Q. We have a 2 and 1/2 car garage and 2 cars. That leaves little space for all the other garage things we need (lawn mower, gardening tools, etc.) My husband says we should buy a shed but I don't like how they look. Do you have any advice?

A. I investigated the shed situation with some experts at Lowe's, and found that there is such a wide variety that you may want to reconsider your position.

I say this because your garage is pretty full, and walking past all the clutter every day is demoralizing and frustrating-who needs that?

Storing seasonal products separately can be quite a relief.

Since you have a lawn mower to store, you will probably need to look at the sheds that look like mini barns or little houses. Most of these are paintable, so you can be creative with the colors you select.

Another way to dress these up is to plant a mini garden around the door, set up a bird bath, bird feeders, and so on to make the thing more pleasing to your eye.

If you simply can not tolerate the idea of a shed, there is another way. Invest in strong and sturdy storage shelves, peg board and cabinets to organize all of your tools inside the garage.

I have a client who also has a two and a half car garage, and here is the solution we implemented: park the two cars in the spaces farthest from the door leading into the house, so that the space in front of that door is clear.

Place the shelving and cabinets along the walls of this space (away from the cars), and store the lawn mower close to the garage door so you don't stumble over it when entering and exiting your house and cars.

You still have some room to move about, but the big equipment (cars and mower) aren't the focal points; the open space near your door is.