Need some design ideas

[rooneyjp]

We just started building a new house with two two-car garages, and I’m a bit lost on how to set them up. Plans are attached.

We need room for storage (including yard tools) and a gym area. My wife and I have two vehicles—a Raptor and a Range Rover SWB—but we only need to park the Range Rover in the garage.

Looking for ideas or examples of how others have organized a similar setup.

 

[iadr]

Very interesting design. Not seen 2 front corners devoted to one's automotive hobbies in a plan before. I like it, and like the near symmetry.


Not feeling the best tonight so will stick to giving point form thoughts to maybe move conversation along.
1) unless you are into 356 Porsches or Miata's 21 ft wide is going to limit side benches to just about nil, so that a parking only garage
2)consider you may find your layout allows you to enjoy backing in, and if this becomes habit, side benches and lighting could be set up to suit

 

[CraigStu]

I'd think about making one the garage & yard tool area and the other the gym and nicely organized storage area. I might even do a simple wall w/ door to separate off 4-6ft for storage.

 

[puttinonthekritz]

Nice house plan. Love the abundance of natural light (especially in the primary closet, bathroom areas) and ceiling heights. I would suggest a powder room, add a mudroom and shoe/coat closet near the south garage closest to the kitchen as I'd image that is the vehicle garage, carrying groceries and coming in with kids or pets.

Also, regarding the bedroom #4 bathroom that leads to the lanai, I would suggest not using a door with any glass, opaque glass or not. Its a bathroom. Especially at night when the light is on inside the bathroom, you will see everything the person is doing from outside the lanai due to shadowing, unless those things don't concern you. I would suggest a transom window above the toilet, sink area since your plan seems to have tall ceilings anyway, for natural light.

Regarding the garage situation, I would suggest based on your vehicles sizes, easy of pulling in or backing up that you delete the north garage all together. Backing a full size SUV or Raptor will be awful always trying to clear or not hit the other garage. From a functional stand point and aesthetic.
And to maintain the garage size, add it to the south garage and merely make it 3-4 car garage. For vehicles of your size, a double door at least 18ft wide. 20ft is ideal. On a single stall door, 10ft minimum. 12ft ideal. In terms of actual garage size, I would make it 30' deep minimum x 50'wide. If you like single doors, three 12ft wide garage doors, 2ft in between each door with 5ft on each end cap (room for garbage cans, cabinets, bikes, etc, and while still being able to full swing your vehicles doors). Use the third stall as a gym and yard tool storage. Don't forget to add a utility sink for hot/cold water in the garage. We use ours all the time.

I would make the argument that it would also be much less expensive to make one larger garage on one side vs two small ones.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Having to make 90 degree turns to get into the garages seems like it would be a pain. Also, suggesting from the outset that only one car needs to go in a garage kind of sets you up for ultimately both cars would sit outside because the garages are full of other stuff. I'd try to put the home gym and storage somewhere else in the house if it were me. It appears there's no basement so that does limit your available space for such things.

 

[dave*99]

I watch the parking guys in the underground garages in Manhattan squeeze cars into the smallest of spaces. You will need those skills to get in and out of those garages, especially the bays nearest the house.

That Range Rover might end up parked diagonally in one garage.

Have you tried setting up cones in a parking lot and see how the turns flow?

 

[ericm]

At my new place the existing garage is 20' deep and 36' wide (three cars). It's way too shallow. The last place had a 24' deep garage which left room for workbenches and cabinets in the back. I still would not have been able to park a Raptor size vehicle in there but I could park my GX460 in there barely though normally it held smaller vehicles like a VW Golf (the other two bays were full of tools, bicycles and motorcycles). I suggest going deeper if you want to park a Raptor in there.

We have to turn 90 degrees to park in the garage. For the smaller cars that's not too much of a problem but the GX gets the bay with the least driveway space to turn and it takes more turning radius than our VWs. It needs a two point turn to go in.

We bought the place with the existing garage and house (of which we kept only the basement) so we kind of got stuck with these limitations. I would be unhappy to have them in a completely new build, unless maybe there are other tradeoffs that are not in your posts.

I think most people here are going to want more garage and less gym space but that's a personal choice.

