Poor Man's Retro Retreat -- in 440 square feet

Jack Olsen · Mar 22, 2009

Budget and space were my constraints. I had an 84-year-old garage, that was wasting away as storage for boxes of junk from three successive moves. I went at it in a week of hard lifting (and carrying, to a rented dumpster) and my rule was that I could build new storage with whatever wood and shelving that had already been sitting in the place. So the bench is an old hardwood door, and a lot of the cabinetry is made of cheap, thin sheets of particle board.

I let my wife pick out the colors for the paint. I told her I wanted it to look like my memories of working with my father in his shop back in Chicago.

The air compressor is in the crawlspace under the house, in an insulated box so no one can hear it.

Since I did the initial build, I've added two fold-down benches that normally stow away against the wall.

One is for wood working.

The other one for welding:

There was an old sink that was kind of clumsily plumbed in. I added a counter top around it.

To hold all the stuff that would have still cluttered the place up, I also built some storage in the driveway.

The biggest expense was for the flooring, ceramic tile from Home Depot at .59/sf. I'd never done tile before, but it's held up to a lot of spills and abuse and it a lot nicer to walk on than the stained old slab.

Edit: updated pictures as of May 2009

METALHEALTH · Mar 22, 2009

Nice. Seems to be a pretty good use of 440sqft to me...

:thumbup:

Cheers,

thdewey · Mar 23, 2009

Bonus points for COOL!!

KnightFire · Mar 23, 2009

I love the counter top idea for the sink, I have the same type of sink and have been trying to think of ways to dress it up a bit...I might just have to steal your idea

BTW, most excellent use of space...impressive.

TOOLOW4I75 · Mar 23, 2009

That looks very nice. Sounds like you were rather thrifty also. I like the steel edging around your sink countertop, that combined with the green works the retro vibe well.

Steve from Socal · Mar 23, 2009

Jack,

That is a great place, I like the floor and very well thought out. The storage area is a nice break from Sheds R us. I wish my garage floor was flatter, I have wanted to do tile for a long time. Nice color pallet also, arts and crafts kind of theme.

Steve

nanood62 · Mar 23, 2009

Well done.
A great way to make it more usable and the colours look good too.

goodfellow · Mar 23, 2009

All that in a week!!! Somehow I feel inadequate ---

Good design and excellent execution!!!

JMURiz · Mar 23, 2009

Looks good Jack, had no idea Black Beauty II lived in such a humble garage. Gives us all hope and proves you don't need a 1000sq ft shop to have a nice workable space.

Jpfreak33 · Mar 23, 2009

goodfellow said:
All that in a week!!! Somehow I feel inadequate ---

Good design and excellent execution!!!

I was thinking the same thing!! Great set up LOVE the outside storage area, very unique.

g.corey74 · Mar 23, 2009

You did good.

2_lude · Mar 23, 2009

Looks great, good work. Just curious do you have any before pictures?

alkemyst · Mar 23, 2009

I like those outdoor sheds.

talon · Mar 23, 2009

Awesome use of space!

Jack Olsen · Mar 23, 2009

Thanks, guys. I it?s a very insignificant project compared to some of the incredible ?garage mahal?s? on this board -- but I?m surprised at how much time I spend in my little shop, now.

The budget was very low -- certainly less than a thousand bucks, with about $500 for the flooring and a lot of the rest for the paint. The undercarriage on the bench is all 4x4s, but that facing is done with some water-damaged wood that I thought had kind of a cool look. The drawers were from an old closet we?d had torn out in the main house.

The storage sheds were an ?impulse build? -- and they were essentially free. I had a bunch of stuff still sitting in the driveway that I didn?t want to have to put back into the garage and my wife handed me a letter explaining about how some credit card had earned us some airline tickets. Okay, fine. But I saw in the fine print that we could also substitute a $500 gift card to Home Depot instead of the tickets.

