The Home Improvement Blog by Slide-Lok Garage Interiors

Top 10 Ideas For Your Garage Makeover

Moving into spring means warmer weather, perhaps it's time to update your garage. Here are our Top 10 Garage Makeover Ideas.

2/26/2020

From Chariots To Automobiles—First Garages Date Back To 3,000 BC

Surprisingly, garages have been around for thousands of years. They have evolved from housing chariots in 3,000 BC to providing shelter to the first automobiles. The word “garage” comes from the French word “garer,” which means “to shelter.” Today, more than 82 million homes in the USA have a garage. Whether it is an attached garage with an overhead door or a detached one; one thing is certain, American’s love their automobiles and garages.

Modern garages often represent large underutilized spaces in our homes that become dusty overcrowded storage spaces. As the seasons change and warm weather returns it may be the perfect time to start thinking about transforming a space like your garage to an area you can make more use of. Depending on your hobbies and interests, there are many ways to personalize a garage that fits your lifestyle.

1. Turn Your Garage Into A Workshop

You can do just about anything inside your home but when it comes to welding, woodwork, and working on cars, a garage is just about the best place for you. These can be messy jobs that are better done in a garage rather than inside your house or outside in the beating sun or inclimate weather. If you decide to turn your garage into a workshop, having a good foundation is ideal and I am not talking about the existing concrete, but a good solid floor coating on top of your concrete. Start your garage workshop makeover with a new floor coating that will will provide protection from oil, water and other materials that could soak into the concrete. Floor coatings can be decorative as much as they are protective, you can have a beautiful shop too! After a new floor coating that will last for years, installing cabinets, slatwall, and a workbench will give you a place to organize your tools and provide plenty of working space.

Garage Workshop Photos

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2. Add A Mudroom To Your Garage

A mudroom, also known as an entryway where you can sit, take off your shoes and coat, can become an additional space in the garage just for you and your family. This is a relatively cost-effective way to vamp up your garage while also transforming it to be more functional. Bringing in a bench, a coat rack and some organizational slatwall baskets or shelves is all that is needed to create a mudroom suitable for easy storage and functionality. Imagine coming home and having an area in your garage where you can store your coat, gloves, umbrellas, dog leash, etc. Not only will a mudroom bring more use to your garage, but it will also help make your space feel more comfortable and organized.

Garage Mudroom Photos

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3. Turn Your Garage Into A Man Cave

Turning your garage into a man cave could be a fun and unique transformation to your home. Having access to the main home and also the ability to open up the garage door to watch the sun go down and to get some fresh air are some good reasons to turn your garage into a man cave. Even better reasons might include making your garage man cave a place for the men or women to escape the house, wrench on the car, play games, watch sports, kick back and relax in a space that isn't the same as the rest of your home. If this is something you’re looking into, a simple and cost effective transition could include finishing and painting the walls, adding pictures, sports memorabilia, and some furniture. To totally transform the space, you might consider adding a metallic floor coating to make your space truly "POP", install a flatscreen tv on the wall, furnish the space with seating, a mini bar and a fridge. If you've got a larger garage, like a 3 or 4+ car garage consider adding a billiards or ping pong table. Super Bowl parties, game nights, birthday parties and New Year’s will always be fun in the newly improved space.

Garage Man Cave Photos

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4. Personalize Your Own Arts & Crafts Area

If your garage has no use right now, it could become a functional space for imagination and innovation. Allow for your imagination to run wild in this new space, release your inner creative after a stressful day at work or in your spare time on the weekend. According to a study by the World Health Organization, engaging in the arts has positive health benefits by supporting brain development in children, creates health promoting behaviors including reducing stress, helps people with mental illnesses, and prevents ill health. A desk, a comfortable chair, a lamp, some cabinets for storage and maybe a few easels here and there is a great way to personalize your space depending on what arts and crafts you like to do.

5. Add An In-Home Gym To Your Garage

We are only two months into the new year and you may have thought out your resolution and I bet one of the things on the top of your list is working out more and eating healthier. 45 million people go on a diet each year, but working out is still important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Waiting until the holidays are over or waiting for the weekend to come is no longer an excuse to work out. If these are your excuses, maybe that means making your own at-home gym could be a positive transition of the space you have. A garage is the perfect area for this because the floors are hard which is good for stabilizing equipment and you have the option to add rubber tiles for core workouts or yoga. This could be a space where you could exercise privately or open up your garage door for some fresh air as you workout.

6. Add Storage Space & Organize Your Garage

Garages are a great place to store things, but sometimes things get out of hand and the space becomes cluttered and not functional. Going into the garage may be a chore or a dreadful experience because what could be a simple trip turns into a scavenger hunt. If you want a functional garage to park your car, but still have a place to organize your things, installing garage cabinets and hanging up slatwall storage is a great way to keep your tools off the ground and keep your seasonal decorations organized. Additional slatwall accessories could be a basket and hooks to hold accessories including shoes, cleaning products and gloves. Knowing all your things are in their respective places helps when you need to find them.