The suggestion for marking out a mockup in a parking lot and trying to pull in and out is a good one. I did that and it helped.

 

[sgrammel]

Is the house going to be in Hawaii? (Lanai vs patio in the plans)

 

[Codyboy]

Nice house plan. Love the abundance of natural light (especially in the primary closet, bathroom areas) and ceiling heights. I would suggest a powder room, add a mudroom and shoe/coat closet near the south garage closest to the kitchen as I'd image that is the vehicle garage, carrying groceries and coming in with kids or pets.

Also, regarding the bedroom #4 bathroom that leads to the lanai, I would suggest not using a door with any glass, opaque glass or not. Its a bathroom. Especially at night when the light is on inside the bathroom, you will see everything the person is doing from outside the lanai due to shadowing, unless those things don't concern you. I would suggest a transom window above the toilet, sink area since your plan seems to have tall ceilings anyway, for natural light.

Regarding the garage situation, I would suggest based on your vehicles sizes, easy of pulling in or backing up that you delete the north garage all together. Backing a full size SUV or Raptor will be awful always trying to clear or not hit the other garage. From a functional stand point and aesthetic.
And to maintain the garage size, add it to the south garage and merely make it 3-4 car garage. For vehicles of your size, a double door at least 18ft wide. 20ft is ideal. On a single stall door, 10ft minimum. 12ft ideal. In terms of actual garage size, I would make it 30' deep minimum x 50'wide. If you like single doors, three 12ft wide garage doors, 2ft in between each door with 5ft on each end cap (room for garbage cans, cabinets, bikes, etc, and while still being able to full swing your vehicles doors). Use the third stall as a gym and yard tool storage. Don't forget to add a utility sink for hot/cold water in the garage. We use ours all the time.

I would make the argument that it would also be much less expensive to make one larger garage on one side vs two small ones.

I will attest to exterior doors viewed from outside.
Unknowingly, (heh maybe, lol) our master bedroom door by the porch ...if standing in the driveway or backporch there is about 3/4 view of our shower. My wife doesn't like to use the master shower.
And yes I'm a creeper. Lol

 

[Codyboy]

I don't like much of that plan at all.
Especially a garage door that leads directly into the study.
I suppose that garage could be used for cars parking only and a home gym( do people still have that?). No shop work there.

The lower garage leads to a drop off area that can be used for shop/work duty since it has direct access to drop off grimey clothes and boots.
But then if its nasty and raining , muddy. It's a toss up of where you park.
Also don't like so many pass throughs to get to the crapper from the garage.

 

[rktinc]

simple: GLASS WALL from Master Bedroom overlooking the car collection! Your wife will love it!!!!

 

[dave*99]

The plans appear to be a stock design. Lots of hits on the net. ICI homes Monica. Take a tour:

 

[dave*99]

 

[rooneyjp]

The plans appear to be a stock design. Lots of hits on the net. ICI homes Monica. Take a tour:

We have toured the home a lot and changed a few items from the model. Was not about to plop down over a million for a house without looking at it! lol

I have updated the plans with a few changes to the garage design, mainly pushing out the front wall by 2 feet. That should give me a bit more room.

 

[rooneyjp]

I don't like much of that plan at all.
Especially a garage door that leads directly into the study.
I suppose that garage could be used for cars parking only and a home gym( do people still have that?). No shop work there.

The lower garage leads to a drop off area that can be used for shop/work duty since it has direct access to drop off grimey clothes and boots.
But then if its nasty and raining , muddy. It's a toss up of where you park.
Also don't like so many pass throughs to get to the crapper from the garage.

We will be building a pool cabana / Shop in the backyard to help with that problem.

 

[rooneyjp]

Is the house going to be in Hawaii? (Lanai vs patio in the plans)

I wish! We are building in St Augustine, Florida.

 

[rooneyjp]

At my new place the existing garage is 20' deep and 36' wide (three cars). It's way too shallow. The last place had a 24' deep garage which left room for workbenches and cabinets in the back. I still would not have been able to park a Raptor size vehicle in there but I could park my GX460 in there barely though normally it held smaller vehicles like a VW Golf (the other two bays were full of tools, bicycles and motorcycles). I suggest going deeper if you want to park a Raptor in there.

