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Designed by Jagoda, the door swings open to fit in front of a bookshelf.
Designed by Jagoda, the door swings open to fit in front of a bookshelf.
When not in use during winter, the tub is hidden from the home’s view. The entrance has a sheltered overhang for car parking.
When not in use during winter, the tub is hidden from the home’s view. The entrance has a sheltered overhang for car parking.
On a side wall, sleek barn doors open to reveal a storage area for bikes. Stairs near the garage entrance, which features a door from Renlita, lead to a vaulted loft that was originally intended as an exercise room but is now used by Rakesh as an office.
On a side wall, sleek barn doors open to reveal a storage area for bikes. Stairs near the garage entrance, which features a door from Renlita, lead to a vaulted loft that was originally intended as an exercise room but is now used by Rakesh as an office.
When Libby May and Eoghan Mahony purchased a 1950s post-and-beam house in Los Angeles’ Santa Monica Canyon, they envisioned someday transforming the garage and adjoining workshop into livable space, with an office for each of them and a family room they could share with their sons, Wes, 14, and Duncan, 10.
When Libby May and Eoghan Mahony purchased a 1950s post-and-beam house in Los Angeles’ Santa Monica Canyon, they envisioned someday transforming the garage and adjoining workshop into livable space, with an office for each of them and a family room they could share with their sons, Wes, 14, and Duncan, 10.
Inside the closets are items like the family’s ski equipment, neatly arranged and always at the ready.
Inside the closets are items like the family’s ski equipment, neatly arranged and always at the ready.
The property has a discreet, wooden door garage.
The property has a discreet, wooden door garage.
"The property does not have a conventional backyard, so the pool is a place where the adults can get some exercise, and the two young children can play. From here, the evening sun streams through the slide-fold doors, creating a lovely ambiance," Schaer explains.
"The property does not have a conventional backyard, so the pool is a place where the adults can get some exercise, and the two young children can play. From here, the evening sun streams through the slide-fold doors, creating a lovely ambiance," Schaer explains.
When you first approach the loft, you can choose to enter through a simple door, or through the garage door that slides back completely. This reveals the main workshop floor that has its own bathroom and painted concrete floors.
When you first approach the loft, you can choose to enter through a simple door, or through the garage door that slides back completely. This reveals the main workshop floor that has its own bathroom and painted concrete floors.
The Baltic birch plywood is offset by matte black handles from Omnia and a polished concrete floor.
The Baltic birch plywood is offset by matte black handles from Omnia and a polished concrete floor.
An architect reimagines an outdated brick garage by designing a graceful new family home atop its foundation.
An architect reimagines an outdated brick garage by designing a graceful new family home atop its foundation.
To allude to the nearby ocean, the architects designed a seaweed patterned for the interior of the garage door (seen here raised). It successfully reads like a leather padded wall and makes “the cube” feel that much more customized.
To allude to the nearby ocean, the architects designed a seaweed patterned for the interior of the garage door (seen here raised). It successfully reads like a leather padded wall and makes “the cube” feel that much more customized.
Christopher, known professionally as Flore, surveys a painting in his garage turned studio.
Christopher, known professionally as Flore, surveys a painting in his garage turned studio.
Light cascades into the living room through a row of six insulated timber windows on the south wall. The north wall flares out to create what Schaer calls a sunset scoop. “It grabs the late afternoon and evening sun and brings it deep into the space,” he explains.
Light cascades into the living room through a row of six insulated timber windows on the south wall. The north wall flares out to create what Schaer calls a sunset scoop. “It grabs the late afternoon and evening sun and brings it deep into the space,” he explains.
To reference the original structure and to offer privacy, Grizzle left two of the shingled walls standing. The building, accessed by a cedar deck, opens to its surroundings via a sliding glass wall by Fleetwood and a bifold steel-and-glass garage door from Wilson Doors.
To reference the original structure and to offer privacy, Grizzle left two of the shingled walls standing. The building, accessed by a cedar deck, opens to its surroundings via a sliding glass wall by Fleetwood and a bifold steel-and-glass garage door from Wilson Doors.
The view from the kitchen looks across the courtyard into the playroom. The Stones stools are by Maya Lin for Knoll; the kid-friendly Teflon-coated Cybele fabric curtain is by Jack Lenor Larsen.
The view from the kitchen looks across the courtyard into the playroom. The Stones stools are by Maya Lin for Knoll; the kid-friendly Teflon-coated Cybele fabric curtain is by Jack Lenor Larsen.
Pendant lamps by Moooi are suspended from the double-height ceiling.
