The garage often becomes laden with unused items, a storage room full of stuff. Considering the typical two car garage is approximately 400 square feet, this actually represents a substantial amount of real estate to overlook.
Whether it is a growing family, or a home renovation, the space “traditionally held for the car but holding stuff” can be repurposed into many different uses. If you are renovating or in need of extra space consider the following ideas.
- Family rec room
- Home theatre
- Personal gymnasium
- Home office
- Granny / nanny suite
- Artist studio
- Man cave
- Laundry room
- Garage band studio
When redesigning your garage, consider the following designer tips to maximize your investment:
- The exterior of the garage should be a design extension of the main house. Design continuity will create a seamless extension, avoiding the look of an “add-on.” Curb facing garages often represent 30% of house frontage. This is too large of an area to start on a new creative slant.
- The interior flooring will be essential to creating a feeling of being in the house, vs. in a garage that is re-purposed. The whole idea of re-purposing is to create a unique space, within the house. Flooring will lend itself to creating the feel of continuity.
- Insulation will also be essential. The repurposed garage should not feel like a repurposed room in a cold or drafty garage. It should feel like you are in a room of the house. Investing in proper insulation will ensure your design investment is a smart investment.
- When possible, the exterior garage door should remain intact, as part of the redesign. This will often require some creative planning and may require a new garage door to ensure proper insulation (noted above) and security. The idea behind keeping the garage door intact is to keep the resale value up. There can be a great selling feature in a repurposed garage, however there will also be traditionalist looking for somewhere to park their car. Keeping the garage door will provide the illusion of a garage and keep your selling prospects to a maximum.
While you research and plan, talk with designers regarding solutions specific to your needs and ideas. Also make sure to consult a garage door specialist. They will be able to consult on insulation, security, durability and space required.
