Skip to main content

Boring Garage? Turn It Into a Showstopper

garage red car

A garage is no longer an afterthought. Image: Stonecreek Building Company

Garages used to be (there’s no other way to say this) boring enclosures for your car: functional and practical, but plain and bare. Some homeowners also used them as storage areas for all the junk they didn’t want cluttering the house. But times have changed. Now, garages are so stylish that you’ll be tempted to spend more time there than in the house.

garage entertainment

“These are a few of my favorite things…” Image: Architectural Photographer Ron Rosenzweig

With a pool table, a poker table, a TV and a fabulous view, the addition of an entertainment room ensures you’re never far from your favorite activities.

garage farmhouse

Barn doors and a tin roof add a touch of Americana. Image: 3North Architecture

The farmhouse look – updated. This classic farmhouse-style enclosure holds three cars, and the main space has barn doors that open on both sides.

garage tools

Who says garages can’t be sleek and stylish? Image: California Closets

This garage has custom-designed cabinets and drawers, along with specialty racks and a work area. The clear storage bins can hold screws, nails and other small items.

garage two-level

A toy chest for adults. Image: Murphy&Co Design

Want to keep all of your toys together? A direct lift system moves your car to the second “floor” to help maximize your space.

garage accent

This stain-resistant, clutter-resistant garage is irresistible.  Image: Closet Factory

With more storage than the average walk-in closet, these gray melamine cabinets are contrasted against a bright blue accent wall. Also, the polyaspartic flooring is stain-resistant.

garage laundry

A place for everything (including laundry) and everything in its place. Image: Kay Wade, Closet Factory

Laundry is usually a tedious chore, but not in this espresso and textured stainless steel garage.

smart garage

A smart home should start at the garage door. Image: Projects General Construction

According to John Villanueva, Vice President and General Manager of Residential Access Solutions at Chamberlain, a leader in garage door openers, another trend in garages is the rise of the smart garage. This new technology gives homeowners a hub-connected device and smartphone app that lets them open, close and monitor their garage door from anywhere in the world using their smartphones.

garage office

With these computers and chairs, your garage can double as your home office.  Image: Kay Wade, Closet Factory

So many choices: Should you work on your car, reminisce about the glory days with your favorite jerseys and other memorabilia, do some work at one of the two desks or just look out of the window?

garage outdoor

Cool garages don’t have to store cars. Image: The Home Index

Another trend is to convert your garage into additional living space. This one has a concrete conference table and uses a radiant heat mat to keep the space warm in the winter.

Which of these ideas will you be using to update your garage?

The post Boring Garage? Turn It Into a Showstopper appeared first on Freshome.com.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hackers Help: How to attach headboard to ESPEVÄR mattress base?

I’m trying to figure out if a headboard can be attached to an Espevar Mattress Base , and how to accomplish that. I’m looking at a standard metal headboard (because I just prefer the look of curved metal to what IKEA offers) and am not interested in a slat base with just a mattress on top, and a wall mounted headboard is not an option due to renting. Thanks for any help! ~ Amy *** Hi Amy I’ve not seen the ESPEVÄR in person but I believe it is possible to attach a headboard to it. From the website, the ESPEVÄR looks like a regular wooden slatted mattress base under a bed base slipover. As to how to attach it, that will depend on the fittings on the metal headboard. So you will just need to get the right hardware to secure the metal headboard to the wooden frame. And make some small openings on the slipcover to let the fixtures to go through. Jules Photo: IKEA.com Try these free-standing headboards for size A lime green and white headboard that takes centerstage in the r...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kitchen renovation reveal: Rhombus wall steals the show

It’s been a while since I did a home tour. If you’ve missed the previous reveals, you can catch up with my Master Bathroom remodel and Guest Bathroom reveal . Today, let’s focus on my kitchen renovation. Hands down, this is the most used room in my home. I spend crazy amounts of time in here, even when I’m not cooking. Just off to the side of the kitchen I converted an awkward space into a reading nook . In the mornings, I sit and read or pray and meditate, before it gets too warm. And on the other side, there’s a work-in-progress plant wall / indoor garden which also takes up a lot of my time. So, all in all, lots of traffic in here, and that’s not even counting cooking and eating time. The kitchen is definitely my favourite room, because the transformation is huge and I love how it turned out. Kitchen renovation: The before House 17 when I first got it, actually had 2 kitchens, which is a very common “Asian” home concept. First, the “dry kitchen”, which is where you make simp...
Post a Comment
Read more

IKEA sofa with genius armrest storage

Bet you never knew your sofa armrests were prime storage space. Ok, so the guys at IKEA are the masters of hidden / secret storage everywhere. In fact, one of the things I most loved about the  ESKILSTUNA sofa series was the undercover storage on the chaise lounge, but… what? More than 80 liters of storage space wasted on the armrests? NO WAY! I really don’t understand how they didn’t take that opportunity with several different armrest modules. Mobile chargers, cup / can holders, foldable tables, refrigerators… there’s SO MUCH space in there. I can’t stop thinking on different options! For myself, I went for two designs. First, a “full space” design on the (right) side of the chaise lounge. (The cavity fits two foldable chairs). Second, on the left armrest — a flip open section for “mobile charger / remote control storage / etc.”. Below that, a full-depth pull-out drawer, tall enough to store A4 sized magazines. This is the final result: Full space design, rig...
Post a Comment
Read more