DIY Garage Remodel

Garages usually end up as glorified landfills in our own home.

Let’s face it —

if you’re not parking your car there, chances are high that it’s become a depository for your junk.

Garages are one of the most misused spaces in a home. A DIY garage renovation can be life-changing because think about it: with a do it yourself garage makeover, you’re potentially unlocking hundreds of square feet of extra space. Even if you’re not, an extra room in your house is an extra room in your house!

That being said, they’re certainly not the easiest or most straightforward home DIY project you can do. There are a lot of moving parts to consider when you start thinking about a garage renovation:

  • Where you’re going to store your car
  • How you’re going to take care of any clutter or trash that’s been accumulating
  • If (and how) you’re going to address reflooring your garage
  • If (and how) you’re going to handle any additional electrical needs or plumbing
  • Insulating walls, if needed
  • Adding a new door, depending on how you’ll be using the space

Once you have all those details nailed down though, it’s smooth sailing and the sky is the limit. If renovating your garage sounds like something you’re interested in, here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Workshop / Studio Space

A workshop or studio space is one of the easier choices. Garages are great for workshops, especially if you’re working with chemicals or materials that create a lot of dust. All you need to do is open your garage door, and you can easily air out your space. One item you always want to consider when fitting out a workshop or studio space is though is lighting. Bad lighting isn’t only a safety hazard, but there’s nothing more frustrating than not having the right lights to do your work. Garages are usually dark or come with minimal lighting, so if you choose to go this route, make sure you research your electrical situation thoroughly.

2. Home Office

If you’re in the market for a cool, mod home office, your garage can be a great bet. Decoist has some awesome design inspiration, too. Home office renovations share some of the same concerns as workshops: you’re going to want to make sure your electric is right. You’ll want things like good lighting, as well as places to plug in your laptop, desktop, or other work materials. While concrete floors are definitely in vogue right now, if you live in a cold climate, you may also want to consider installing carpet as well. If cold weather isn’t a concern, placing a nice rug over well-cleaned concrete is definitely a cool look right now.

3. Man/Lady Cave

Alone time is essential to one’s well being, so why not turn your garage into your own private sanctuary? Whether you call it a man cave, lady cave, or something completely different, consider making your garage a sacred space where you can really get into some of your interests. When you’re designing your home hang out spot, some things you’ll want to consider are comfortable furniture, new flooring, insulation, electric, and painting. When designing your man cave, really feel empowered to make it your own. Don’t feel like it needs to “match” the rest of your house. Always wanted a green room but never felt like it really fit in with the rest of your decor? Make your man cave green! You should use this area as your ultimate dream space.

4. Home Gym

Gym memberships can be expensive. Home gyms aren’t always cheap to create, but they will save you money… and remove the excuse that you couldn’t make it to the gym. After all, it’s right there! If you’re creating a home gym, flooring should be one of your number one concerns. While lots of gyms have concrete floors, depending on the kind of exercise you do, you’ll want to make sure you have the right padding. For weight lifting, rubber padding is usually best. That way, if you drop weight or fall, you’ll be saving yourself (and your garage) a lot of hassle. Here are a few different types of gym floors. The other things you’ll want to consider are things air conditioning and electric. If you have any exercise machines that need to be plugged in, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t only have outlets, but outlets that are of the right wattage.

5. An Organized Storage Room 

This is one of our favorite ideas on the list: just making good use of the space. You can use your garage as an extra closet, organization for old knick-knacks, a place to store your tools… basically whatever you need to be stored. Renovation in this way may look like adding built-in shelves or drawers, but it also can come to life with some smart organization hacks. For some ideas, check out these garage organization and shelving ideas to help you maximize your storage space.