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How to Turn Your Garage into a Home Office
I’m always on the hunt for a nice spot around the house for a bit of privacy so that I can get some work done. Working from home has its fair share of challenges and this is the biggest one for me.
If you find yourself in the same boat it’s not surprising. It’s a common problem for remote workers like us. While it’s nice not having to commute and having the family close, you still need a place where you can focus without the distractions.
The great thing about owning your own home is that you can customize your space however you need to.
I use my gazebo as a temporary office in the summer, I’ve converted my shed for a backyard office in spring and fall and a few weeks back I decided to transform my garage into a home office for use through the winter months.
If you’ve been thinking about how to turn your garage into a home office there’s no better time to start than today. With some added color, space saving storage ideas and some minor decor changes you can easily create a cozy and private workspace.
Why You Should Consider Converting Your Garage into a Home Office
So just why do you need a private place to work away from the family?
If you’ve ever tried to work at the dining room table while your toddler taps on your leg for some attention you probably already know the answer to that question.
Working inside the house may be comfortable, but it’s almost impossible to concentrate and stay on task. Building your own business or working remotely for a company from home can be great for work life balance if you do it right.
Your garage is one of the best options for creating a private work space if you don’t have a spare room, attic or sunroom to hide in. Here are some key benefits of moving your home office into the garage:
- Create a dedicated separate office space
- More privacy to focus
- A great alternative when space is limited in the home
- Save money because you don’t have to build
11 Tips for Converting Your Garage into a Home Office
1| Start With the Clearout
When I first started thinking about converting my garage into a home office I wasn’t sure where to start. It was loaded to the rafters with tools, kids board games, unopened boxes from our last move and countless other things. Bottom line — it was a mess!
I decided the best way to start was to just haul everything out into the driveway and assess what we needed to keep and what we could live without. After that I found new homes around the home for everything I could so that I could keep as much as possible out of the garage.
There’s no sugar coating it. It’s a tough task. We use our garage for so many things to make our lives more convenient.
If you have a shed and you’re not using it as a spring and fall garden office like me you can move a lot of stuff in there. That’s actually part of the solution I came up with.
For the winter I’ve moved my tools and a few other items into the shed and I plan on moving them back into the garage in the spring.
The key is to get creative and find a solution that fits your needs. You might want to move some things into the attic, the laundry room or perhaps even a crawl space. If you consider all of your options you can usually find new homes for most things so you can start using your garage as a home office.
2| Brighten Up those concrete walls
Now that you’ve cleared out your garage and you’re ready to start the conversion, a good place to start is the walls. Our garage features dull and dingy concrete walls. But that’s nothing a bright coat of paint can’t fix.
It’s best to choose a light color to paint your garage walls to make up for the lack of natural light. The colors you choose to decorate with can have a major impact on your mood. Choosing lighter colors tends to put you in a more positive frame of mind.
If you’re lucky and you do have windows in your garage make sure they’re clear and clean to let in as much light as possible.
You might also want to add some personal touches to your garage office with posters, wall tapestries or even a colorful quilt. Any of these options can make a big difference in creating a better home office atmosphere.
3| Choose the Right Flooring
Flooring can be a challenge. Most garages have cold concrete slabs on the floor with nothing over top of them. Sure you can paint the surface to brighten things up, but that won’t keep your feet warm this winter.
In my garage I’ve added a couple of rugs where I’ve set up my office. They’re warmer on the feet and provide a nice cushion as well.
You might also want to consider floor mats as an alternative. There are lots of great options and they’re also easier to clean than carpeting.
4| Light Up Your Workspace
My garage can be a dark and gloomy place. There are no windows — just concrete walls and a large automatic rollup door. The overhead lights aren’t bright enough to illuminate the corner where my office is set up.
That’s where lighting comes in. I went with a desk lamp, but a floor lamp is a great idea as well.
We only have one outlet in the garage. That presented another challenge,because I needed power for the lamp. In my backyard office I use an extension cord reel with 4 built-in outlets so I just took it in the garage to solve that problem.
I wanted to create my office on a small budget, without spending money on contractors. If budget isn’t a major concern you could look at hiring an electrician to install an extra outlet if need be.
5| Add Window Panels to Doors for More Natural Light
My cousin set up an office in her garage and she came up with a different way to get more natural light into her workspace. She added window panels in the top section of her rollup door. Now, even if the door’s closed, there’s a ton of light streaming in while she works.
6| Use Hanging Storage to keep the floors clear
We’ve already talked about clearing all of the clutter out of your garage, but there may be some things that can’t be stored anywhere else. There are all kinds of garage storage options available and the solution you choose will depend on the size of your garage.
If space is at a premium and you’re struggling to make enough room for an office, you may want to consider hanging storage as an option. This will free up your floor space and leave you with plenty of room for a home office.
7| Control the Climate in Your Garage Office
Another major hurdle with setting up an office in a garage is comfort. Your garage likely isn’t hooked up to your central heating and it’s probably not insulated either. That can make for a cold workspace in the winter.
Lightweight styrofoam wall panels are easy to install over concrete walls for some added insulation. If you combine that with a small electric space heater you should have a comfortable enough space to work through the winter months.
8| Create a Reliable WiFi Setup
When setting up a home office in the garage you may run into some technological hurdles as well. Thick concrete walls can interfere with your WiFi signal and that can seriously affect your productivity.
Adding a WiFi booster either near or in your garage should fix the problem.
9| Keep a Refrigerator for Snacks and a Coffee Station for Fuel
If you want to avoid frequent trips into the house for snacks or a cup of coffee you may want to install a small refrigerator in your garage if you have the space.
You can also add a coffee station. With a coffee maker and the essential supplies in the garage you’ll have easy access to your regular cup of java. All you need is a basic stand to get started and you’re all set.
10| Add Artificial Plants
Plants are always a great way to add the perfect finishing touches to a home office, but that isn’t so easy when your office is in your garage with potentially very little natural light.
You may not be able to have live plants in your new garage office, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an alternative. Consider adding some artificial plants in your workspace.
It can be hard to tell them apart from the real thing and they’ll make your home office feel brighter and more vibrant.
11| Choose Your Furniture
The last step is to choose the right office furniture for your space. If you plan on making your garage office a permanent fixture in your home you can go with a traditional office desk and chair.
If you’re like me and plan on switching between a backyard office and a garage office depending on the season, you may want to consider a more fluid setup.
My garage office desk is actually a large folding table. It provides me with a nice large work surface and it’s easy to fold up and store out of the way when I’m not using it in the warmer months.
The furniture you choose should be tailored to meet your own needs. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it should be comfortable and functionable.
This post How to Turn Your Garage into a Home Office first appeared on remoteofficeworld.com and is written by Al Calder