For me, that was a very easy decision. Without getting up, I started drawing out an idea for the two storage sheds. The barrel-arch roof curves correspond to a juice glass and a little plate that were sitting on the table (I think I was drawing on 1/4-inch graph paper). By lunchtime, I was throwing it all together. I figured out things (like the roofing and how to keep the structure from actually touching the ground) while I built. I was going to do cedar planking for the exterior, but saw the grooved plywood stuff when I was at the store. So far, it?s held up to a year of winter storms without any issue.

Visually, there are probably a couple of things I?d change about the design if I did it again -- but hey, I?m no architect and I was in a hurry. Now I've got a place to put the welder I keep promising to teach myself to use.

Old61 · Mar 23, 2009

That's a very cool space. What is it you do at the drawing table?

-B- · Mar 23, 2009

Someone has got the skills and they are extraordinary, well executed.

Jack Olsen · Mar 23, 2009

Old61 said:
That's a very cool space. What is it you do at the drawing table?

Um, draw?

It might be a particular quirk of mine, but a lot of the time an idea won't make much sense -- for me -- until I can draw it out and look at it.

The table has also come in handy when my office is being used as a guest room and I need a place to work.

But I made that thing with two connected wooden prop blocks on hinges so I can swing them out of the way to lower the top piece to a flat position -- it becomes another working surface.
________

Fins/413 · Mar 23, 2009

Its too nice to get dirty, It would be better if you get that old ratty Porsche out of there. Outstanding job.

nwrob · Mar 23, 2009

Nice job! What did you use for lighting over your folding workbench?

tdkkart · Mar 23, 2009

Jack Olsen said:

Only in Kalifornia is the guy that parks a 911 on a ceramic tile floor classified as "poor" :thumbup:

Old61 · Mar 23, 2009

Jack Olsen said:
Um, draw?

After seeing your wacky shed there, I thought you might be a cartoonist. :thumbup:

Jack Olsen · Mar 23, 2009

nwrob said:
Nice job! What did you use for lighting over your folding workbench?

All the lighting was scavenged from the boxes of clutter. That's some kind of halogen indoor spot -- it might be from Ikea. It was nice and compact, which worked for the available space under the cabinets. I mostly use that surface to make chop cuts and also as a base for a little table-mounted router.

Fins/413 said:
Its too nice to get dirty, It would be better if you get that old ratty Porsche out of there. Outstanding job.

When I move the car out, it gets very dirty.

But the whole place is small enough so that it cleans up pretty easily and quickly.

tdkkart said:
Only in Kalifornia is the guy that parks a 911 on a ceramic tile floor classified as "poor"

But it was very cheap tile and it's a very old 911.

KCarGuy · Mar 23, 2009

I have to tell Ya....
....It looks great! Its Clean and Bright! and I love the use of the Green, I love Green...its my favorite color.
I also Draw, But never set up anything in my Garage. Its a great Idea.
I just need to get some of my projects done and out first. I love drawing a "tweaked out" version of Musclecars.
I'll have to throw some on here so that people can see some.
The Garage that I built is a 30' X 22' with a upstairs loft. If I could someday clear out the clutter and finish insulation and drywall, it would be a perfect Office/Drawing room for me. With 4' side walls, it comes out to a 17' x 25' area.
Everything that you did was well thought out and well built for a small budget.
Beautiful set-up! And thanks for sharing.

tdkkart · Mar 23, 2009

Jack Olsen said:
and it's a very old 911.

.....and one of the few Porsches that I would own.

Nice place, gives me some more to think about as I hand dig insulation trenches around the inside of my pole building.

Todd.Brock · Mar 23, 2009

Is that the real deal RSR? My neighbor had a 72 RS that he raced in PCA events. It was ridiculous how loud (Good) it sounded. He upgraded from a 2.8 to something just over 3.0 litres. It had the wide fenders in the rear, He also had it painted from a light blue color to white. That ducktail looked better than a whale tail ever could!!! Dont see to many of those around anymore. Sweet car!! IF you have any more pics, feel free to post. :bowdown:

700jfm · Mar 23, 2009

Very good job, you got me thinking about tile for my garage.

