- Finnish outdoor enthusiast Tom’s garage makeover
This garage is never a mess!
When Tom Nylund, an influential mountain biking figure, told us that his dream storage space would be functional, easy to keep organised and inspired by a Formula 1 garage, Elfa stepped up to the plate.
Tom Nylund is an influencer and outdoor enthusiast with a YouTube channel where the main focus is on mountain biking, along with running and skiing content too. Tom needed a garage where he could store all his bulky equipment and be able to do his work and filming too. “I used to keep all my things in the family’s storage room, but it was really cramped and difficult to find my gear among all the sledges and other stuff that you find in a “normal” garage. Tidying away things that I didn’t want in the videos took a lot of time, and it was also frustrating not being able to find my stuff or having to stop filming if someone’s head suddenly appeared in the background,” Tom explains.
Tom has always had a clear vision of what works for him when it comes to being organised: “My system is based on storing things in plastic boxes/trays with lids, writing the contents on a strip of tape and sticking it onto the box. It might sound primitive, but that’s the only system that works for me! I have accepted that this is the only way for me to keep things organised. If I don’t write it down on the tape I forget what the box contains, and then if I need to find something quickly things can get a bit stressful.” Although this system worked for Tom it still presented a problem. The boxes were all stacked on one another, which meant it was a hassle every time he needed to get something from one of the boxes furthest down. When the opportunity arose for Tom to rent a garage opposite his house for his exclusive use, Elfa started working on a storage solution tailored to meet his needs.
“I needed a clear wall as a background for filming, strong shelves that can hold heavy boxes, and a flexible system that lets me move things around quickly and store my gear according to the season. It was also important to be able to hang my bikes on the wall because they cannot be stacked on top of one another as that damages them.” Did you have a clear idea and any inspiration for the garage? “Yes, definitely. For example, I’d carefully studied how things work in McLaren’s Formula 1 garage! It’s a hectic, sweaty, demanding environment, but everything has its own place which they clean thoroughly when they’re done. A place that is easy to clean was therefore on my list of requirements. I have also been inspired by the TV programme MythBusters and its wall of storage bins that just keeps growing.”
Tom began the job of fitting out the new garage by measuring the wall and drawing on it with chalk, as well as placing post IT notes to create a template. Elfa’s storage experts provided professional input. As well as suggesting ideas like storing skis on bracket posts furthest up and having a stand for wood, they extolled the benefits of pull-out shoe racks. Wet gloves dry more easily in airy mesh baskets, for example. Hanging tools on a wall board with a mix of different hooks and boxes makes it easier to keep them organised and see where they are. For Tom the outdoor enthusiast, the result was a functional, well-organised storage heaven.
What do you think, is it easy to keep things neat and tidy in here now?
“This garage is never a mess! You could say that I have a dual personality: I enjoy my artistic freedom when I’m filming and recording material. That’s when I put my creativity to work and it can be spontaneous, innovative and unstructured. But to be able to do that, I need to have things organised and know where they are. I can’t compromise on that.”
“The results are amazing and have saved me a lot of time and frustration! I like it so much that I can spend hours at a time, sometimes whole days, in here.”
The work surfaces of the Elfa shelving system are made of metal which makes them easy to wipe down and keep clean. It is also easy to sweep the floor because the shelves do not go all the way down. “It is especially important to clean up ski wax immediately. Not only does it get dirty, the floor becomes lethally slippery too. I put very muddy bikes on rubber mats and take them out to the yard where I hose them down.”
Which features are you particularly pleased about?
“Most definitely the flexibility of Elfa’s system. Ordinary wooden shelves are not as flexible and tend to waste a lot of space. With this system, I don’t need supporting posts between the shelves, which is great because some of my gear is quite wide. It takes no time at all to lift my bikes down from Elfa’s special bike hooks. It’s extremely practical and doesn’t take many minutes to adjust anything in here. I’d say that my Elfa storage system is quite dynamic and not static.”
