Have you got a garage in your home that’s just sitting there doing nothing? Garages can often do that, even when you’ve got a car you sometimes keep in it.
A lot of people just keep the car outside, where it’s more accessible, and use the garage space for something else. Mostly storage, seeing as you can mount plenty of wall and ceiling brackets for fitting boxes in, but you can also convert the space into a guest bedroom or an office if you really want to.
And that’s the kind of home improvement project we’re going to focus on here. If your garage space isn’t quite working for you currently, we’re keen to help you redefine it. Let’s turn your garage into the room it needs to be; here are some tips to keep in mind for the renovation ahead.
Pexels Image – CC0 LicenceThink About Your Everyday Needs
As well as what’s missing from your home to accommodate them! To do this, ask yourself one question: what’s missing from your home right now that makes it less functional, and could really do with becoming a permanent fixture?
This could mean you need a proper home office space, if you’re someone who works from home at least part time, and you never get a moment’s peace where your desk is set up now. It could mean turning the garage into a place to do your hobbies, if the clutter of your projects, materials, and equipment is spilling out over every other room.
There’ll always be an extra room you could do with adding – put some proper thinking time into this to come up with the perfect idea for you.
Make Some Space
This is one of the most important prep jobs to manage before you get the tools out. You need to make some space in your garage to truly see the potential you’re working with, as well as the amount of clutter you’re either going to have to get rid of or find a new home for.
This will allow you to get a realistic look at the amount of items you might be keeping for no reason, as well as let you dig into the hidden gems that can be found in every home around the country. Go through everything in the space of a weekend and think about selling whatever’s in good condition and getting rid of the rest.
Repair (or remove) the Door
If you still want to use the garage as a garage, it’s best to get the door double checked on a bi-annual basis. This will make sure it’s hanging correctly and there are no issues with the mechanisms, which could have been knocked loose during recent renovation work.
Get in touch with a trusted garage door repair company while you’ve got the time for it. When a garage door comes rattling down and hits the front of the car, you could have more than just a home improvement project to pay out for!
If you don’t want to use the garage for automobile purposes, you could get rid of the door altogether. Garage doors can be hard to fit into a space that’s not designed for them, and having the door pulled out and the wall sealed up properly will give you more functional wall space.
This job is likely to add another layer of insulation to what was once the garage too, which we all know can be a more draughty place than anywhere else in the house!
Hide Storage
If it’s essential that at least a portion of your garage remains a storage zone, this is how you can ensure that it doesn’t impact on the aesthetic of the rest of the room. Hide the storage behind and within other furniture you’ve put in there.
You can do this by setting up closed off shelving units behind the desk you’re going to use for work. If you can easily pull out the desk and access the shelves behind, you’re still going to be able to get to these items when you need them.
You could also do this by setting up more than one drawer unit, if you’d like to use the space as a studio. Span them out against the full length of one of the walls, which will allow you to even double the amount of cabinets you have to make use of.
Cordon off one on the end and use this for general storage, whereas the rest are for keeping your paints, pastels, palettes, canvases, brushes, and paper etc., all in one place.
Install Some Windows
Most garages don’t come with windows already fitted. If the garage door has window slots in it, that’s where the majority of the natural light exposure will come from. There may be a small box window near the top of the exterior wall, but you won’t get any other sun exposure without opening the door itself.
If you’re going to redefine and repurpose this space, that will need fixing! You’ll need to find a spot to fit a proper window, that’s sizable enough to let the sun in, provide fresh air for the room, and can turn what was once a dreary brick box into something you actively want to spend time in.
Turning Your Garage into a Functional Space
Not all garages are made with vehicle storage in mind. They can be extra rooms, storage units, and variable spaces that allow you to do what you want with your life. Whether that’s setting up a workshop at home, creating your own artist’s studio, or running a successful side hustle from a home office, it’s key to curate the garage to suit your purposes.
Start with planning out what you’d really like to use it for, then the space you’ll need to clear, and think about the access points and adding natural light. Once all these items are out of the way, you can go on and decorate however you like!
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