Monday, February 5, 2007

Garage Living -- Reclaim your Garage!

February 5, 2007, Vaughan, ON, Canada -- Like many Canadian families, the Dermer family’s garage was a disaster. Toys, boxes, sports equipment and gardening tools took up so much space the van could barely squeeze in there.

"I’m busy, my husband’s busy ­ we both work, plus we’ve got tons of activities with the kids," says Barbara Dermer. "We just didn’t have the time to clear out all the junk and have a garage sale."

So they did what any family would do ­ they got professional help. The Dermers employed a team of experts to assess their garage’s organizational needs. They wanted a complete solution ­ someone who could clear out the old clutter and custom design storage space that would allow them to know exactly where things were, exactly when they were needed.

Enter Aaron Cash, Parag Shah and Frank Spano. These three young entrepreneurs have taken the home organization concept to the next level.

"A lot has changed in peoples living habits over the years. The garage isn’t just a storage space any more ­ it’s a workplace for hobbyists, an entrance to the home, a place to keep the car clean," says Frank Spano. "It is increasingly important to families that the garage be more inviting, organized, safe and attractive. It needs to be part of their home."

Spano, Shah and Cash first met while attending the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario and struck upon the idea for Garage Living shortly thereafter.

After working out of Shah’s own garage for eight months, the three young men formed a partnership with Mike Albo, co-owner of Organized Interiors and Better Living Products. The combination of Mike’s two decades of knowledge in the home organization and renovation industry allowed them to open Ontario’s first retail showroom dedicated exclusively to garage organization solutions. Garage Living was born.

Their business is based on the goal of providing homeowners with a complete solution to the organization of their garage. The garage is the biggest room of the house and, in most cases, the most neglected. It is too often the dumping ground of the house ­ inevitably ending up in disarray ­ causing stress and confusion.

Garage Living Experts help clients one-on-one to design a customized garage organization solution. They meet with clients to discuss ideas and visit their home before producing detailed drawings of the proposed renovation.

Clients can see and touch samples of what their finished garage will look like through Garage Living’s concept showroom, which is the first of its kind in North America. Clients can browse through real, organized garages featuring custom cabinets, overhead storage, wall storage and flooring options. All these items are delivered and installed by qualified professionals.

And ­ topping off the complete solution ­ Garage Living will remove and dispose of any junk that was cluttering up the garage and their experts will add the finishing touches such as paint, drywall and stylish lighting options.

For the Dermers, the results were a clean, organized, stress free garage ­ for the first time in over 20 years at their home.

"It was full service right from the start," says Mrs. Dermer. "From the removal of our old junk to the Garage Living experts presenting us with designs made specifically for our garage, and clean and quick installation, they made organizing that mess look easy."

"The overhead and wall storage free up so much floor space. We even have room for the kids’ bikes and I can get my golf clubs without moving the car," adds Mr. Dermer. "And I’m glad we didn’t have to put our items into self-storage, that option was expensive, and inconvenient. This way, we’ve still got everything at our fingertips when we need it, at a fraction of the self-storage cost."

Garage Living’s showroom is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located at 201 Chrislea Road, Vaughan. In-home consultations can be booked at 1-877-850-8557.

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For further information or interviews contact:

Peter Turkington
Strategic Communications Solutions
Public Relations Specialists
ON BEHALF OF GARAGE LIVING
Direct Phone: 905.901.9218
Email: pturkington@stratcommsolutions.ca
Web: www.stratcommsolutions.ca