We bring together the best garage conversion ideas around in order to transform your unused spaces into beautiful and useful areas that feel part of your home
(Image credit: Back to Front Exterior Design)
The best garage conversion ideas will not only ensure you are not wasting a single bit of space in your home, but they can also totally transform the way you live in it.
Whether you need an extra bedroom, are in desperate need of a practical utility room or downstairs WC, or are after ways to extend you kitchen, a garage conversion can be one of the best solutions.
Before you get started, there are a few practical factors to bear in mind. First off is that fact that, as spaces originally designed to house cars, garages are often rather awkward long, narrow spaces that don’t necessarily make the best habitable living spaces. However, knocking down an internal or creative ideas can help maximise the possibilities.
Whatever the reason for you wanting to convert your garage, we've pulled together some great garage conversion ideas below to inspire your project.
1. Use Garage Conversion Ideas to Create a Productive Home Office
Garage conversions make perfect home offices —not only will you be away from the hustle and bustle but you can create a self-contained entrance if required. (Image credit: Shelved)
A new home office had to come top of our list of garage conversion ideas — there can't be many of us who aren't crying out for home working space these days.
Whether it is for children to carry out homework or for you or another member of the family to have somewhere quiet and organised to work from, garage conversions offer so much in the way of home office design.
Garages are usually located away from the main living areas and allow for a self-contained entrance for work-related visitors.
Include features such as plenty of built-in storage, lots of power outlets, a good source of natural light and consider incorporating space for tea and coffee making facilities, a sink and even a toilet if you are likely to have visitors.
2. Make Space For Your Hobbies
Keep all the equipment you need for your hobby organised and in one place by using your garage conversion for the purpose. This brilliant studio is by Green Retreats. (Image credit: Green Retreats)
Having a dedicated hobby room in your home is so useful, no matter what your new hobby room will be for. Keeping a zone dedicated to a particular purpose will minimise clutter elsewhere and keep your home organised.
Ideas for fun uses for your garage conversion include:
Having a dedicated space for your hobbies means that you can kit out the room as required without impacting on your existing layout (or affecting other family members).
You might also find that the long and narrow shape of the existing garage works well with your chosen hobby and removing existing walls is unnecessary.
Depending on the use, you could even install an entrance door to allow direct access for visitors — this works well for teenage games or hang-out spaces in particular.
3. Extend Your Kitchen With a Garage Conversion
Many people carry out a garage conversion as part of a bigger home remodelling project and using the extra space as a kitchen extension is a brilliant idea. This modern wooden kitchen is from Wood Works Brighton.(Image credit: Wood Works Brighton)
Kitchen extensions are usually high on homeowner's wish lists and using your garage for one means you can add to your home's useable living space without actually altering the footprint of your property.
If your garage is adjacent to your kitchen, knocking down internal wallsbetween the two in order to create one larger family kitchen or kitchen/diner is a great idea — and also overcomes the long, narrow issues associated with these spaces.
You can increase the amount of light entering the new space by incorporating a roof lantern or a run of rooflights— a great way to flood the space with bright, pure light and one that will also make it feel more spacious.
4. Use Your Garage Conversion as a Utility Room
This neat utility room has been located in a garage conversion and means noisy appliances and clutter can be kept away from the main living spaces.(Image credit: Architect Your Home)
Another way to put garages that sit adjacent to kitchens to good use is to repurpose them as a utility room or boot room. Utility rooms are a must for those with pets or who enjoy the outdoors, but they are also handy for keeping laundry out of the way.
They offer the potential to easily incorporate a back door, plus you could add a downstairs WC if you don't already have one.
5. Extend Above Your Garage Conversion
Extending above garages leaves the footprint of the house the same, while adding valuable extra space.(Image credit: Icon Partnership)
If you are keen to add even more space to your home as part of your garage conversion, then it is worth considering extending over a garage when you convert it. This can help to create balance between the ground and first floor space.
Incorporate an en suite and this can make a great self-contained guest bedroom. But if you are looking to add an extra bedroom for a member of the family, you will need to consider the layout of the top floor and how the new bedroom will be accessed from the upper level so it feels connected to the rest of the house.
6. Find Space For a Grown Up Living Room
In busy family homes, a separate, quieter living area with no television or games consoles can be absolute bliss — your garage conversion could be the ideal spot for your second living room. (Image credit: Snug Sofa)
Many people these days choose to have two living spaces (one for family and large gatherings and a quieter retreat) in their homes and a garage conversion can be a great way to make room for one.
