I live in a stone rowhouse (circa 1920) and I want to turn my garage into an industrial chic space : for riding my stationary bike; doing messy arts and crafts; storage, relaxing and even sleeping in the hot summer months.
Many people on my block have turned their garages into rec rooms - the kind of rooms from the 1950s that had wet bars and carpeted floors and fake wood paneling.
My intention is to keep the "urban" look of the exposed pipes on the walls and ceiling, keep the plastered walls (no dry wall) and paint the cement floor, letting the oil stains show through.
Question one: the doors.
There is a nice exterior door that leads from the off-street parking into the laundry room and the rest of the house. And there is a wonderful old wooden garage door. But there is no entry from the garage into the laundry room.
I THINK I want to break down part of the existing wall and install a nice beveled glass double door from the laundry room to the garage (so you could be in the new room and not have to look a the washing machine.)
And I'm wondering if I could retain the garage door (wonderful old iron frame, etc.) and simply cut a door into it.
Mind you, I would not do any of this myself. I'm a writer, not a contractor. So I would hire someone to do the work.
There is electricity and heat in the garage by the way. It's dry and solid - and cool (I'm trying to live without central air conditioning -- I installed a whole house fan a few years ago). So, how's that sound?
Many people on my block have turned their garages into rec rooms - the kind of rooms from the 1950s that had wet bars and carpeted floors and fake wood paneling.
My intention is to keep the "urban" look of the exposed pipes on the walls and ceiling, keep the plastered walls (no dry wall) and paint the cement floor, letting the oil stains show through.
Question one: the doors.
There is a nice exterior door that leads from the off-street parking into the laundry room and the rest of the house. And there is a wonderful old wooden garage door. But there is no entry from the garage into the laundry room.
I THINK I want to break down part of the existing wall and install a nice beveled glass double door from the laundry room to the garage (so you could be in the new room and not have to look a the washing machine.)
And I'm wondering if I could retain the garage door (wonderful old iron frame, etc.) and simply cut a door into it.
Mind you, I would not do any of this myself. I'm a writer, not a contractor. So I would hire someone to do the work.
There is electricity and heat in the garage by the way. It's dry and solid - and cool (I'm trying to live without central air conditioning -- I installed a whole house fan a few years ago). So, how's that sound?