We have an open carport outside that was full of chipped paint and cobwebs. It didn’t have any functional storage or real use other than parking a vehicle. Since we don’t have space inside of our home for a recycling station, we thought this was a great opportunity to add a recycling center outside, and make the most of that empty space.

The first thing we wanted to do was brighten up the dingy space, which meant pulling out our paint sprayer! We used the Wagner Control Pro 170 to give the entire carport a fresh coat of primer and paint. It’s a great tool for covering large spaces like this one quickly and easily! It’s light in your hand and easy to maneuver too, which was perfect for getting between all of our ceiling joists.

Once the space was painted, we used some free cabinets we found, and an affordable laminate countertop to create a functional storage space. We used a 10 ft. countertop, and but cabinets underneath on either side, to create a space in the middle for the recycling containers that was easy to access.

We added storage bins for recycling, and bins inside the cabinets to organize some cleaning and car supplies. Finally, we used some salvaged wood to build a few ceiling racks to store some heavier car carriers.

We’re so happy with the final results, and with everything that we were able to achieve on a budget. See the full makeover from start to finish on our blog and YouTube channel, Lindi & Russ.