Even if your garage isn’t this big – or this empty – it still has plenty of potential. Could you turn it into a totally different space?
Does it seem like you aren’t using your garage to its full potential? Could you just as easily keep the car in the driveway and the mower in the garden shed?
Why not convert it into a space you and your family would really love?
If you’re thinking of tackling a garage renovation, we’ve got a few ideas on how to transform your space.
Before you go too far, consider the shape and location of your garage. Careful planning is a must, say builders and designers. Also, if you live in a part of the country that gets snow in the winter, have a good long think about the reality of an early morning spent shovelling your car out after a snowy night. Think about the practical details. Make sure insulation, heating, cooling, and lighting (track lighting, task lighting, or windows) are factored into your design ideas, and your budget. You’ll also have to figure out what to do with the garage door. You’ll also need to decide what to do with everything that’s stored in the current iteration of your garage, including the lawn mower, sports gear, laundry appliances, and who-knows-what-else. Some of things may be stored, or used, in your transformed space. Alternatively, you might need to build or rent storage space for some items. But let’s get creative… what sort of things could you do with your current garage?
USE IT TO REPLACE SOMETHING YOU CURRENTLY PAY FOR
Turn the garage into a home gym, and you can cancel that gym membership.
You can save money by transforming your garage into the type of place you’re currently spending extra money on — like the gym. Who needs a monthly gym membership when you can use that money to craft a workout space and tailor it to your preferences
Add a treadmill, buy a set of free weights, or clear the space out and add carpeting or hardwood for a yoga or Pilates studio. Choose a calming paint colour for the walls, put in adjustable lighting, and set up speakers to play your motivating tunes.
Alternatively, “replacing something you currently pay for” could be an argument for converting the garage into the ultimate man-cave. After all, the money you save having beersies at home might (after a few decades) justify the expense of that big-screen tv, extra fridge, pool table, dart board and vintage-style arcade game…right?
If you convert the garage into a man cave and you’ll never pay pub prices for beers. Good luck winning that argument, boys!
CONSIDER MAKING A PLAYROOM OR RUMPUS ROOM
Win the parenting award and give the garage over to your favourite little people. Chalkboard paint or wall-size bulletin boards are practical additions. Install a low counter and update the floor. Consider bright epoxy paint, rubber mats, flexible plastic tiles, or carpet squares.
And remember, those little people soon become bigger people. Although a group of eight-year-old boys playing a board game around the dining room table is a delightful afternoon; a group of 15-year-old boys playing a ferocious game of ‘Risk’ around that same dining room table is a whole other (louder, larger, hungrier) proposition. Think about it.
You love your kids, but sometimes a little bit of separation is a good thing. What if the garage was turned into a hang-out zone?
BUILD A HOME THEATRE
A tricked-out space for lounging and viewing appeals to the whole family.
Add plush sofas, surround sound, and facilities for drinks and snacks. Everything’s better in a home theatre, even the bajillionth season of MKR, Survivor or Shortland Street.
Turning the garage into a fabulous home theatre is an idea the whole can get behind.
CREATE THE ULTIMATE WINE CELLAR
Enthusiastic oenophiles with a DIY talent have been doing this since the mid-eighties, with increasing levels of sophistication. Back then, it was a bit unusual for the average guy to install a small ‘wine cupboard’ in a corner of the garage. These days, we’ve got cabinet makers, kitchen designers and speciality vendors galore offering everything from a bit of helpful advice to complete installation of a custom set-up.