If you have a garage that doesn’t get much use, sometimes it makes sense to convert it into an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), which can serve as an extra place to host guests or even a secondary income generator.
The Piedmont
This 300sf cottage sits in the backyard behind the owners primary North Portland residence and serves as a vacation rental unit that earns some extra income.
Coastal Retreat
Arguably one of the more stylish conversions we’ve seen, this sunny California cottage was designed by Beth Dana Design.
Michelle De La Vega’s Conversion
This artist wanted to earn a bit of extra income and decided to convert her garage into this industrial-chic dwelling. An artist and metalworker by trade, you can tell she stamped her own style into the construction, which she did herself.
Photographs by Ira Lippke for New York Times
Maison Garage
Located in Bordeaux, France, this garage underwent the most dramatic transformation on the list. While searching for properties in Bordeaux, the only place within his budget was a dusty garage that his friends thought was a terrible idea – but he purchased it anyway and enlisted help from an architect friend to transform it into a modern bachelor pad that’s oozing with style.
Bright & Spacious Cottage
When the owner of this backyard cottage contacted ART Design Build, they devised a plan to convert the seldom used one car garage into a bright and airy little cottage. Judging by the results, that was a great decision, and the execution was flawless, resulting in a stylish space with a folding murphy bed, loft, full kitchen and bathroom.
Photos by Tsantes Photography
While these designs might get your creative juices flowing, unfortunately it’s not always that easy to get permission to convert your garage into a space like this because of local ordinances. However, assuming you live in an area where you can legally modify your garage in such a way, it seems like a great idea.
