Read on as we explore some of the most insane custom garages in existence.
Just like with man caves, pool halls and dive bars, some guys often view their garages as their “men only” room, full of empty cans, dirty floors and even dirtier language.
But some men keep their garages cleaner than their houses. And sometimes, these elaborate and civilized work spaces even cost more than the house itself.
As just one example of an extreme garage: if you love your car and live in NYC, be prepared to pay for it. The apartment units located at 200 Eleventh Ave. each come with an en-suite sky garage.
What’s an en-suite sky garage you ask? Take a look for yourself. Prices do vary, but expect to pay nearly ten million dollars for the privilege of looking at your car while you eat, sleep and dine in the sky!
Garage customization: safe bet or silly idea?
Jim Frey, president of Car Guy Garage, says that custom cabinets, storage and workbenches help his customers “change the garage from a storage shed for your car into making the garage another room in your house.”
Adding additional living/working space to your home sounds appealing, but Jim wasn’t sure that anybody really wanted to hang out in their garage more than they had to.
According to Jim, “After months of working on the web site, the first order finally came in for a garage clock, and my brother and I were dancing and jumping around we were so excited. It was an official confirmation that we weren't the only two guys in the world who liked to hang out in garages.”
And, what’s really cool about this website: you can look at large numbers of photos of customized garages – sort of like a car garage museum.
Jim tells Advance Auto Parts that a wide range of people are customizing their garages, “from people who take apart race cars to families who store soccer balls and rain gear in them.” Although he has not noted any specific style trends, he does say that you can often tell what type of garage style someone will want based upon the car that he or she drives.
Elevating garage customization to new heights
One of the most desirable (and expensive) custom garage options is the lift.
Lifts can be used to store more than two cars in a two car garage and can allow for easy access to the underside of the vehicle for maintenance and performance upgrades.
Car lifts come in dual or four post varieties, but the single post variety (seen below) opens up tight spaces even further.
Photo courtesy of Car Guy Garage - teamclark - Rochester, MI
Get organized with garage cabinets and floors
What good are galvanized steel hand tools when you can’t find that darned 3/8” drive ratchet?
Installing custom shelving and cabinetry in your garage makes sure that there’s a place for everything in your extreme garage.
No more cluttered workbenches and no more lost washers means your projects are as hassle-free as possible. This upgrade is both practical and visually appealing, especially if you choose stainless steel cabinets and diamond flooring as seen below.
Photo courtesy of Car Guy Garage - Bob - Lubbock, TX
Is that a custom garage you’re building or an art museum?
Many extreme garage owners install their floors and cabinets, set up the workspaces and then say to themselves, well now what?
Roadside art collecting is trend that’s made its way into the major automobile auctions, with auctioneers such as Mecum offering hundreds of pieces of road art for sale.
What is road art you ask? Well, road signs mostly. That and vintage advertisements for gas, oil, tires and just about anything else you associate with America’s love of cars and the open road.
Photo courtesy of Car Guy Garage - Dixon - Boulder City, NV
Museum quality garage lighting for your automotive works of art
Go out to your garage and tell me what you see. Dark corners and shadows cast by automotive junk everywhere? You are not alone.
Most of us have suffered long evenings of wrenching in the near darkness offered by the single overhead light bulb screwed into a socket above or fluorescent lights hanging from chicken wire the previous home owners’ brother-in-law installed.
Stepping up to professional lighting is a huge improvement and one that can make working in (or just hanging out in) your garage much more enjoyable.
LED lighting is a practical and energy efficient option for garage lighting that’s become much more affordable in recent years. And of course, LED accent lighting is nice touch.
Can’t decide on a color? Install multicolor LED strips and choose from hundreds of colors … or cycle through them on command.
Photo courtesy of Car Guy Garage - Gary - Granite Bay, CA
If you could upgrade anything in your garage, what would it be? Please let us know in the comments below.
Editor's note: You can spruce up your work space with garage tools and garage accessories for every budget from Advance Auto Parts. Buy online, pick up in-store in 30 minutes.
