11 Ways to Upgrade Your Garage

Whether you need to clear a cluttered corner or revamp the entire space, consider these tips to makeover your garage and improve its functionality.

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Clever Renovation

Create Storage Space

Work from Home

Feel the Burn

Sound Off

Gardener's Dream

Build Up

Add On

Focus on Fun

Create a Hobby Haven

Raise Your Glass

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Clever Renovation

If you have a detached garage that doesn't see much use, consider transforming it into an entertaining pavilion. Swing-out doors on one side of this once dilapidated structure give the building the look of a classic carriage house. A large dining table in the center of the space offers plenty of room for entertaining friends and family.

Create Storage Space

If you need room to organize belongings, the garage is a great place to start. A variety of storage systems exist to get stuff off the floor and give virtually anything a place of its own. Choose from movable shelf systems, cabinet components, hook-and-hanger combinations, platforms that lower from the ceiling via pulleys, and more. Start the search at your local home improvement store. When you're done, you should have enough room for all of your stuff and your car.

Work from Home

Own your own business (or want to)? Turn your car stall into a home office. If you need more room, add a level or extend the garage back or to the side. Consider installing an exterior entry door so customers don't have to walk through your home.

Feel the Burn

Save money on gas and gym membership dues by creating your own exercise room. Set up a treadmill, weight-lifting station, stationary bike, free-weights rack, or yoga mat in your garage -- and don't forget the wall-mount TV!

Sound Off

Add soundproofing material to the walls, ceiling, and doors, and your garage becomes a music studio for your budding Mozart or rock star. If space allows, include some seating for longer jam sessions.

Tip: Make sure to double-check your electrical capacity; an upgrade might be required.

Get quotes for home improvement projects from local pros.

Gardener's Dream

Fuel your green thumb with a convenient potting bench built right in the garage. Corralling gardening supplies in one easy-to-access place will ensure you can make the most of your time out in the garden. Make sure you install sturdy shelves that can stand up to the weight of pots, bags of soil, and other essentials. Stow away shovels and rakes using wall-mount hangers.

Build Up

With the economy causing many households to stick to a stricter budget, now might be a good time to add living quarters above your garage. Supplement your income with a rental unit, or provide a home for an aging parent or older child.

Tip: Make the addition fit in with the style and scale of the rest of your home. Take your architectural cues from the main house, and don't let the addition overshadow it. Consider scaling down the upper level to keep it in proportion with your home's massing, and choose a similar roofline.

Tour a real-life garage loft apartment.

Add On

Have a laundry room that borders your kitchen? Move your washer and dryer to the garage, and knock out the wall between the previous laundry room and kitchen. Voila: instant addition! The new space can store large or infrequently used pots and pans or become an elegant butler's pantry.

Focus on Fun

If you're not using your garage to park cars, consider transforming a bay or two into recreational space. Billiards, table tennis, air hockey, and foosball are popular choices that need a little more elbow room than an extra bedroom might provide.

Get quotes for home improvement projects from local pros.

Create a Hobby Haven

Outfit your garage with desks, countertops, and storage bins, and designate work spaces for each member of the family. Then turn them loose at their varied interests, such as scrapbooking or painting.

Get quotes for home improvement projects from local pros.

Raise Your Glass

Turn a garage stall into your personal watering hole -- a surefire hit with neighbors and friends. Roll up the door and reveal a bar complete with a refrigerator made to handle a garage's temperature fluctuations, a dartboard, and a home for all those beverage signs.

11 Ways to Upgrade Your Garage

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