Jack Olsen · Mar 23, 2009

Todd.Brock said:
Is that the real deal RSR? My neighbor had a 72 RS that he raced in PCA events. It was ridiculous how loud (Good) it sounded. He upgraded from a 2.8 to something just over 3.0 litres. It had the wide fenders in the rear, He also had it painted from a light blue color to white. That ducktail looked better than a whale tail ever could!!! Dont see to many of those around anymore. Sweet car!! IF you have any more pics, feel free to post.

It's not the real deal. (I'm poor, remember?) It's a kind of tribute to the 1973 Carrera RSR model, built on a 1972 911 tub, with the motor from a 1993 (3.6 liters instead of the stock 2.4), a magnesium transaxle from a 1977, and a handful of suspension tweaks for those 9.5x11x17 aluminum alloy wheels. It's pretty light; all the bodywork except the roof is fiberglass. Some of the windows have been replaced with Lexan. It's got a cage, fire system, etc.

And pictures? Yeah, I've got pictures.

On Stunt Road, above Malibu:

Out at the track, with some home-made aero pieces:

And back in the garage:

flyng_fool · Mar 23, 2009

Fins/413 said:
Its too nice to get dirty, It would be better if you get that old ratty Porsche out of there. Outstanding job.

I second that! If you'd like someone to take that old POS car off of your hands I could possibly be persuaded :bounce:

.

Todd.Brock · Mar 24, 2009

Just thought I would ask! I figured you snagged the plate so the day you did get your RSR, you would be ready! Sweet car, thanks for the pics....

Mr. E · Mar 24, 2009

I like that folding work bench idea. How well is it holding up? Have you used it much?

Also: Beautiful car!

Tech Guy · Mar 24, 2009

Nice Job ! How does the tile floor hold up to dropping things on it ? Also how did you finish off at the garage door-almost looks like you parged it to meet the floor ? And is that an old Kenmore air conditioner by the storage sheds ?

Jack Olsen · Mar 24, 2009

Mr. E said:
I like that folding work bench idea. How well is it holding up? Have you used it much?

I use it a lot. It's made of 3/4" plywood, doubled to 1.5" for most of its surface, with a 2x4 spine for more strength. Hinges allow the legs to swing flat against the wall when they aren't in use -- but when it's lowered, the legs wedge against the point where the underside of the bench top meets the 2x4, so the hinges aren't being stressed if you jump up and down on the surface. The positioning chocks down below are probably not necessary, but I didn't want something to knock the legs out of the thing with a lateral hit. At the wall, it's supported by three oversized hinges that are attached into the studs, with hardwood supports underneath so those hinges aren't carrying any downward load when it's in the functional position. An enormous amount of weight on it would mean the screws holding the hinges to the wall would feel some lateral pull, but they're 3" screws, going right into the studs. I've walked on top of it without any concern.

You'll see in the picture that I 'idiot-proofed' it by making sure there was clearance underneath it for the inevitable day that I drove the car in without remembering to put the bench in the up position. Fortunately, this still allowed me to have the top surface at the same height as my main work bench and the big shelves (hollow-core doors) adjacent to both benches. I can move the boxes and effectively extend the working surface of both benches.

I put steel or aluminum banding around the edge of all the work surfaces in the garage. For the 3/4" plywood tops (this fold-down bench and also the drawing table), my cheap solution was L-shaped painted steel pieces that are used as part of those foam 2'x4' suspended ceiling setups. I think the 12' lengths were under $3, which was a lot cheaper than wood trim or anything else I could find.

Tech Guy said:
Nice Job ! How does the tile floor hold up to dropping things on it ? Also how did you finish off at the garage door-almost looks like you parged it to meet the floor ? And is that an old Kenmore air conditioner by the storage sheds ?

I went into it knowing that tiles would limit some of my options, and I bought some spare pieces and extra grout thinking I'd eventually be replacing a tile or two. But so far, it's been fine. I'm sure a deliberate hammer impact would crack a tile, but I've dropped tools without any consequence so far. I do slide a square piece of plywood under a jack or a jackstand, just to be safe.

