Make More Space
Garage Conversion to Media Room
If you live in a small space, you’re going to love this idea from the home of our Order Restorer, Valerie!
Valerie and her family of four live in a 1200 square foot bungalow. Valerie is a pro at making the most of her small space (see some of her creative solutions here) and, to do so, she has had to look beyond the walls of her home to make more space!
SPACE CONSTRAINTS
If you live in a small space, you know that limited gathering space for groups is a problem.
Valerie’s dining room only has enough room for four people to comfortably gather. While that setup works for her immediate family to enjoy daily meals, the small dining area makes it impossible for Valerie’s family to host larger dinners or holidays with relatives and friends.
Due to the layout of the cozy home, noise control is also an issue. Valerie’s teenagers can’t listen to music or watch movies without everyone being exposed to the same media.
It became clear to Val and her husband Casey that they needed to make MORE space for entertainment, both for their nuclear family AND for friends to gather.
Hospitality and fellowship are priorities to Valerie. She really wanted to expand her space for people and entertainment.
Tip: If you’re short on space, make a list of your priorities and what you’re NOT able to do with your current set up. Use those priorities to reevaluate the way spaces are being used in your home.
Valerie went on a treasure hunt around her property to see if she could find adjacent spaces she could use. She took into consideration ALL the spaces available and evaluated how well their usage aligned with their family priority of spending time together.
One under-utilized space was the detached garage. The garage was housing her husband’s car, along with tools, lawn care items, and other car stuff.
Valerie decided to reclaim this space as living space and, with a little elbow grease and modest furnishings, she converted their detached garage into a movie theater and game room!
Tip: To make more space, think outside the walls of your home and consider all your outbuildings, too!
PROCESS
Valerie and Casey moved everything out of the garage into the adjacent shed, painted the garage floor, and decorated the space to look like a living room.
With a projector mounted on the garage door, they can project movies onto one wall of the new media room. This makes an affordable and portable solution!
Tip: Make your space modular and affordable to give flexibility
Valerie created a snack kiosk complete with a microwave, garbage and recycling cans, and baskets of snacks. The best part is that the kiosk can be moved outdoors, along with the projector, in the summer for outdoor movie nights!
With a few low-cost furnishings, Valerie met both the media and gathering priorities. In addition to comfy couches, the garage has a larger table that is great for family game nights! The table and extra space also allows Valerie’s family to host larger dinner parties and holiday gatherings.
The garage cabinets are now filled with myriad board games and items for hosting family gatherings.
Valerie’s family has thoroughly enjoyed this space and the connectedness it facilitates.
I hope you’ve been inspired to get out your own magnifying glass, and go on your own treasure hunt to expand your space, suited for your unique needs and season of life. We invite you to get creative and make room for your priorities!
Watch our segment featured on More Good Day Oregon showing off how Valerie used her garage to make more space!
Related:
- Want help thinking outside the box in your own space? Get hands on help from our Order Restorers
- For more ideas on making your home serve you, download my book Restoring Order to Your Home
- Watch all of our segments featured on More Good Day Oregon on our YouTube Channel