Another popular garage conversion idea is to relocate the living room there (or create a cohesive kitchen/dining/living room).
Again, you could open up the space by knocking down internal walls — you could not only improve the flow of your home, but also make a small, dark home feel a lot more spacious.
7. Get Fit With a Garage Conversion Home Gym
A highly popular garage conversion idea is to kit the new space out as a home gym — this design was created by Green Retreats.(Image credit: Green Retreats)
Struggling to get to the gym or looking for alternative ways to keep fit during the colder months? Whilst it is feasible to position workout equipment elsewhere in your house it tends to take up a lot of space — which is why creating a home gym in a garage conversion is a great idea.
Having a dedicated space will allow you to kit out the space with hard-wearing, slip-resistant flooring that may not be suited to other areas of your home. You could also consider adding an air conditioning unit or soundproofing measures.
8. Keep Toys Under Control With a New Playroom
Garage conversions are the perfect spot for playrooms, meaning mess and toys can easily be packed away at the end of the day. The envy-inducing design includes furniture from Circu. (Image credit: Circu)
Garage conversions often make brilliant playrooms. Keeping the newly refurbished space partially open to an adjacent kitchen makes it possible to supervise younger children while carrying out day-to-day jobs.
Make sure you add loads of built-in storage options for toys.
9. Create a Restful Guest Bedroom
Adding an extra bedroom will really boost the value of your home and a garage conversion could be just the solution you were after. This calming bedroom design is by April & Bonnie Studio, with a mirror from Essential Home. (Image credit: Essential Home)
Depending on the existing layout of your property, you may wish to convert your garage into an additional bedroom. Garage conversions are ideal locations for guest accommodation as they tend to be away from the hustle and bustle and feel nicely separate.
You could also break the long and narrow space up with a stud wall and include a WC/bathroom/shower room.
10. Upgrade Movie Night with a Home Cinema Garage Conversion
An entertainment space like this, by Green Retreats is a great way to use your garage conversion — you can start from scratch with locating power outlets too. (Image credit: Green Retreats)
A home cinema garage conversion is a brilliant idea for lots of reasons. Firstly, the conversion gives you the opportunity to pack in plenty of soundproofing — meaning the whole house need not be subjected to whatever film has taken your fancy.
Secondly, you are starting from scratch, meaning you can include as many power outlets as your new entertainment system will require. You can also tailor the lighting and think about furniture placement with a blank canvas mindset.
11. Give Your Teens Their Own Space (And Reclaim Your's)
Created by the owner for his teenage children, this garage conversion was carried out by specialists Danmarque Garages. (Image credit: Danmarque Garages)
However loveable (or not) teenagers are, it can be a good idea to look for ways to provide them with their own space to spend time with friends or simply tuck themselves away from it all when required.
Creating a separate teen den is also beneficial to the other members of the household as it means you won't have to be subjected to their music being played at full blast or mounds of clutter. Ensure you have good soundproofing and noise control measures in place.
12. Aim High With a Mezzanine Level
(Image credit: Architect Your Home)
If you have the ceiling height, or are converting a garage with a good-sized pitched roof, do consider building a mezzanine level within the new space.
Although you might not have space to walk and jump around up there, raised platforms such as this open up all kinds of possibilities, such as mezzanine bedrooms or spots to chill out lounging on bean bags. They can also just be useful for storage — something you might need more of after converting your garage.
13. Use a Detached Garage Conversion as an Annexe
After securing planning permission, an old, detached garage was converted into this open plan, single-storey home(Image credit: Jeremy Phillips)
If you are lucky enough to have a detached garage you are in the ideal position to turn it into a self-contained annexe. This can be perfect if you have relatives who regularly come to stay or who may want to live near you in the future — or have children returning from university who are keen for their own space.
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Natasha was Homebuilding & Renovating’s Associate Content Editor and was a member of the Homebuilding team for over two decades. In her role on Homebuilding & Renovating she imparted her knowledge on a wide range of renovation topics, from window condensation to renovating bathrooms, to removing walls and adding an extension. She continues to write for Homebuilding on these topics, and more. An experienced journalist and renovation expert, she also writes for a number of other homes titles, including Homes & Gardens and Ideal Homes. Over the years Natasha has renovated and carried out a side extension to a Victorian terrace. She is currently living in the rural Edwardian cottage she renovated and extended on a largely DIY basis, living on site for the duration of the project.
