Once a utilitarian space for storing cars, forgotten holiday decorations, and tools for a hodgepodge of hobbies, the garage is transforming. Today’s homeowners want more than a drab, purely functional garage. They crave stylish, organized, and multi-purpose spaces that reflect their style and enhance their life. This shift in homeowner priorities can offer closet and garage design companies many opportunities.
Cabinetry: Stylish organization
One of the most prominent trends is for maximizing storage. Homeowners want clever solutions to organize tools, sporting equipment, and seasonal items, transforming chaotic spaces into ordered havens. “Garages continue to be a prime area that is being updated for both function and, even more so, style,” said Chris McKenry, owner of Designer Garages from Closets by McKenry. “Clients [want] everything hidden,” along with clean lines and order.
This emphasis on organization extends to cabinetry. High-end options like StyleLite Atlantic TruGloss cabinets, featured in recent projects by McKenry, are in high demand. These sleek cabinets, often accented with LED strip lighting, provide ample storage and elevate the garage’s aesthetic appeal.
In one garage design, David Cutler, president of The Closet Works, turned the blank walls into functional and diverse organizational storage and workspaces. With its cabinets, cubbies, rollouts, drawers, countertops, and a slatwall backsplash, a wide variety of items now can be stored, including sporting goods, tools, vehicle and cleaning supplies, bulky overflow items from the pantry, and seasonal equipment.
Wall systems and modular shelving
Modular shelving is also gaining popularity, allowing homeowners to reconfigure their storage as needed.
Wall-mounted systems like slatwall are versatile, free up floor space, and keep items neatly displayed and accessible.
Amanda Comstock, designer at Inspired Closets Chicago, used shelving and slatwall in a garage she designed for a fast-paced couple with multiple hobbies. They wanted to create a modern chic garage that held space for all the husband’s golf supplies and gave the wife a space to create her beautiful flower arrangements.
Along with a sliding door cabinet to hide items, Comstock said she placed shelving over the windows, with a counter and upper cabinets placed in-between for the client to pot and disable her flower arrangements. Gray slatwall was placed throughout the design.
Flooring: Durability meets design
Homeowners also are investing in durable and visually appealing flooring options that withstand heavy traffic and potential spills. Epoxy flake flooring with polyaspartic topcoats is cited by many as a clear front-runner. This system offers a wide range of customization options, allowing homeowners to personalize their space with various colors and flake sizes.
“Of course, the biggest trend starts with the floor,” McKenry said. “We have been installing epoxy flake floors with polyaspartic topcoats for four years now.”
Epoxy flake floors also can be a game-changer because of their durability; they are easy to maintain and offer a high-end look that homeowners love.
Details that elevate
Countertops, too, are receiving careful consideration. Granite and laminates are popular and durable. And for a more traditional look, butcher block countertops provide warmth and character.
Kevin Vaughan, co-owner of Encore Garage of Southwest Florida, worked with a local partner to create a custom-cut maple block countertop for a client who wanted a stylish and functional garage space for their Corvettes.
“We installed an undermount sink and asked our countertop partner to custom cut the maple block counter. The removable sink insert allows for full-width functionality of the worksurface when the sink isn’t being used,” Vaughan said in describing the project. “The area [also]features LED task lighting with a switch installed in the matching valance.”
These are just a few design trends that reflect the shift towards creating more organized, functional, and aesthetically pleasing garage spaces that not only integrate with the rest of the home but fit the homeowner’s lifestyle, personal interests, and hobbies.
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