Week Five: Design Your Garage Around Entertaining

There’s a reason garages often become gathering spots. They’re separate from the house, they’re usually open and flexible, and there’s room to spread out.

But if entertaining is part of the plan, you can do more than throw a television on a folding table. You can design the garage around it, both the inside of the structure and the exterior.

Start With Seating

How many people do you expect to have over? That answer affects everything else as square footage becomes important.

A couple of comfortable chairs require a very different layout than a space designed for a dozen people watching a game.

Add the Conveniences

If the garage is going to be your entertainment space, decide where the television belongs before you decide where everything else goes.

Then think about outlets, speakers, lighting, and seating.

A refrigerator can keep drinks and food close by while cabinetry can provide storage. Counter space can make entertaining easier.

And good lighting makes the space useful even when the television is off.

Think About the Seasons

A garage entertainment space shouldn’t only work on a 70-degree fall afternoon.

If you want to use it throughout the year, consider insulation, an insulated overhead door, insulated service door, dual-pane windows, and heating or cooling options.

When designing the exterior of the structure, consider overhead shade, fans above the seating, and how to extend the patio space into the garage space.

There’s no single formula for an entertainment garage. The important thing is to design it around the way you actually plan to use it.