Garage Makeovers
For Carpenter of Plano, TX, updating her four-car garage wasn’t just about finding room for all the junk she didn’t want to keep indoors, she said. She turned to Premier Garage of Dallas, one of a growing number of specialty companies that do full garage makeovers.
“We’re not talking just about the garages of multimillion-dollar mansions or shrines designed by obsessive car geeks,” said Martin. In the Carpenters’ case the garage has a sink by the door for washing up before coming inside and a large countertop they use as a buffet during parties.
“It’s a great place for my husband and the kids to hang out,” said Carpenter in a recent feature. Premier Garage joins GarageWorx and The Complete Garage as companies specializing in full garage makeovers, according to the article.
Doug Arndt, founder of The Complete Garage, based in Minnesota, describes his company as aspiring to be the Williams-Sonoma of garage design. Women are taking charge, according to Martin.
“Everyone used to look at the garage as the man’s domain but in the last several years we’ve seen that women are highly interested in creating a beautiful garage,” says Arndt. “You see so many disastrous garages on the home-makeover shows but truth be told our customers are already very well organized.”
To that end The Complete Garage has translated these aesthetic interests into product lines that coordinate with home interiors, according to staff. Some dream garages have 61″ plasma TV’s, a spa room, full-service mechanic station, and other features.
At the other extreme is Frisco’s GarageWorx which caters to the car guys, according to promotions. At PremierGarage co-owner William Welborn of McKinney says the emphasis is on floor coatings, cabinetry, and organization. “It seems like about half the time we’re working to find a place to store the Christmas tree,” he said.
