Drive Your Way to Better Garage Design in Five Simple Steps
It's time to bring interior design out into our garages. Surprisingly, the typical American garage isn't used for parking cars— most are used for storage! Chances are you're using your garage for a workout or workshop space instead of its intended purpose, and that's okay. No matter how you're using your garage, it's possible to achieve an elevated design that brings joy every time you enter the space.
In season one of Creating Cokobo, I featured a garage that I renovated for a family in Clearwater, FL. The project was iterative, presenting challenges along the way, but I am delighted with the outcome. The best part? Anyone can follow these steps and fall in love with their garage like I did.
1. Use White-on-White Walls and Cabinets
White-on-white walls and cabinets help to make the room feel larger and brighter. This design opens up the garage space and makes it feel expansive. Because I intentionally used these white cabinets within the home, these cabinets also make the garage feel like an extension of the living space.
2. Create a Monochromatic Scheme
Balance a monochromatic scheme with a warm and inviting wood and greenery detail. Monochromatic, by definition, is a color scheme based on only one single color tint.
Here is a white monochromatic scheme that can appear sterile at first glance. However, adding the walnut wood details and greenery evokes a sense of peace and comfort. Utilize a monochromatic scheme to bring a sense of order and warmth to overlooked areas like this.
3. Install Cabinets Instead of Open Shelving
Hide your stuff in closed cabinets instead of open shelving to reduce the visual clutter usually seen in the garage.
The cabinets I used in this garage are an IKEA hack. These are a great low-cost solution, as even Besta cabinets can look high-end. In this garage space, we elevated the cabinets and anchored them to the wall.
Then, by adding doors and wood detail, I was able to make them appear built-in and custom. It is a rich, warm, and welcoming detail.
While we're talking cabinets, we need to talk about the drop zone — the area where you can dump your bag or keys and pick them up later. This drop zone is the best. Why don't we create more beautiful drop zones like this in our garage spaces? The raggedy wire racks and piles on our garage floors just aren't working. Get intentional in this space.
4. Look for Ways to Add Drawers to Your Garage Storage
Most people stick with shelves and bins, but drawers like these are an alternative solution to stay organized. Drawers are often overlooked for a garage, but I have found that they are both space-efficient and aesthetically pleasing when employed properly.
5. Hide Appliances While Still Leaving Access
Look for ways to hide appliances while still leaving access. Here we built a partition "box" around the air handler, so it's still accessible but not visible as you drive in.
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