6 Creative Garage Makeovers to Inspire Your Own

By Vanessa Brunner, Houzz

Most of us could use a little extra space — for an office, for entertaining or just for relaxing — but few of us have the budget or room to add on to our existing homes. But there may be a blank slate nearby, just waiting to be reinvented: the garage.

These six Houzzer garage conversions have gone above and beyond the average remodel. No longer in need of a parking spot, or tired of looking at the mess that had piled up, these homeowners took advantage of their empty or dilapidated garages. The resulting dream rooms gave these families the extra space they were looking for.

Houzzer: Suzanne Dingley, Suzanne Dingley Interiors 
Location: Salt Lake City
Garage size: 180 square feet, detached
DIY or professional project?Both

A new work-from-home job meant that Suzanne Dingley’s husband needed a new office. Instead of cramming one into their house, the couple turned to their detached garage, which had become a dark and dirty dumping ground for junk. They gutted the space, exposed the rafters and pitched roof, and installed new flooring and built-in storage.

The red and white color palette evolved from this Ikea photo of a London bus — a tribute to the couple’s British roots.

The pair replaced the existing garage doors with two sets of French doors and two new windows to let in natural light. The newly insulated ceiling and floors control the internal temperature, but a window cooler and space heater help out, too. “My husband is very happy with his space, especially with his short commute across the yard,” says Dingley.

Houzzer: Rick Giudicessi
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Garage size: 240 square feet, attached
DIY or professional project? Professional

This 1930s garage wasn’t just worn out and beat up; its odd layout and tiny garage door made it impossible for Rick Giudicessi to park his car inside. Instead of using it for storage, he turned it into a tiki bar with an attached patio where his family can entertain year-round. “When the weather ends the use of the patio and tiki bar area, we move inside to the heated area,” he says.

Taking the garage down to the studs and designing an open ceiling turned the bland space into what the family now calls The Annex. Although Giudicessi designed much of the new space himself, all of the structural work required professional help.

New cabinetry, a bar top, a satellite TV and bar stool seating make The Annex the perfect sports bar, ideal for entertaining in rain or shine.

Houzzers: Michael and Kathy Brown
Location: Cincinnati
Garage size: 600 square feet, attached
DIY or professional project? Professional

Although Michael Brown used his attached garage, it became a quick solution for some extra space when his in-laws moved in. The home’s original kitchen was too small to host two extra people, so Brown had the garage transformed into a professional-grade kitchen, with a new garage attached to its side. The dramatic remodel required help from architects and contractors, but the result was well worth it. “We’ve never regretted doing this, not even for a second,” he says.

Houzzers: Megan and Rich Hirsch
Location: Bexley, Ohio
Garage size: 525 square feet, detached
DIY or professional project? Both

Megan Hirsch loves having outdoor parties, but her yard and main dining room were too small to contain the large groups she wanted to host. The garage, which opens into the home’s backyard, had plenty of room to spare. Reserving part of the street-facing portion of the garage for parking still left space for indoor-outdoor entertaining. A 14-foot viewing screen rolls down inside the rear of the garage so the family can host outdoor movie nights and Ohio State University football parties.

The new black standing-seam-metal roof contrasts with the fresh white siding, setting the garage apart from the brick main house. Since the garage is visible from the street, the Hirsches wanted something that would make an impact.

Fans, a disco ball, vintage fixtures and a large dinner table set the ambience for dinner parties inside. The Hirschesinstalled the hanging lantern on a pulley so they can raise and lower it over the dinner table, lighting nighttime feasts.

Houzzer: Nancy Rice
Location: West Wareham, Massachusetts
Garage size: 300 square feet, attached
DIY or professional project? Professional

Nancy Rice didn’t need a place to park her car, so she took advantage of the opportunity to turn her garage into her dream room: a private library.

With the help of a contractor, she designed a classic Victorian-style library, complete with floor-to-ceiling shelves and a bank of windows with a window seat for reading. “I’m a retired schoolteacher and a lifelong bookworm,” she says. “I’ve always dreamed of having my own library. I guess it was from watching classic movies and reading British literature.”

Houzzers: Michelle and Rich Walton
Location: Long Beach, California
Garage size: 400 square feet, detached
DIY or professional project? Professional

Three active kids, a pool and consistently warm California weather demanded an outdoor hangout space for this Long Beach family. Instead of building something new, Michelle Walton and her family worked with Royce Flom Construction to turn their garage into a combined pool house and storage space for their outdoor gear.

“I’m from Ohio and grew up with basements. My husband is from California and says, ‘The garage is the California basement. No one parks in their garage in California,'” Walton says.

New French doors create a pass-through from the pool to the house on the other side of the garage. Walton painted the floor with nonskid paint, so the kids wouldn’t slip and slide while coming in from the pool.

The white, casual, beachy vibe was a given for the family. “We love the beach, and we have a lot of surfboards,” Walton says.

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