Tom passionately explains how satisfying it is to have everything in its place and it becomes clear that this is particularly important for someone with an active lifestyle like Tom, who sometimes steps straight out of one outdoor adventure into the next. “When I’m pressed for time, I’ll take a whole drawer or whatever I need from the garage and put it in the car. It is much easier that way, having helmets, gloves and protective gear ready in a large plastic box or wire basket that I can lift out and then put back.”
The only thing that’s missing here is a beer cooler, right? “Well, I’ve noticed that people who have a cooler in their garage tend to focus on drinking beer there. And that’s nice, of course. But I prefer to do that elsewhere. I want to use this space for doing what I like. Vlogging about the outdoors and other things, putting camping stoves and bike shoes into the right boxes and getting ready for the next outdoor trip.” It’s obvious that Tom has created his own man cave with help from Elfa. Here in the garage, he wants to spend time doing what he enjoys most. And what he most appreciates about the storage system is the structure it has brought to this space: “There is a saying that “Order brings peace to the soul”. I have to admit, it’s true.”
ABOUT
Tom Nylund, 39, is a media personality with a focus on outdoor activities and mountain biking. He lives in Helsinki with his partner and two children, a seven-year-old boy and four-year-old girl.
Instagram: @tomnylund
Garage-makeover | Hannes and Floor
The Van Dahl’s garage – a chaotic space turned into a family retreat
Hannes and Floor Van Dahl are both musicians and members of the world-famous metal bands Sabaton and Nightwish. Before the makeover, their garage was cluttered with things like drums, riding boots and tools. But now, they are more than happy to spend a lot of their time here!
Text Charlotta Flinkenberg Photos Isak Sjöström
before
after
“Tools, quad bikes, snowboards, horse tack and gardening equipment are all vying for space”
Hannes Van Dahl
“We walk through the garage several times a day to our home studio, which is right next door, and I’d get a knot in my stomach every time I saw the state of disarray,” says Hannes. As well as music, the family Van Dahl has a lot of recreational interests including snowboarding, riding, and gardening. The equipment for these activities requires considerable storage space, along with other tools and items (like suitcases etc.).
The Storage Expert from Elfa came to the rescue
Hannes thought it would take a fortnight to renovate the garage. He was feeling quite disheartened about the whole thing after three months, which is when Elfa’s makeover team appeared like a godsend with the offer of helping to complete the garage makeover. By then, Hannes had insulated the walls, installed electric sockets and painted the concrete floor. So, the shell of the garage was ready, but the work of installing shelving, storage systems and other interior fittings had yet to begin.
- It was a huge relief when Elfa turned up. They were more or less given carte blanche. They asked what our needs were and then we went away for two weeks while they fixed and fitted the rest.
Hanging things on the walls and freeing up floor space is especially important in spaces such as garages, precisely because you may need to drive in and out of vehicles and machines here.
“When we get home after a tour, we don’t want to spend time searching for things”
Hannes Van Dahl
A sliding door solution with black frames, black oak filling and tempered bronze toned glass, added to the style of the garage and created calm by hiding some of the things.
Personal touches like paintings/photo prints, cushions, mats, and clocks add an aesthetic appeal. Buenos Aires and Shanghai are two metropolises in which both Hannes and Floor have played, and they symbolize their profession and travels.
"The results are excellent. We’re extremely pleased!"
Hannes Van Dahl
- It turned out fantastically well, we are extremely satisfied! I find things now that I had never thought of myself, from a practical nature. Small, attractive solutions that you may not see immediately, such as how to hang the bikes, for example. I am very impressed with the team's feeling for both the aesthetic and the functional. They are spoken of as storage experts for a reason and people who are experts in their fields are something I really respect. They are focused, driven and knowledgeable - which is contagious, really inspiring.
Hannes was also pleasantly surprised by the stability of Elfa's products, combined with the fact that it is easy to move and stow.
"The first thing I tested was how much rough handling the shelves could withstand. They are incredibly stable. Yet it only takes 30 seconds to reconfigure them and move or rearrange them if you want."
Floor can only add to the praise: “I’d been hunting on Pinterest for some inspiration for the garage but never imagined that they could make it look so comfortable and inviting!"
A designated area was created for Floor’s horse tack. Everything from hooks for bridles and halters to shelves for helmets and boots. There are also hooks for hanging up riding clothes after they’ve been worn so they can air between rides.