Garage Storage & Organization Photos

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7. Add An Office To Your Garage

Having a home office is very handy for everyday tasks or once in awhile deadlines. An office in your garage is perfect for paying bills, organizing and storing paperwork, reading and working from home. Dedicating your work to one room can increase productivity without having to worry about your things going lost and having distractions left to right. Eliminating electronics such as tvs and video games can keep you on track. Depending on your taste and what makes you comfortable you can design the office to fit your needs.

Pro Tip: If you live in an environment with extreme temperatures consider finishing your garage with insulation and a mini split A/C system and/or space heater depending on your climate. Mini split air conditioning systems often cost less than traditional air conditioners or adding central air.

8. Add An In-Home Theater To Your Garage

Give movie night a new meaning with your own movie theater room. Ditch the living room where there are other distractions, stray light, etc... Dedicating a room to just movies and snacks could be perfect for date night or family night. Tips for the perfect room are dark walls, comfortable seating, a big screen whether it is a tv or a projector and subtle lighting. Optional additions to make it an experience for guests and your family could be a mini fridge, cabinets for snacks and an eye-grabbing epoxy floor to protect the concrete from soda spills and butter. Having this new space in your house can elevate your home and lifestyle to trendy and functional.

Pro Tip: If you live in an environment with extreme temperatures consider finishing your new movie theater room with insulation and a mini split A/C system and/or space heater depending on your climate. Mini split air conditioning systems often cost less than traditional air conditioners or adding central air.

9. Turn Your Garage Into A Mother-In-Law Suite

Having extra space for friends or family is important. Instead of having your guests sleep on the couch or having to rent a hotel room nearby, consider converting your garage during the holidays. Creating a comfortable and inviting bedroom from a space meant to be for your car may seem puzzling at first. Creating this cozy room can be achieved by applying a warm-tone epoxy floor coating to the concrete along with a rug to shield some of the cold ground and some warm lighting to brighten up the normally dark space. Next, applying a fresh coat of paint, hanging some pictures and maybe a tv to keep your guest entertained would are great ideas too. Lastly, a bed and some storage so your guests can unpack and get organized. Creating this space and having it available for family and friends will feel great too, you might even score some extra points with your family.

Pro Tip: If you live in an environment with extreme temperatures consider finishing your new mother-in-law suite with insulation and a mini split A/C system and/or space heater depending on your climate. Mini split air conditioning systems often cost less than traditional air conditioners or adding central air.

10. Get Your Garage Floor Coated With Polyaspartic or Epoxy

Let’s not forget about one of the best ways to focus on when upgrading your garage, the floor. Garages get a lot of traffic from your cars, shoes, bikes, and other things that undoubtedly will bring dirt, mud and grease into your garage. To transform protect your concrete garage floor you need something durable, easy to clean, and also appealing. An Epoxy or Polyaspartic floor coating should do the trick. Garage floor coatings come in many different options. A common option is a chip coating. This help gives the floor more traction and a beautiful aesthetic finish. Another common option is to choose a solid color of epoxy or polyaspartic, this will make the floor very easy to clean and will bring color to your garage. Solid color floors can be a quite slippery, we always recommend adding anti-slip additive, an alumina oxide broadcast into the top of the coating to add texture and traction. Both options come with your pick of color and design to suit how you want to decorate your garage.

Epoxy & Polyaspartic Garage Floor Coating Photos

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In Summary: Make Your Garage More Useful

There are many ways to bring more life into your garage. The tip is to be creative with transforming your space into something functional and fun for you and your family. Whether you want to maintain your garage, add more storage or complete a total garage transformation you can accomplish it with help from Slide-Lok. Comment your ideas for your garage transformation or let us know if you took inspiration from one of these ideas!

More Garage Makeover Photos

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Experts In Garage Makeovers Since 1977

Solid Products, Great Prices, and Timely Technical Support since 1977! Slide-Lok Garage Interiors is the oldest, longest continuing garage makeover brand in North America. We were the first one stop shop garage makeover for storage systems and flooring. We were also one of the first outfits to offer polyaspartic floor coatings to the residential garage flooring market. Our leading polyaspartic coatings have been in use on garage floors for nearly two decades, our competitors can't make that claim. We also manufacture and sell epoxy coatings that are great for indoor floors.

There are Authorized Slide-Lok Garage Flooring and Storage dealers all over the US and Canada that can transform your boring and dull garage into your dream garage. Every garage tells a different story, let us help tell yours.

So what are you waiting for, get your FREE ESTIMATE today: Contact Slide-Lok Garage Interiors.

Keywords: home, improvement, garage, makeover, transformation, 10, ideas, workshop, movie theater, office, floor, coatings, storage, organization, cabinets, mother in law suite, home gym, arts and crafts, man cave

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