Home renovations outside the box: garage designs done easy!

The concept of home renovation and design is forever changing; out with the old and in with the new as they say. In fact, the idea of change has expanded far beyond the comfort of your own home and into the diverse and endless possibilities of change in your garage. Garages are now being transformed into newly adapted rooms to better suit ones needs. Whether the idea of a recreational sports bar, home-based hair salon, or indoor garden intrigues you, with the aid of garage décor and furnishings, you can have the garage design of your dreams.

Before diving head first into your garage plans, it is crucial to develop a well sought and reasonable plan

"Try to only include what you feel are the must-haves for your new dream scheme," says Marilyn Borges, owner of Vintagenuts INC. "Before beginning a home renovation, there are a few things you should take into consideration."

According to Borges, it is helpful to ask yourself the following questions:

• What improvements do I want to achieve in this home renovation?
• Am I being realistic with my garage plans?
• What are the limitations and conditions that need to be factored in before beginning this garage design?
• How can I maximize my space?
• Will I require contractors for this home renovation or can I do it myself?

 "A garage can almost be an oasis and one should think outside the mundane box when considering their dream garage," says Dvira Ovadia, Chief Designer and winner of Debbie Travis' television series "From the Ground Up Season II". The concept for her garage designs was to demonstrate the flexibility of a typical garage, which is not only to house cars but that they can double as a personal workspace to suit ones hobbies." 

Dvira's focus on these garage plans stemmed from the idea of function and organization. "[A house] always requires ample storage for work tools, sports equipment, and gardening accessories."

The first garage plan was a "Man's Dream Hideaway" -a well organized workshop used for fixing up cars. Dvira incorporated masculinity throughout the garage by using a variety of bright and dramatic gray tones.

The second theme applied to a "Gardener?s Dream" - a space used to prepare garden work and store all necessary tools. This garage design was based around nostalgic earthy tones, such as crèmes and varieties of green.

Both of Dvira's garage designs included a slat wall system, shelving, hooks, storage and cabinets-all which help achieve a simple, yet completely functional space.

Garages are conformed in such a small space, therefore, storage systems become essential. To optimize a larger atmosphere you can:

• Clear away your clutter:
  
  "Decluttering is by far the number one solution. Even small spaces can be very appealing when using clever storage solutions that are practical and aesthetically pleasing for daily use." -Dvira Ovadia
• Remove unneeded furnishings:
  "Rearranging the furniture into tighter groupings separate the groupings from the floor, tricking the eye into thinking the area is much larger." -Marilyn Borges
• Keep the colour flow of smaller areas primarily monochromatic:
  

  "light tones on the painted surfaces, walls, frame work and window coverings. Be careful to choose a warm white, blue toned whites can be very cold and uninviting." -Marilyn Borges

Helen Sybray of Leamington, Ontario renovated her garage in the fall. Her two-car detached garage, once cluttered with old tools and furniture, has now been transformed into a stained glass studio. She chose to cover the floor in green marbled tile while inserting knotted pine wood on the walls. Helen also added several light fixtures: spotlights, dimmers and pot lights. "[Pot lights] give you that million dollar look." Dvira explains.

Being a detached garage, a separate source of heat was needed.

"I found that instead of creating a new gas line, a cheaper alternative was to install a gas fire place. It added the perfect finish to the contemporary, yet traditional style I had hoped to achieve."

Helen's choice of family pictures and antique decorations on the walls agrees with Marilyn's perspective on assembling the perfect garage design.

"Vintage pictures, old commercial clocks and even vintage sports items look great in groupings and bring a real personal touch to the space, something garages are often lacking."

Jade Towle is a third year student at York University, majoring in Journalism and English. As a writer, she strives to offer readers investigative and informative articles on a wide variety of topics.