Have you ever looked at images of room makeovers and wondered how the homeowners took a boring space and transformed it into something amazing? There are so many genius renovations online to be envious of, but it was one of our very own employees who recently wowed us the most. With a second child on the way, she and her husband decided to transform a boring single-car garage, into a fantasy and safe playroom.
After talking to her about how she did it, we were even more impressed – turns out that turning a garage into a playroom isn’t as hard as we thought! We’re sharing with you all her best tricks so that you can repurpose your own unused space into the perfect play space for your kids.
Why Not the Garage?
Turning a garage into a place for young children to explore their imaginations isn’t something that many people would think of first. They might think about giving up their office, or repurposing a corner of the family room first. But our employee said, “Why not?” when asked why she chose the garage. Her home had two places to park vehicles, and having a place that was shielded from extreme heat or cold was an important feature of a playroom. They also didn’t want to make any major structural changes inside the house itself. The garage is an easy place to find that compromise between climate controlled and away from the main areas of the home.
Step 1: Choosing Paint
Most garages have concrete walls, which means that you can’t simply use a regular gallon of leftover nursery paint. Our employee used Behr Premium Concrete & Garage Floor Paint, in fun lime green to create a jungle scene on the playroom walls. There are many other major brands that offer a similar concrete product, in a huge range of colors to create just the right feel. Just be sure to choose something made for concrete walls, and then paint as you usually would.
Step 2: Keeping it Comfortable
In order to keep the garage warm in the winter and cool in the summer, you’ll need to tackle the biggest issue that a garage presents: the door. Choosing the right garage door will make your garage just like another room in the house. Our employee chose a Garaga garage door, which has a thermal resistance of R-16. It has a high insulation level to keep the garage warm no matter the weather outside. At the most, you may need to consider a small electrical heater that can be used under supervision on extremely cold days.
The garage door opener may be another concern. Our employee opted to make the garage door inoperable, disconnecting the opener and ensuring that the opener buttons on the wall were not within reach. There are two reasons that this is the best choice for creating a playroom in the garage: you’ll get all the advantages of a fourth wall, rather than having to keep the door clear for opening; and, by keeping the door rather than creating an actual wall, you can still bring in natural light with a small row of windows across the top of the door.
Step 3: Decorate!
Our employee covered the floor of the garage in puzzle floor mats that can be found at many department stores. She got hers at Walmart, but these types of mats can be found at Home Depot, Toys R Us, IKEA, online at Amazon, Canadian Tires, or many other stores. They come in a variety of bright colors, and are soft and comfortable for little feet.
For storage, her go-to spot is Ikea. Ikea storage solutions are easy to put together, affordable, and can be customized as the children get older. The rest of the décor included wall stickers that were bought at DeSerres, a Canadian Arts and Crafts store. If you live in the US, you can check at a Michaels or order online from Amazon or other crafts stores. Stickers can be chosen to fit nearly any theme, and letting kids choose the stickers with you gives them a playroom they love being in.
Would you do it? Share your thought and opinions with us! You can also share this blog post with your family and friends and give them the inspiration they were missing!
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