The Other Half of My Shop

Written on 10/08/2026

Marc Spagnuolo

See how I turned a cluttered firehouse storage bay into a functional maker space for our laser, 3D printer, tools, and lumber.

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The Problem

My shop is inside an old firehouse built in the ’70s. Most of the woodworking you see takes place in the main 1,066-square-foot bay, but there’s also a smaller bay that was added sometime in the ’90s. We always planned to use that space for the CNC, laser, and 3D printer. Instead, it slowly became the place where boxes, merchandise, lumber, and anything else without a home ended up. Maker Space Script

It was time for a proper maker space renovation.

The Plan

Function came first, but I also wanted this part of the shop to feel like a place where you actually want to spend time. The goal was to improve the layout, add storage and work surfaces, and give the room a little more style while I was at it. Maker Space Script

One of the first problems was electrical. The original brick wall only had two outlets, and neither was in great shape. Since conduit was already running across the wall, I expanded the setup with more outlets and added a row of sconces above the work area. And because apparently I can’t leave well enough alone, I also sanded, primed, and painted the conduit black so it would tie into the rest of the room.

Next came some old red Craftsman cabinets. They worked fine, but the bright red didn’t fit where the room was headed. I scuffed the surfaces, added primer, and painted them black. That let me reuse storage we already owned instead of buying an entirely new cabinet system.

The lumber also needed a new home. It had been stored at the back of the bay, which makes no sense when the garage door is at the other end of the room. I try to keep materials as close as possible to the door they come through, so the lumber and plywood moved forward into a much easier-to-access spot.

For the laser and 3D printer area, I added two FlexiSpot E7 Plus standing desks. The adjustable height gives us a much better workstation for the laser, including room for an external monitor, while the second desk gives the 3D printer a proper work surface instead of whatever random piece of furniture happens to be available.

A Quick Build

We also had several red Husky totes full of filament that needed somewhere to live, so I built a simple storage rack. The construction is about as basic as it gets: four legs, cross pieces, runners for the totes, and a back panel to keep the whole thing rigid. This wasn’t meant to be fine furniture. It just needed to fit the bins, hold up to shop use, and match the rest of the space.

Free Plan

Build the Tote Tower

Get the free PDF plan for the tote storage tower from this video. It holds four Husky 12 gallon totes and is built from 2x4s.

Cut list and materials list
Step by step assembly drawings
Imperial and metric versions

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Finishing Touches

The last stage of the maker space renovation was mostly about making the work area useful. I added a shelf, black Wall Control pegboard, and an LED strip under the shelf. The pegboard keeps frequently used tools within reach, while the lighting and black hardware help tie the whole wall together.

There’s still plenty that can change as we use the room, but that’s really the point. A good shop doesn’t need to be finished forever. It needs to make the work easier.

This maker space renovation took a room that had become overflow storage and turned it into a real working part of the shop. The laser and 3D printer now have dedicated workstations, the lumber is easier to reach, the storage makes sense, and the room finally feels like it has a purpose.