Great ideas for garage conversions 

 

From Home theatres, studios and workshops to more man caves!

It used to be that we ate, slept and relaxed at home, but went out for just about everything else – to work, be entertained and meet friends. Now that’s changing and our homes are becoming more the centre of our lives, better accommodating our passions, interests and lifestyles.

We take a look at some brilliant ideas for improving your life as well as your home.   

 

1. Garage Conversions  

There are loads of clever storage systems for garages these days allowing us to make better use of the space.

 

 

 

 

 

    

It’s a trend to convert garages into extra living space or guest rooms. If you look carefully at this photo, you’ll see that this garage has been transformed into a cosy yet fully self-contained flat. To save space, a mezzanine has been created with room for a king-sized bed, side tables and even a small library.

Other popular uses for garage space are family rooms and workshops. 

 

 

For more ideas, check out our Garage Conversions: Turning dead space into living space    

 

 

2. Home Theatres

There was a big demand for these during the Rugby World Cup, when mates descended in droves on mates who had large enough TV screens and powerful enough surround-sound systems to capture the atmosphere of being at the actual game but without the exorbitant cost, parking hassles, hard seats and inability to bring along your own cheap, cold beer. 

The owner of this particular home theatre must have hordes of mates – or perhaps he charges for tickets.

 

 

We like the way he has captured the look of a genuine old-style cinema, but we must say there are more comfortable options out there – see next month's articles for the Ultimate Guide to Planning a Home Theatre.

 

3. Studios

The dream for those of you fortunate enough to possess some artistic talent is a studio of your very own, where you have the privacy and space to be able to unleash all that creativity and flair. You’ll want a space which is functional but inspirational. 

In the case of the pictured studio, the function is provided by the excellent lighting, good-sized artists’ bench and handy storage, while the inspiration is supplied by the stained-glass window and ideas board on the wall.  

 

 

 

4. Workshops

Gone are the days when a home workshop was a dark, cramped repository for grime, dust and anything whose function you weren’t sure of but which you thought you’d better hang on to in case you might need it one day. 

Today’s workshops are spic, span, high-tech and even have a touch of the designer look about them.

  

 

 

      

5. Man Caves

We may have mentioned just once or twice before that Man Cave galleries have been among our most popular galleries. It has come as a bit of a surprise to learn that they’ve been almost as popular with our female audience as the male one – curiosity about how the other half lives (or would like to live) perhaps?

 

   

 

Recently we’ve come across a few more interesting examples of  what’s possible, including image top left of a Man Gym complete with climbing wall, and image left of a high-ceilinged Man Cave with its own mini basketball court.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more on Man Caves, see our previous galleries:

Trend Watch: Man Caves, the top 10 ultimate guy hangouts

Chic sheds: What is it about Kiwis and sheds?

Move over Man Caves: Here are some brilliant basement makeovers

 

 

Click this button or ring 0800 CAN FIX any time of the day or night to make an appointment or request a free quote - we are happy to help!