Getaway Garage

Elevating a space from grunge to glam

The transformation of this Spanish bungalow extends to the landscaping of the front yard and the interior of a garage that needed a special dose of TLC. “Houses in Southern California are so expensive these days,” Julia says. “When I restore a home, I want to maximize the square footage as much as possible, so homeowners get more space for the price.” Julia updated the garage not only to use for storage, but also as a cozy retreat. So what did it take to complete this project?

1. Creative vision. “It’s great to park a car in a garage, but it can be so much more than that,” Julia says. “An office space, a guesthouse or just a sitting area; I wanted to create possibilities.” With this vision in mind, Julia cleared out the garage, gave it fresh paint and French doors to match those used in the house.

2. Making solutions. Like many designers who restore old homes, Julia was aware that water could be a home’s worst enemy. “There were a lot of big rains during this project, and there were concerns about the lack of drainage around the property.” Julia and her team raised the pitch of the concrete in order to discourage water from running down the driveway into the garage. They added several drains surrounding the garage and driveway to keep unwanted water out.

3. Personal touches. Julia finished up this project the same way she restored the interior of the home: with love and care. “I added bright, happy colors throughout the space because I want the homeowners to love this place as much as I do,” Julia says. She included her own furniture and accessories so that potential buyers could see the many possibilities this new garage space held.

|TOP| STYLE AND STRUCTURE. Some much-needed drainage improvements were made to the area surrounding the updated garage. Julia and her team created a new driveway that slanted slightly uphill to discourage flooding, and put in drains throughout to keep away unwanted water.