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Reclaim Your Garage As The Dressing Room Of Your Dreams

Turn your garage in to the dressing room of your dreams. Let’s face it. We all like the idea of having a garage, but even those of us who are lucky enough to have homes with one attached rarely use it for its intended purpose. In fact, 39% of us don’t see our garage as a valuable room at all, choosing instead to utilize it as a glorified storage room. Sound familiar?

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Men usually claim this domain over the garden shed and kids tend to get the run of the rest of the house. So, why not take the opportunity to turn this barely used space into a luxurious sanctuary for yourself? If you’ve always wanted your own dressing room (be honest, who hasn’t?) the time is now! Here’s what you need to get started.

Where do you begin?

The first step is to clean it and empty out any junk that’s currently in your garage. Take a weekend to filter out items to sell or donate unused or useless items – and be ruthless. Do you want a dressing room and a closet just for your shoes, or not?

Keep an eye out for any discarded furniture, treasured mementos and decorative items that you might want to include into your dressing room design. Otherwise, everything must go. This process might be daunting, but enlist the help of family and friends and keep your eye on the prize.

Having second thoughts?

Once it’s empty, you’ll probably realize how much room you’ve been missing out on. It’s at this stage you might suddenly feel a wave of guilt about taking up the entire room for yourself. While it’s a good idea to give the space a deep-clean, arranging for someone to come out and finally fix the shoddy garage door and get your car inside over winter… you’re under no obligation to. After all, the garage space has been dormant for months (if not years), so why shouldn’t you be allowed to use it for yourself.
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Start the transformation.

This is where the fun begins. In order to have a room that’s functional and comfortable to use – as well as one that actually adds value to your home – your best bet may be to carry out a full garage conversion.

The good news is that this should be viewed as ‘permitted development’, meaning that your project won’t get slowed down by planning and zoning code permission. However, if you live in a Conservative Area or on a newer estate, do check whether there are any restrictions about changing the appearance of your home’s interior.

It makes sense to keep the exterior garage door in place so that the house is not changed and looks the same from the outside. On the inside, you should cover over it with an insulating facade to create a new wall giving your dressing room an appropriate look.

If you have a growing family or your home is already bursting at the seams, you might be doing yourself a favor to design your new room in such a way that it could be used as an extra bedroom in future.

Garages generally have electric and lighting but that’s about it. The electric may need to be upgraded in which case you will probably need to hire a licensed electrician. And if you will require plumbing etc.., it will be smart to plan that out at this point. Depending on the use that you are going to put the new space, it will also be worth thinking about installing data network cabling and possibly a telephone jack as well. Back to our current purpose.

What are the essentials of a dressing room?

For most people, their converted dressing room won’t be next to their bedroom. It’s therefore quite practical to include a bath and shower room in your design for the new space. Just imagine – your own bathroom, where you don’t have to worry about finding stubble around the sink, or that someone has used up the last of your expensive moisturizer!

Other key features to consider are the storage you may need (what type and how much). Consider how to maximize the existing available lighting and where you want to keep the things you use on a daily basis. Once you’ve pinned down the overall style you’re going for, choose your perfect dressing table, a complementary full-length mirror and – perhaps most importantly – a comfortable armchair or cushioned bench.

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Don’t forget to update the lighting!

Your closet is the one place in the house where it’s all about you. The bedroom and closet are the most intimate rooms in the house. Whatever style you prefer you want it to reflect your unique personality – dramatic, classic, modern, or eclectic. Lighting helps set the mood and ultimately transforms your special space into a world all your own.

Isn’t the whole thing excessive?

If you’re not going to use your garage to store your car, you might as well convert it into a functioning part of your home. If you’re not in desperate need of an extra bedroom or living area, why shouldn’t that space be just for you? Being able to escape the chaos of the rest of the house is an essential part of self-care. If it feels like every other family member has a space to call their own, it’s definitely your turn.

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