Perhaps you’ve decided to do your bit for the environment and have ditched your car in favour of your feet? Maybe you’ve repeatedly failed your driving test, and decided cars just aren’t for? Or, have you switched to an EV and are now charging yours in a new, public location?
There are many rhetorical reasons why you might have a garage space that’s unused, unloved and gathering dust. Instead of wasting this valuable space, why not declutter your garage and put it to good use? Once you remove the household junk, you can use your garage in many different ways, potentially adding value but certainly bringing comfort to your life. Here are 5 great ways to make the most out of your unused garage space.
HOME WINE BAR
We’re not talking about your average domestic bar found at the end of a middle-aged man’s garden, decorated in the colours of their favourite football team. We’re talking about a stylish and sophisticated space that channels London’s swanky wine bars. Think P. Franco, Flor, Quality Wines, Sager & Wilde, Bright and Noble Rot. These are the places our Monzo spending summaries reveal a shameful devotion to. Bring the same vibe to your unused garage space for you and your friends to enjoy.
There are certain characteristics and aesthetics of a great wine bar that are easy to pinpoint – those exposed brick walls, the subtle, flickering lighting, the empty bottles seemingly holding up a ceiling. Other elements are a little harder to define. Let us direct you to our article on how to create the IDEAL wine bar experience at home for more inspiration.
RECREATIONAL SPACE
At the end of a hard day, having your own space to retreat to can be heaven. Revamping the garage into a recreational space can help melt away the stresses of everyday life and get your creative juices flowing.
Whether it’s a games room, a home cinema or a place to practice meditation, the first thing you need to do is make the garage more comfortable. Depending on the type of garage you have, you may need to install drywall, set up electrical outlets and raise the floor. Replacing your existing door with an insulated garage door is key to maintaining the optimum temperature in your garage.
HOME GYM
It can be difficult when you feel like working out but the gym just isn’t accessible. In this instance, a home gym is a very welcome domestic addition indeed. The best home gyms allow you to tone your muscles, strengthen your body and increase your overall fitness.
Home gym equipment needn’t be expensive either. When it comes to the basics, all you really need is an exercise mat, resistance bands and a skipping rope. However, you can step it up a notch by adding a suspension trainer for a resistance workout, a set of kettlebells to build strength and an elliptical for cardio. Just make sure you put down an exercise mat to protect your floor (and your body) from damage.
Read: 10 IDEAL tips for turning your garage into a home gym
HOME OFFICE
If you work from home regularly, transforming your garage into a home office can help you strike a good balance between your home life and work. Rather than doubling one of your living spaces as an office, stepping into the garage will help create a clearer divide and encourage you to be more productive. Not to mention, at the end of the working day, it will feel much easier to properly down tools and switch off if you have to walk away and leave your work in the garage.
Garages typically don’t let a lot of natural light shine through, but installing a garage door with a window can help create a better work environment. Adding leafy green plants and creating layers of light with multiple lighting fixtures can also help to make it more comfortable.
INDOOR GARDEN
If you are lacking a garden but have an unused garage to play with, why not convert it into an indoor garden? From installing artificial light sources to going all out and adding windows to your garage, there are a few ways you can go about creating an indoor garden.
Besides light, you can create a greenhouse effect by hanging up some plastic sheeting and creating the right temperature using an external heat source.
Now, let’s get our hands dirty and put them to work on those ideas, but first, a little more theory; check out this beginner’s guide to converting your garage into a living space.