Nearly all homeowners tune into HGTV to follow their favorite DIY’ers and flippers. Lowes, Home Depot, and Wayfair then benefit from large profit margins as we gather the goods to replicate what our favorite personality constructed.
Love It Or List It’s –Hilary Farr is hands down my favorite! She not only understands the creative finishing elements for the design but the design that goes before it. Hilary can literally utilize every square inch of a square foot.
I completed the following projects over the last 24 months, since purchasing our home in 2019. The home is 1750 SQFT and with a family of four things can get tight.
The first project, after moving in, was the storage in the garage. It is a great use of space totaling 160SQFT for storing the yearly Fall and Christmas decorations. The beam was purchased from Lowes for under $200 and sets upon 4×6’s that are attached to the original studs. I created microbeams from 2×4’s and ripped lengths of plywood for the joist. This provides the strength needed while saving space for storage above.
I would highly recommend reaching out to friends to help set the beam in place! With no help, you will need to do as I did using a ladder for assistance.
Soon after completing the storage, I needed a workspace.
I created a multiuse working station that includes a table saw, compound miter, and serves as a bar to include the garage for usable square footage.
It’s really nice to roll out onto the driveway when cutting and the dusty mess stays outdoors.
The desk area was created with the idea of tying it in with the kitchen. I purchased two unfinished kitchen floor cabinets from Lowes and painted them to match those of the kitchen with black hardware installed. I used the 7′ x 4′ piece of granite that acted as a dining table for the three-piece top.
I really enjoy this area for creating, photography processing, and listening to my favorite vinyl.
With the wide-open floor plan and needing a home office to offset my wife working from home, I constructed the plan I had envisioned for keeping an open feel yet closing the space when needed.
The space doubles as a guest sleepover with the hideaway sofa.
Finishing touches to desk and room additions.
Tackled a weekend project of bringing the laundry room up to date with the rest of the projects.
I utilized the wasted space between the washer and dryer, stripped and painted the cabinets, and installed the black hardware to match the rest of the house. Galvanized metal was added to match that of the bar in the garage for a farmhouse feel.
While the wide entryway was welcoming, it was wasted space.
I offset the desk area creating a bench with ample storage below.
To round things off for utilizing every square inch, I headed back out to the garage. Ladders, paint, and tools that were once scattered now have a hidden spot.
While some would argue I took away space and now have a 1 and 3/4 garage, it should be noted you can still park a compact on that side with the removal of the bar/workstation. For my everyday needs, the workstation rolls up against the wall below the tv, the golf cart and scooters are parked alongside which gives me the space to park a car.