It could be that porcelain tiles would eliminate the need for any caution. But when I bought my tiles, I didn't know about any inexpensive porcelain otions.
________

cyclopsblown34 · Mar 24, 2009

You have some serious talent. The ugly old Porsche needs to go. I'll gladly come to LA to get it out of your way. I think it might be stifling your creativity. I'm totally amazed at the results.

rocketman · Mar 24, 2009

Is it just me... or does anyone else NOT think "Poor Man" or BUDGET when a 911 is sitting on the floor of the garage?? : )

Seems those terms just don't fit!

e-tek · Mar 24, 2009

I'll echo the sentiments - especially the floor and the outdoor sheds!!! Really nice work. It's nice to see something not only diferent, but functional.Something tells me we'll be seeing an explosion of tiled garages (mines next!!) and rounded top storage sheds (not sure if I can do that though...)!!!

e-tek · Mar 24, 2009

The Garage Slab said:
Dude, this is awesome. We are actually starting a new quarterly mag here in Columbus, Ohio that will be mailed nationwide. It is called The Garage Slab. There are five of us putting this together and two of my buddies are originally from Chicago. Check us out Our website is up and running, but not complete. We are going to print in April. Your garage is exactly what we are all about. Sharing ideas, thoughts and pics of attainable spaces. Enjoy your space. www.thegarageslab.com

OK - NOW you're SPAMMING!!!! And WHY is your post count STILL on 7?????

jhn9840 · Mar 24, 2009

Very Nice small garage. Great plan and usage of the space available to you.

jhn9840
John

swhite832 · Mar 24, 2009

Dude....nice job. A little creativity can go a long way. I just built a 1500 sq footer and now the 375 sq ft building is for my wifes 69 stang. I am stumped on the floor because I do not believe the price on rubber tiles is justifiable...but .60 cent ceramic tile is. I never would have thought.... I wonder about cracking issues? Good job on the sink as well. Keepin it all flexible.
Nice car too. I have been toyin with the idea of a 914 repowered with a V8. Its the closest I will ever get to a porsche.

Jack Olsen · Mar 24, 2009

e-tek said:
Something tells me we'll be seeing an explosion of tiled garages (mines next!!) and rounded top storage sheds (not sure if I can do that though...)!!!

For the round roof, all you need to do it find the right size of juice glass or dessert plate to trace. Then when you expand it to actual size, you use a length of string equal to the radius of the circle. I think my dessert plate worked out to a 30-foot circle, so I used a 15-foot length of string with a pencil tied to it to trace out the curve on the plywood. I cut it with a jigsaw and traced the same shape to the pieces that were going to be the back of the shed. Then I basically spanned the front to the back with 2x4's and bent pieces of 4x8 sheets to conform to the curve as I screwed it down. The shed is 5 feet deep and 20 feet wide.

I actually posted a not-quite-finished picture on the first page. This one shows some trim pieces I added to give the sheds more of a 'face.'

swhite832 said:
I am stumped on the floor because I do not believe the price on rubber tiles is justifiable...but .60 cent ceramic tile is. I never would have thought.... I wonder about cracking issues?

The rubber tiles are a pain in the neck when you spill oil, too. And in my case, I wasn't a good candidate for epoxy because my 84-year-old slab had no moisture barrier. One quick and easy alternative is this stuff. But my floor wasn't flat enough for that, so tiles were where I ended up. I took care to 'double butter' the pieces where they'd see traffic, and also to use a higher-end thinset where the car's wheels would be rolling.

I guess freeze/thaw issues can also affect how you lay everything out (expansion joints?), but that's not a problem here in Southern California.

The only tricky part was making L-shaped cuts in the tiles. I bought a $50 Harbor Freight saw because it was cheaper than renting, and also got a cheap HF tool that scores a straight line and then breaks the tile into two pieces.

The first time my wife came in and saw the new floor, she liked it so much she tried to convince me that we should turn the whole garage into living space. I made sure the car and my tools were in place before she came in again.

________

Poor Man's Retro Retreat -- in 440 square feet

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