Meet Me in the Garage
August 1, 2006
For the better part of the 20th century, only those with extensive automotive collections saw a need for
anything more than a three-car garage. And no one gave these spaces much
thought—even the larger garages in high-end homes were decidedly unglamorous.
They typically featured concrete floors, unfinished and uninsulated interior
walls, and open rafters crowded with old kayaks and tennis rackets. Those who
actually worked on their cars tended to make do with makeshift worktables, a
dangling lightbulb, and Craftsman tool chests from Sears, which competed for
space with the second refrigerator, the washer and dryer, and anything that
didn’t fit elsewhere. The garage was, in short, an unfocused jumble.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Modular wall systems, custom cabinets, and
heavy-duty racks are among the features Garage Envy employs. (Click images to enlarge)
But all of that has changed. In the same way that Americans
embraced the kitchen as a favorite spot to entertain, they have begun to regard
the garage as a viable alternative to the family room or the media room.
Homeowners now invite interior designers to extend their home’s aesthetic into
the garage, or to create an entirely new concept in the same way they might
treat a home theater. This experimentation has produced a spate of avant-garde
elements from designers such as Charles Allem, who installed stainless steel
flooring and glass walls in one client’s Bel-Air garage. Media centers, bars,
and seating areas are no longer unusual.
Form is not achieved at the price of function, however, and garages also are being packaged with arrays of purpose-built cabinets and high-grade flooring. Subterranean garages have become nearly ubiquitous in neighborhoods with smaller lots or restrictions on the size of aboveground structures. The addition of lifts in conventional garages further increases space, and also facilitates serious maintenance.
For Steve D’Gerolamo, who established New Jersey-based Ultimate Garage in 1996, there are already certain design clichés he prefers not to use in a garage. "I try to steer clients away from colors and styling elements that might be a bit too bold," he says. "I’ve seen too many Ferrari enthusiasts overdo the red/yellow theme, and way too many black-and-white checkerboard floors." He also refuses to use slot-wall storage systems in garages designed for high-end and collector cars. "These systems—with hanging racks, shelves, and cabinets—are fine for retail, but are accidents waiting to happen in a garage filled with prized automobiles, especially if the garage is in an area subject to seismic activity."
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Designs by Ultimate Garage opt for enclosures that stow equipment out of
sight. (Click images to enlarge)D’Gerolamo divides large garages into multiple zones: one or two garages for the vehicles that are driven on a daily basis; a garage workshop for maintenance and detailing; and, often, a storage area to showcase the client’s collection of vehicles. Each of these areas has specific requirements, and he adds that size, detailing, and appointments can drive the cost of an extreme garage into the millions of dollars. "But these more extravagant garages are museums with extremely valuable vehicles," he explains, "which need to be protected from humidity, UV exposure, fire, and theft. I don’t consider many requests outrageous, although I did speak with an enthusiast who had a working 40-foot carousel in his garage museum to go along with the car collection."
D’Gerolamo notes the increasing intelligence built into today’s garage: network cameras and addressable controls; fan-interlocked charging stations for electric cars; and OBD Bluetooth vehicle diagnostics for tire pressure, fluid levels, and fault codes. "For serious workshops," he says, "I’m now installing a digital three-phase power supply to safely and effectively run CNC equipment, large air compressors, and speed controls on fans for ventilation and fume extraction."
The ultimate garage can extend beyond the actual space dedicated to the storage of vehicles, says D’Gerolamo. "It can go out to the motor court and gardens, the patio and pool, the gym, the home theater, or the office." Likewise, many of those areas’ features can be brought into the garage. And whether working with a consultant such as D’Gerolamo or a specialist manufacturer, it is becoming easier to find almost anything to suit your needs. Nearly everyone in the field cites as an inspiration the substantial and varied strides made in personalizing kitchens.
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