Still “Staying-at-Home” in Illinois? Make Your Garage More Livable

 Posted on April 22, 2020 in Uncategorized

Officially, Governor Pritzker has extended Illinois' Stay-at-Home Order through the end of April; however, early reports suggest that Illinois has not yet reached its peak of COVID-19 cases, and this might not happen until mid-May. This means that you and your family could be staying inside your house even longer than originally planned. To make sure you do not get cabin fever, here are some ideas to help you make your garage into a more livable space and keep you occupied.

10 Ideas to Help Make Your Garage More Livable

If you have been stuck at home for the last few months like many Illinois residents, you are realizing quickly that there is only so much you can do in your house to keep you and your family occupied. That is why you might want to consider making your garage more livable by transforming it into any of the following:

1. Guest Bedroom/Quarantine Room-Use your garage to space out your family's living and sleeping quarters. If you suspect that one family member is sick, then you can make the garage comfortable enough for self-quarantine from the rest of the family, or you could simply make it into an extra bedroom for any guests you invite over during a long weekend.
2. Recording Studio-If you are a musician and you want to record music or practice with fellow musicians, then soundproofing the garage and setting it up as a recording studio is a great way to make it more useful to you. You could even use this space to start your own podcast.
3. Reading Room/Den-With the Stay-at-Home Order still in place, people have plenty of time on their hands to get back to doing some serious reading. Why not use that garage space to get some peace and quiet for reading and reflection?
4. Home Office-Getting work done in the house can be difficult, especially if you have a big family with kids who can be distracting. If you make your garage space into a home office, then you can clearly define that as mommy or daddy's "workplace" to keep the kids out. You may also want to install some special door locks just in case, as well as WiFi extenders for your all-important Internet connections.
5. Home Gym-Gym equipment can be big and loud. In the garage, it will not bother the people in the house, and you will be able to get fit in the perfect workout environment.
6. Gameroom/Playroom-Some games are too big for just any room. You could put a pinball machine or other arcade game in your garage for you and your friends, or you could let your kids monopolize the space for their toys and games.
7. Wine Cellar/Wet Bar-Alcohol consumption has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maybe it is about time for you to be a true sommelier. Make your garage into a wine cellar with the appropriate cabinets. You could also set up a wet bar to substitute for your favorite bar in town that you are currently unable to visit.
8. Home Theater-Give yourself a true theatrical experience now that movie theaters are all closed due to the Stay-at-Home Orders. Get a projector, surround sound system, and media player and enjoy the show.
9. She-Shed or Mancave-Set up a special sanctuary for the woman of the house and her gal pals or the man of the house and his buddies.
10. Art Studio/Crafts Room/Darkroom-Are you planning to use paint, glue, or other substances that you would not want to bring inside the house? The garage is a safe place to work on your arts and crafts in case you have any accidents. In addition, you could make it into your own darkroom to develop photos the old-fashioned way.

Contact a Chicago-Area Custom Garage Builder

During these challenging times, you will continue to find yourself at home a lot more often than expected. If you are getting bored of all the rooms in your house by this point, consider making your garage more livable. A Downers Grove garage professional can help make sure your garage can be easily adapted to your needs. Call Blue Sky Builders, Inc. at 630-852-8485 to figure out how to build the garage that allows you to make the most of your time at home.