The garage isn’t usually the room in your house where you spend most of your time. At best, you rush through in the mornings and evenings, bobbing and weaving to avoid cobwebs; at worst, you waste an entire Saturday wading through piles of junk in a vain attempt to find some lost yard tool. There are definitely prettier places in your home to relax and enjoy the day.
However, that doesn’t mean your garage should be a dingy waste of space. In fact, it doesn’t take much effort to transform a garage into a gorgeous extra room. Here are a handful of tricks for a gorgeous garage that will help you make it a clean, organized, and attractive space ― and maybe afterwards you will find yourself lingering a little longer on your way to and from your car.
1. Pretty Paint
Whether or not you go through the effort of finishing the walls ― installing insulation, hanging drywall, smoothing joints ― a fresh coat of paint goes a long way. If you opt for a bright color, you can add some life to the space, but if nothing else, new paint will protect your walls from damp and rot.
2. Wonderful Windows
Adding some natural light will definitely make your dark, dingy garage a more inviting space. Framing in a window or skylight can take some effort, so if you want light without much hassle you can opt for solar tubes (also called sun pipes and light tunnels). Several companies make a variety of solar tube options.
3. Delightful Doors
You don’t have to settle for the same folding white door you see outside everyone’s garage; you have options when it comes to garage doors. You might consider a French-style carriage door, or an all-glass garage door to solve your natural light problem. Whatever you decide, Tri State Garage Services offers garage door replacements to suit your needs.
4. Smart Screens
If you have a dream of using your garage for activities ― maybe you’ll finally start woodworking or fix up an old motorcycle, or maybe you need a dedicated game room ― you might consider purchasing a screen for your garage door. Then, the pesky bugs will stay out while you enjoy the fresh air and sunlight during your activity time. Screens are available around the country.
5. Clean Concrete
The very least you can do to improve the look of your garage is to clean up its existing concrete. A mixture of three parts baking soda and two parts bleach forms a paste that dissolves any and all stains. After that, you could paint or stain your concrete for a nicer look.
6. Finished Floors
Alternatively, you could go a step farther and finish your floors with whatever flooring you choose. As long as you don’t plan to drive a vehicle over it, carpet, tile, and hardwood are all viable (and beautiful) options. Plus, finished floors are better at repelling mildew than bare concrete, which means you have less to worry about with a pretty garage.
7. Lovely Lockers
Storage can be a serious problem for most garages, and one stylish solution is to purchase lockers to hold all your stuff. You can assign one locker to each member of the family and stash essential gear like winter coats and boots inside so they don’t end up in a heap on your floor. You can find used school lockers at vintage furniture shops and eBay or you can add character to new ones.
8. Sharp Shelving
The garage can become a jungle of cardboard boxes in no time, making it impossible to park your car inside let alone enjoy the room. With shelves, you can move your junk upwards and organize it by category (e.g. Christmas decor, baby stuff, etc.) so it won’t take so long to find what you need.
9. Practical Pegboard
Similarly, pegboard allows you to keep your tools neat, tidy, and instantly accessible. Plus, pegboard is definitely paintable, which means you can customize it to suit your space and use extra pieces inside for more storage help.
10. Workable Workspaces
Your garage serves dozens of purposes: shelter for your car, area for your activities, and space for storage, at least. However, it can’t do all of them at once unless you create workspaces that permit multitasking. IKEA furniture makes for cheap and practical countertops that double as storage units; alternatively, you can create a fold-up counter that disappears when you aren’t using it.