Why don't you use your garage? Perhaps you don’t think your garage is convenient enough so you leave your car outside on the road. Maybe it’s a little too small for your needs so you just use it as a storage room for personal belongings instead of your vehicle. Or perhaps you simply don’t have a use for it because you have plenty of space elsewhere.
If you feel like you have a useless garage then don’t despair—there are plenty of ways to turn it into a usable space that you can be proud of. In this post, we’ll be covering some of the most inspirational ways to use your garage even if you don’t want to store your car in it. Take our your notebook because you’ll want to write down these ideas. After getting through all of them, we’ll be surprised if you haven’t already drawn up some plans for your own garage!
Before You Start
Before you get started with your garage conversion there are a couple of things that have to be mentioned. Firstly, all of the following ideas will greatly depend on how much space you have. If you don’t exactly have a huge garage then don’t expect to get much mileage out of it unless you use it for something simple like storage or a small home gym. Secondly, you’re going to want to speak with contractors and designers to help make your dream a reality.
It’s actually important to get out a notepad or at least create text document, in order to record your thoughts and ideas. Sometimes you’ll have a flash of inspiration where you think up an absolutely amazing idea, but then it’s lost the next day because you didn’t write it down. Saving inspiration is important, so try and collect it with whatever method is most convenient for you.
You also can’t forget the exterior of your garage. The Garage Plan Shop has plenty of unique and wonderful exterior garage designs to pick from and it’s the perfect place to look for inspiration. Both the inside and outside of your garage deserve some attention, so try to equal effort into both of them. However, seeing as this is a post about converting your garage, we’re only going to cover the interior part and not the outside.
Keep in mind you will also need planning permission if you plan to carry out a large-scale garage conversion. This isn’t usually something you need to worry about, but it’s worth checking with the local authorities if you have permission to even carry out work on your garage. If you turn the garage into another bedroom or a self-contained apartment, then you may need to notify the authorities to register it.
So without further ado, here are a couple of fantastic ideas to get you started with your garage conversion.
Games Room
If you can’t enough of your games, then why not turn your garage into a fully-featured games room? With so much extra space at your disposal just think of the possibilities on offer. You could add a huge television, little gimmicky appliances like an energy drinks fridge or unique lighting fixtures that give your games room a party vibe. With the additional space, you could even add arcade machines that are full-sized and ready to swallow your money for plays. Seeing as it’s in your garage, this also makes it easy to deliver large machines and pieces of furniture inside.
Kitchen Extension
Sick of cooking in a dinky kitchen then why not convert your garage into a kitchen extension? If your garage is next to your garden, then you could knock down the wall and convert it into a sliding glass door. That way you can cook inside and immediately serve it outside. This will allow you to host some of the most amazing barbeque parties or garden meetings, and you’ll be surprised at how much functionality an extra kitchen can offer.
Another Living Room
If you have lots of guests visiting throughout the year or just lots of kids that like to bring their friends home, then why not add a separate living room? Because it’s in the garage, it makes it easy for guests to come inside and sit down for a drink or relaxing afternoon. You could even keep it completely open or replace the sliding garage doors with glass panes to let more sunlight in. Simply throw in some basics like a sofa, television and wooden floors and you can easily (and cheaply) turn your garage into another living space.
Utility Room
Do you find that you’re running out of space inside your home for utility appliances like a dryer and washer, then why not move them into your garage? You don’t even need to renovate the inside of your garage much because the appliances are utilitarian. They aren’t going to be shown off to people and you’ll use it often, which means there’s no need to tidy up the garage too much. You can also stick a sewing machine in your utility room conversion or add bike storage for your family. As long as it’s useful, you can throw it in a utility room.
Home Office
Working from home is something that almost everyone wants to do, but few manage to get far. It helps to have your own personal office if you plan to start a business from home. Even if you don’t, it’s still helpful to have a quiet and private space for you to get some work done. Your garage should provide plenty of peace and quiet to let you focus on your job and it doesn’t take long to convert it into a home office. You should already have most of the equipment and furniture such as a desk, an office chair and your computer. All you really need to do is move the stuff into the garage and you’re all set.
Another Bedroom
A garage is really just another room in your home and if you manage to seal up all the drafts and add a few windows, then it can turn into a perfectly functional bedroom. You don’t need to use the entire garage if you don’t want to, but if you have that in mind then there’s nothing wrong with installing wood or carpet floors and lining the ceiling with something more sturdy and attractive. Adding another bedroom is fantastic if you’re planning on growing your family, or if you have guests that regularly come over to stay the night.
Home Gym
Most people would kill to have their own personal gym at home. It beats having to travel to the local gym and you can add whatever equipment you want without fear of it being used by someone else. Since you have so much space to play with, you could even add speciality equipment such as punching sandbags or even a fighting ring if you like boxing.
Cinema Room
Movie buffs would love to have their very own private home cinema setup. If you have a garage that isn’t seeing much use and a passion for TV and film, why not throw a projector in there alongside a screen and a comfy chair? There are plenty of fantastic ways to utilise all the extra space as well. For instance, you could add your own little bar so your friends and family can make their own drinks, or you could install a vintage popcorn machine so people can get their share of snacks during whatever you watch. A cinema room can also easily be converted into a games room, making it a dual-use place.
Children’s Playroom
If you’re planning on having kids, then you’ll understand the importance of creating a safe space for them to play until they’re older. A garage makes the perfect space because it’s large, open and can be completely cleared of any crawl-height obstacles that could injure them. You could even install smart cameras to help keep an eye on your child. Just make sure the floor is smooth and everything is safe.
Indoor Pool
This is an extravagant idea for people that want something a little more special. If you’re serious about converting your garage into something unique, then consider an indoor pool. An indoor pool will allow you to use it whenever you please, it’s also private because you won’t have people staring at you from their balconies and you can even open it up to your garden for easy access during hot summers.
Better Storage
And lastly, let’s not forget that you can always use your garage as a storage room. However, if you’re going to throw your belongings in there then it’s never a bad idea to clear it up a little, add some extra shelves or even hang a few things to make the most of the space. Since you hardly have to change anything, you could still use your garage as a place to store your vehicle in addition to everything else.
