Going Garage Crazy! Ideas for Converting your Garage

The garage used to be the place where you parked your cars and a whole host of junk that was too dirty, stinky, or oddball to store in the house: Sports equipment, tools, bikes, lawnmowers, and that disturbingly weird statue Aunt Melva gave you on your wedding day. Many homeowners are now deciding to reclaim that “wasted” space, and turn it into valuable entertaining, crafting, play and living space. The modern garage is now an extension of your home, adding value and fun. Get inspired with these cool ideas for converting your garage.

Interested? We were! So we looked around Columbus to see how our neighbors are using their garages to enhance their home and their lifestyles. Many uses fell into three categories: Hobby rooms, gender or generational getaway rooms, or extra bedrooms. Here’s a few of the most popular uses!

Ideas for Converting Your Garage:

Hobby Rooms

Brew pub. The most passionate home brewers covet that garage space. Add an extra stove for toasting barley and boiling wort, an extra fridge for brewing or storing kegs, build in a wet bar area for serving the newest creation, and you’ve got a home-brew pub! Do note that you cannot SELL your home brew, but your friends will love to sample those handcrafted IPAs, stouts, and meads for free!

Maker’s workshop. Garages have traditionally doubled as home-mechanic bays. These days, they’ve been upgraded to fabrication shops or even art studios. Whether you’re building fine furniture from rare woods, turning bowls and goblets on a lathe, sculpting in marble, or using a 3D printer to create architectural drawings, garages are the perfect place to spread out your tools and put together your latest masterpiece.

Crafter’s haven. Whether your craft is destined to be sold in local shops, or just mailed as a more personal greeting card, many garages are being turned into craft space. One local crafter dyes her own fibers before she knits, crochets, or weaves them into gorgeous wearables. She raved about how useful it is to have an “optional wall” in her craft space. Where many neighbors are forgoing the traditional garage door for studs and drywall, she opens her traditional garage door to increase airflow during steamy, smelly dye sessions. A local Clintonville family uses their garage for making soap, which is now sold in stores all over Ohio. Many home-sales businesses for scrapbooking tools, cooking utensils, and other crafty items are using former garage space as craft demonstration spaces, too.

Poker palace. Have a beautiful felt poker table? Want an adults-only space for your passion for cards? Poker night is so sweet in your very own poker palace! From felt tables to casino decor, you can create the perfect ambiance for that Friday night game. Add a handsome bar and a wine ‘fridge and you’ve got Game Night Nirvana!

Gender or Generational Getaways

Man Cave. No matter what pro teams you root for, we all love the Buckeyes, it’s a Central Ohio addiction! Many OSU fans (and other sports fans) are turning their garages into game day heaven. With a cable connection, a huge flat-screen, comfy seating, and a place to serve munchies, what more could you want? Scarlet and gray decor, of course! Go Bucks!

She Shed. A new response to the man cave, women have begun creating their own retreats. Now there ARE some Lady Buckeyes out there, too, with scarlet and gray galore, but we also saw craft studios, creative writing spaces, yoga studios, and other feminine havens.

Kid Corral. Imagine, all the kids’ stuff, from game consoles, legos, fashion dolls, and art supplies, to sports equipment, bikes, and sidewalk chalk all corralled into ONE ROOM. Parents are loving the idea of giving the garage over to the children and their stuff…and getting the rest of their homes back!

Spare Room

Guest bedroom. Everyone we talked to was looking for more space. Many wanted more bedrooms than their home currently offered. Especially with children, that old guest room may have turned into the baby’s room. Walling off the traditional garage door and creating a functional, insulated guest bedroom was a very popular choice.

Growing pains room. Whether it was that unexpected bundle of joy, or the twins discovered on the ultrasound, or simply wanting to grow a family in the dream house they already had, changes prompted parents to add another bedroom. Even families who had previously doubled up in the kids’ rooms discovered that teens long for their own space, separate from siblings.

In-law suite. Home additions are expensive. Why not re-fit existing space? The “sandwich generation” are those who still have kids at home, while caring for aging parents. They are finding that adding a full bath to a large garage and creating a separate-but-attached living space for Grandma or Grandpa (or both) is the perfect multi-generational solution.

Whether you’re looking for a larger home with more rooms, or you want to find a home that can grow with your changing needs, The Columbus Team knows Columbus. If you are planning on selling in the future and want to convert your garage, know what will help or hinder your future sale. Contact us today to ask about the best methods to convert your garage or to help you determine whether it’s time to move up to a larger home!

Homes for Sale with 4+ Car Garages

Here are some homes for sale with room for 4 or more cars in their garages.  Imagine what you could do with these!

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