Creative Trends “Your garage can become more attractive and more practical.” GarageSpace+ Designers have spent years on interiors and gardens; today, they’re turning their attention to garages. Everyone knows that renovations and enhancements can make your home more attractive and more functional but until very recently, very few of us thought about our garages. Today, more and more home owners are considering garage improvements: after all, it’s one of the largest rooms in the house. Designers are proposing a whole series of bright solutions for what Americans have come to call “the last frontier.” While he was researching solutions for his own garage on the internet, Roberto Wilson discovered that the market was rapidly growing stateside. It didn’t take long for him to decide that he too wanted to exploit the market in Quebec. He created GarageSpace+. What does this new company have to offer? GarageSpace+ offers four main products. The first is an epoxy floor covering made by Chemdur Industries, in Lachine, Montréal. The second is a line of high-density melamine cabinets with 36 modules in varying sizes and shapes. “These aren’t just modified kitchen cabinets,” says Wilson’s partner Michel Marcoux. “We designed these cabinets ourselves with 1” thick shelves that are made to measure exclusively for us.” The cabinets–which are finished in brushed aluminum–are also made in Quebec, by Ébénisterie A. Beaucage, in L’Assomption. They are attached to the walls 15 cm above the floor line, without footings, which makes floor clean-up a breeze. GarageSpace+ also offers two products imported from the United States: an activity organizer wall-hanging system, with racks and hooks of all sizes; and an overhead storage system where containers of different sizes can be stored neatly out of the way. Everything from winter tires and patio tables to synthetic Christmas trees can be organized discreetly and easily, making more room in the garage throughout the year. Costs for a complete double-garage system range from $5,000 to $10,000, and require three days’ work. According to the founders of GarageSpace+, it’s a great investment because it increases the total value of the home. How did it all begin? Roberto Wilson and Michel Marcoux are both veterans of the marketing and communications industry. Mr. Wilson was Creative Director of Advertising at Cirque du Soleil, and held key positions within several agencies, including Cossette and Young & Rubicam. Mr. Marcoux, held positions at Astral Média Outdoor, Steinberg and Mediacom (now CBS Outdoor). The men had crossed paths on several occasions throughout their career. Then, just as Roberto Wilson was looking for a career change, Michel lost his job. They got together and gave themselves a challenge: to find a great idea for starting a new company. Mr. Wilson got the idea first. In 2005, he moved to a new home in Blainville. The house had a double garage and his wife had asked him to fix it up. Mr. Wilson tells the story: “I was online looking for storage solutions when I realized that garage enhancements were a booming industry in the states, with total sales of close to $2.5 Billion. I even discovered networks of garage enhancement franchises.” Mr. Marcoux goes on to say, “Fifteen years ago, designers transformed closets into walk-ins. Today, they’re turning garages into super practical living spaces.” The pair joined forces and founded GarageSpace+ in 2006, with their first commercial activities beginning in 2007. To date, they have more than 50 garage transformations to their name and many more scheduled for the future. Financing Roberto Wilson and Michel Marcoux financed their company with their own funds. The initial investment was minimal and warehousing costs are avoided as all material is delivered to sites “just in time” by suppliers. Mr. Wilson’s own garage serves as a showcase. A word of advice If you’re going into business, you’d best have an idea that meets an existing need as opposed to creating a need. You also have to believe in your idea no matter what happens. Le garage de la Maison de Rêve GarageSpace+ has become an official sponsor of the BMO Dream Home (Maison de Rêve) charity draw, supplying the entire GarageSpace+ system for this palatial residence in Sainte-Dorothée, Laval. The home, valued at $950,000 is the grand prize in this charitable draw. All ticket proceeds go to local non-profit organizations. Where will you be in five years? In five years, GarageSpace+ will certainly have expanded beyond the city limits. Perhaps in the form of franchises; but it’s just a possibility. Our growth plan is still in the works. (CV) Name: Roberto Wilson Age: 54 Title: Co-President Name: Michel Marcoux Age: 50 Title: Co-President Company: GarageSpace+
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DÉCORMAG July/AUGUST 2008 by Myriam Gagnon Trends « The minimalist garage: a new trend!» Want to know what Québec homeowners are dreaming about these days? A garage that’s just as well designed as the rest of their home. Multifunctional garages have been popular in the U.S. for the past four or five years and now, they’re finally gaining ground here in Quebec. Most garages are attached to the house. What’s more, they’re insulated and heated and often exceed 300 square feet in area, so it’s only natural that that homeowners should want to make the most of them. While maintaining their use for parking and storage, garages can also be modified to become a gym, a laundry room, a pantry, a party room or simply a space for the family to hang out. Today’s basement has become a home theatre and the garage is becoming the second basement. The key is in the layout. Nobody wants to do their exercise in a room cluttered with skis, winter tires, gardening tools, old plywood and boxes. According to the experts, the days of a cluttered garage are long gone. Today, says Johane Marin, Project Coordinator at Garde-Robes Gagnon, “It’s all about interior decor. Clients want the same kind of white melamine closets and cabinets as they have in their walk-in or kitchen.” Éric Leblanc, contractor and owner of Prodesign garage, says, “We’re not quite at the stage of live-in garages, but people definitely want them to be practical, useful and attractive.” Founded in 2007, his company has been growing ever since. GarageSpace+, a new company specialized in turnkey garage organization solutions, has been growing rapidly. “The demand has been terrific,” says President Roberto Wilson. “And it’s just the beginning. In the years to come, a well-organized garage will be as common as a walk-on closet. So how do you transform a cluttered garage into a multifunctional space? The first goal is to create as much available ground space as possible by using the walls and ceilings to their full storage potential. Today’s interior-designed garages dictate closed cabinets. And, thanks to rapid growth in the market, the range of available materials has grown considerably. Modular systems are available in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. They’re stable, durable and compact and can be modified as your needs change. They feature adjustable shelves and drawers that can handle even heavy loads. And the really good news is that they’re not only practically, they look great anywhere. Think of them as a cross between a formula one garage and a high-tech kitchen, with task lighting and built-in washbasin, made of solid wood or steel, in a selection of colors and finishes. The price-tag is in keeping with the overall effect. But you have to admit, a wall covered in Ferrari-red cabinets with stainless steel accents makes a real statement. “The last thing our clients are worried about,” says Roberto Wilson “is leaving the garage door open.” A garage by any other name is still a garage. It’s still used for storage and everything has to be easy to find and easy to get at. That’s where the wall hanging systems come in, with a variety of hooks and brackets, from friction clamps for hedge-trimmers to special fishing-rod mounts; from tennis racket holders to kayak supports. They offer grids, perforated panels and hooks in every imaginable size, shape, material and finish. To help keep things attractive and practical, the specialists recommend grouping items by category: leisure, handicrafts, car care, gardening, etc., with the dirtier items (garbage, lawnmower, snow-blower) near the outside door and the cleaner objects (laundry and food items) near the inside door. Large and seasonal items are stored on shelves hung from the ceiling. U-bars stuck to the wall will do the job but for those of us who want easy access and esthetics, only ceiling-mounted storage will do. Here’s a big plus: the heavy-weight versions of these ceiling-mounted systems can handle up to 600 lbs. (professional installation required). Just fill the large plastic boxes with the 1001 things you don’t want lying around and store them up high out of the way. But remember to label each one for easy identification later on. Then invite the Jones’ over for a party; they’ll be the ones who want to keep up with you.
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