That it could be transformed into a place we actually want to be in and not just rush through. It used to be chaotic in here, now it’s cozy and homely. It never even crossed my mind that you can put a table and chairs on a mat in your garage to make it more welcoming. This is where we come now after a day in the garden or in the stable. Perfect if a neighbor drops by and wants to stop for a cup of coffee,” says Floor.
Everyone in the family has their own space
The couple is also delighted that the Elfa team took their daughter into consideration when planning the garage design. Thanks to a flexible shelving system, four-year-old Freya now has a corner of her own in the garage with her tools, books, toys, skates, and other items all within reach.
Freya’s corner was a success for the whole family.
It’s fun for parents to be able to share leisure time with their children. Wherever you are, they are there too. If we’re busy doing stuff in the garage, she’ll want to be doing something here too. And if we stay here and have a tea break, she wants to do the same. Freya also has her own parking space in the garage for her quad bike which is personalized with her name. Neat and tidy.
Even the dog was grateful! Our Irish Wolfhound puppy loves running around in the garage now and seems to appreciate having the whole family together here sometimes.
No more rooting around in boxes and drawers when tools and gadgets are hung on the wall, clearly visible, at the right height.
About
The family Van Dahl: Hannes, 31, drummer in Sabaton, Floor, 40, singer in Nightwish and daughter Freja, 4 Lives: in a single-storey villa with a garage of 70 m2
Joanna's City Garden
Joanna is a guru of city gardening and the author of the widely read guidebook, “Just Plant It: How to Start Growing Your Own Vegetables.” She and her husband, Darek, are hosts of a podcast where they share their urban gardening expertise with novice and veteran soil-turners alike. This year she decided to mount an airy Elfa system in her small garden room to create space for all the plants she wished to start cultivating.
Joanna starts the cultivation by sowing the plants – this usually happens in the winter months when it’s cold outside. The seedlings remain indoors until the Spring when the weather gets warmer. After which there is additional space in the house that gets allocated to flowerpots and mini greenhouses.
Joanna has a dedicated room where her seedlings spend the Winter months. The room is small and needs to be kept well organized so that the work with the plans can run smoothly and cleanly.
Daylight is crucial for plants. Light enters the room through a glass door and a skylight that sits opposite the shelving unit. Joanna has acquired a clever storage solution that includes ventilated shelves and baskets in various sizes, and since the unit is hung on the wall it keeps the room from feeling overwhelmed.
With the click-in system, shelves can easily be adjusted to adapt the height of the plants as they grow.
Joanna installed a wall-hung Elfa storage solution in Platinum in her workspace. By using ventilated shelves and a special UV lamp, light can reach plants placed near the bottom of the unit - helping them grow faster. In addition to allowing light to pass through them, the ventilated shelves also allow air to flow freely through the room. Access to daylight is essential in the seedling room and the system that Joanna furnished the room with provides for a bright and airy environment that’s perfect for the young plants.
When it’s time to move the seedlings outdoors, the ventilated shelves, in their various sizes, can easily be rearranged for the next project.
When Joanna first asked us for help designing the room and to create a proposal for a solution, we never imagined what a pleasure it would be to watch the plants blossom. Slowly but surely the entire Elfa system is turning green!
Gliding mesh baskets were installed at the base of the unit so that Joanna had a place to store additional seeds and accessories. There’s now space for all of Joanna’s plants and gardening tools in the seedling room.
Joanna also mounted mesh baskets to the hang standards to store excess seeds – the airy design keeps them from being damaged by moisture.
A storing board with diverse accessories has been mounted on the wall by the door. Hooks and tool holders in various sizes are perfect for hanging gear and the transparent boxes give a full overview of the seed collection. The reversible shelf can be used as an added work surface.
Joanna is the author of the widely read guidebook, “Just Plant It: How to Start Growing Your Own Vegetables.” On Instagram she proves that you can easily grow your own greens even if you live in the middle of a big city and she has created a wonderful community of amateur gardeners.
Follow Joanna on Instagram at @poprostuposadź