We have to turn 90 degrees to park in the garage. For the smaller cars that's not too much of a problem but the GX gets the bay with the least driveway space to turn and it takes more turning radius than our VWs. It needs a two point turn to go in.

We bought the place with the existing garage and house (of which we kept only the basement) so we kind of got stuck with these limitations. I would be unhappy to have them in a completely new build, unless maybe there are other tradeoffs that are not in your posts.

I think most people here are going to want more garage and less gym space but that's a personal choice.

The suggestion for marking out a mockup in a parking lot and trying to pull in and out is a good one. I did that and it helped.

The RR does have 4 wheel steering which helps tremendously getting into tough spots!
I really don’t have plans to park the Raptor in the garage. Mainly because it is my daily and it has a somewhat loud cold start. Rather wake up the neighbors than my wife. Lol

 

[rooneyjp]

Nice house plan. Love the abundance of natural light (especially in the primary closet, bathroom areas) and ceiling heights. I would suggest a powder room, add a mudroom and shoe/coat closet near the south garage closest to the kitchen as I'd image that is the vehicle garage, carrying groceries and coming in with kids or pets.

Also, regarding the bedroom #4 bathroom that leads to the lanai, I would suggest not using a door with any glass, opaque glass or not. Its a bathroom. Especially at night when the light is on inside the bathroom, you will see everything the person is doing from outside the lanai due to shadowing, unless those things don't concern you. I would suggest a transom window above the toilet, sink area since your plan seems to have tall ceilings anyway, for natural light.

Regarding the garage situation, I would suggest based on your vehicles sizes, easy of pulling in or backing up that you delete the north garage all together. Backing a full size SUV or Raptor will be awful always trying to clear or not hit the other garage. From a functional stand point and aesthetic.
And to maintain the garage size, add it to the south garage and merely make it 3-4 car garage. For vehicles of your size, a double door at least 18ft wide. 20ft is ideal. On a single stall door, 10ft minimum. 12ft ideal. In terms of actual garage size, I would make it 30' deep minimum x 50'wide. If you like single doors, three 12ft wide garage doors, 2ft in between each door with 5ft on each end cap (room for garbage cans, cabinets, bikes, etc, and while still being able to full swing your vehicles doors). Use the third stall as a gym and yard tool storage. Don't forget to add a utility sink for hot/cold water in the garage. We use ours all the time.

I would make the argument that it would also be much less expensive to make one larger garage on one side vs two small ones.

Thank you for the insight! We added Piezoelectric tint to the pool bathroom to help with privacy while still allowing natural light when not in use. I personally wanted a solid door but was not about to fight that battle with the wife. lol
We do love all the windows though! I went with the courtyard two car design to maintain a large entertainment backyard.

 

[rooneyjp]

Having to make 90 degree turns to get into the garages seems like it would be a pain. Also, suggesting from the outset that only one car needs to go in a garage kind of sets you up for ultimately both cars would sit outside because the garages are full of other stuff. I'd try to put the home gym and storage somewhere else in the house if it were me. It appears there's no basement so that does limit your available space for such things.

Lucky the RR is able and to make those tight turns. But you did get me thinking about a redesign to our pool cabana and adding some sq footage for a gym!

 

[dave*99]

The RR does have 4 wheel steering which helps tremendously getting into tough spots!
I really don’t have plans to park the Raptor in the garage. Mainly because it is my daily and it has a somewhat loud cold start. Rather wake up the neighbors than my wife. Lol

Where will the Raptor park outdoors? In the courtyard? If you are really treating the pair of 2 car garages as holding only 1 vehicle, try to identify the spot that is easiest for entry and exit of that vehicle. Then decide where the Raptor will sit, such that it does not block access.
Finally define the remaining spots in the garages for your stuff. That's when a layout can begin. Be sure your wife is part of the parking testing. You may find you want to park the RR in the center of a bay.

My wife has to make a mild S turn to access her bay. It has a 10' wide door. I can swing her car in there swiftly without stopping. I tested the layout after the house was framed by driving up and down the proposed driveway and then laying out the pavers well beyond the tire tracks. She still complains....

Give some thought to guest parking. Will you have overnight guests? Will the RR need to get out while they visit?