Tips for Transforming Your Garage Into a Living Space
Garages first debuted in the 1900s as small detached sheds. Now, they are a prominent feature of modular All-American homes and function as an attached extension of a house’s architecture.
Although typically used for car storage and as an indoor workshop, many get the most out of their garage by using it as a bonus room. Who doesn’t love some extra personal space? Here are some tips for transforming your garage into a living area and ways to maximize it as a lounge.
Create a Comfortable Indoor Atmosphere
Comfort and contentment go hand in hand. It’s hard to find enjoyment when you are uneasy or uncomfortable. No matter how you occupy your space, whether watching TV, reading a book, or catching up with old friends, you need comfort to optimize the experience. Creating a comfortable indoor atmosphere in your garage allows you to fully enjoy your new bonus room. Plus, the more appealing the space, the more likely you are to use it.
Install Heating and Cooling
Different temperature extremes affect a person’s body. Too much heat causes dehydration and breathing difficulties. Meanwhile, freezing atmospheres dry out your skin, cause flaring irritations, and make you consume internal energy faster. Finding a happy medium between high and low temperature ranges produces ideal indoor climates. Installing some form of indoor temperature control, such as a ductless mini split AC system, allows you to generate temperate and comfortable surroundings.
Bring In More Natural Lighting
Lighting brightens a space, making it feel cozier, airier, and spacious. There are numerous ways to lighten up a room, from installing large windows to fastening in more lamps. Bringing in more light, especially sunlight, improves the space’s comfort and makes it more appealing. One of the benefits of transforming your garage space is that the garage doors give you quick and easy access to the outdoors. Opening the doors and allowing natural light into the space every now and then keeps it feeling cozy and bright.
Switch Up the Interior Design
Interior design concepts formulate numerous types of ambiance. You can use different architectural features to bring to life a certain atmosphere, mood, and look. Switching up your garage’s flooring and walls allows you to vamp up the room with an appealing aesthetic that radiates comfort. Popular design implementations for garages include raised wooden flooring, neutral wall paint, paneling, and built-in design elements like storage and entertainment setups.
Separate the Space Into Different Zones
Although many people like to create open concept spaces in their homes, zoning a room layout sometimes offers more benefits. Separating your garage into different areas allows you to use the space in multiple ways. You can form a specific living area, storage zone, and car port, optimizing the entirety of your space to fulfill multiple functions. Plus, some separation creates an organized layout and keeps the space looking orderly and ambient.
Add Entertainment Options
Living spaces establish a wonderful spot for gathering, producing a communal area that friends and family will love. As with any social event, offering entertainment makes your time within that space together more enjoyable.
Mini Bar Setup
A popular special installment people include in their garage makeover is a mini bar or kitchen setup. Food and drinks are quintessential to a successful hangout. They satiate one’s needs and provide comfort as well as something to do. Stocking up on snacks, beverages, and other tasty treats at an allocated bar space prepares you for parties, hangouts, and sports viewings in the garage.
TV and Sound System
TVs, gaming devices, and surround sound systems provide abundant entertainment. After all, that’s what they are for! Setting up your garage space with electronics transforms the area into a more interactive and enjoyable lounge compared to a standard spare room with a couch.
Miscellaneous Entertainment
Other forms of entertainment to implement in your new living space include:
- Board games
- Reading materials
- Arts and crafts supplies
- Patio games (e.g., giant Jenga, ping pong tables)
Supply the Room With Functioning Features
An optimized room comes with enhanced functionality. Supplying your garage with practical and functional design features allows you to maximize the space’s usefulness. As an additional component to a house, garages tend to lack certain aspects that regular rooms include, like insulation, multiple electrical outlets, and plumbing. Adding those features into the garage enhances your new living room’s functionality and opens up the possibilities for this space.
Electrical Outlets
Installing multiple electrical outlets into the space affects how you use your bonus living space. It allows you to add extra lighting, connect electronic entertainment, or create a mini office setup, among many other uses. Plus, added outlets come in handy when spending hours in a room, allowing you to plug in and charge your devices.
Wall and Door Insulation
Insulation offers numerous benefits, from improved energy efficiency to more tolerable indoor atmospheres. It seals heat in and out of your home, ensuring your indoor temperatures balance to maintain a comfortable climate.
Keep in mind that most garages don’t initially come with insulation. However, if you plan to use the new living space for hours at a time, adding insulation keeps the space comfy and temperate.
Water Access and Plumbing
Most living rooms don’t need water access. However, plumbing comes in handy if you want to install a mini bar, kitchen, or bathroom setup in your garage. Like any additional feature in your space, plumbing properties allow you to explore other ways to transform and enhance your garage.
Furnishing and Decorative Touches
Furniture and decorations add the final touches to any space makeover. They give a room further purpose, functionality, and aesthetic appeal. Adding staple living room pieces like a couch, coffee table, TV setup, or additional seating transforms the space from a carport garage to a proper living area.
Pro Tip
Use multifunctional furnishings like a pull-out couch or raisable coffee table to get the most use out of your new home addition.
There are many more tips and tricks to transforming your garage into a living space, from including additional amenities to making exterior renovations. No matter how you revamp the area, the key points to keep in mind are the space’s purpose, comfort, and functionality.
At Pioneer Mini Split, we help you upgrade your indoor spaces with our various heating and cooling systems. Our devices enhance a room with improved comfort, functionality, and atmospheres that make a space more liveable in multiple ways. Create a bonus room in your home and transform your garage into a space to relax and unwind with help from one of our mini splits.