Pendant lamps by Moooi are suspended from the double-height ceiling.
To reference the original structure and to offer privacy, Grizzle left two of the shingled walls standing. The building, accessed by a cedar deck, opens to its surroundings via a sliding glass wall by Fleetwood and a bifold steel-and-glass garage door from Wilson Doors.
To reference the original structure and to offer privacy, Grizzle left two of the shingled walls standing. The building, accessed by a cedar deck, opens to its surroundings via a sliding glass wall by Fleetwood and a bifold steel-and-glass garage door from Wilson Doors.
Original elements such as the curved glass windows, added in the 1930s, remain, as does the original parquet floor.
Original elements such as the curved glass windows, added in the 1930s, remain, as does the original parquet floor.
The ceiling features pin lights that effortlessly blend within the folded surfaces to make the studio feel as spacious as possible.
The ceiling features pin lights that effortlessly blend within the folded surfaces to make the studio feel as spacious as possible.
IF House - Photo 13
IF House - Photo 13
An eight-foot sliding ladder provides access to upper cabinets in the garage of a carriage house in Northwestern Connecticut designed by architect Aya Maceda for Rakesh and Amanda Wilson.
An eight-foot sliding ladder provides access to upper cabinets in the garage of a carriage house in Northwestern Connecticut designed by architect Aya Maceda for Rakesh and Amanda Wilson.
What Carstensen saved on labor costs he was able to put into furnishings. The interior of the screened-in porch is outfitted with a mix of furnishings, both vintage and new. He purchased the vintage Malm fireplace in Los Angeles on a work trip and had it shipped to Portland. The rug, shelf unit, and loveseat are all from the locally-based Schoolhouse Electric, as are the ceiling lights: Factory Light No. 7 in Green.
What Carstensen saved on labor costs he was able to put into furnishings. The interior of the screened-in porch is outfitted with a mix of furnishings, both vintage and new. He purchased the vintage Malm fireplace in Los Angeles on a work trip and had it shipped to Portland. The rug, shelf unit, and loveseat are all from the locally-based Schoolhouse Electric, as are the ceiling lights: Factory Light No. 7 in Green.
Carstensen painted the body and exterior trim on the garage the same color, in order to "make the house look slightly more modern, without losing character," he said. The color is a discontinued shade, called Evening Canyon, from Behr, that he had mixed at Home Depot. "I tried so many before landing on this one," he said. "This one ended up being my favorite, because it maintains a nice warm tone all throughout the day. Others would end up either looking too cool (almost navy blue) in direct sunlight, or just look brown."
Carstensen painted the body and exterior trim on the garage the same color, in order to "make the house look slightly more modern, without losing character," he said. The color is a discontinued shade, called Evening Canyon, from Behr, that he had mixed at Home Depot. "I tried so many before landing on this one," he said. "This one ended up being my favorite, because it maintains a nice warm tone all throughout the day. Others would end up either looking too cool (almost navy blue) in direct sunlight, or just look brown."
Awkwardly shaped and saddled with a run-down garage, the backyard posed a challenge. Since the city wouldn’t allow for the removal of the garage, Wendi and Lukas decided to convert it into additional living space.
Awkwardly shaped and saddled with a run-down garage, the backyard posed a challenge. Since the city wouldn’t allow for the removal of the garage, Wendi and Lukas decided to convert it into additional living space.
After a tree falls in Santa Monica, a garage is reborn as a 600-square-foot family gathering spot.
After a tree falls in Santa Monica, a garage is reborn as a 600-square-foot family gathering spot.
The new dividing wall was sheathed in sanded pine plywood and includes a door for easy access to the other side of the garage.
The new dividing wall was sheathed in sanded pine plywood and includes a door for easy access to the other side of the garage.
Claude shares: "We loved this studio conversion. We added a black grid garage door so the owner could use it as a garage if they wanted, but also added a brand new HVAC system and polished concrete floors so it could be used as a studio space if needed."
Claude shares: "We loved this studio conversion. We added a black grid garage door so the owner could use it as a garage if they wanted, but also added a brand new HVAC system and polished concrete floors so it could be used as a studio space if needed."
Tasked with transforming a 93-square-foot brick boiler room into a guesthouse, architect and metalworker Christi Azevedo flexed her creative muscle. The architect spent a year and a half designing and fabricating nearly everything in the structure save for the original brick walls. "I treated the interior like a custom piece of furniture," she says.
Tasked with transforming a 93-square-foot brick boiler room into a guesthouse, architect and metalworker Christi Azevedo flexed her creative muscle. The architect spent a year and a half designing and fabricating nearly everything in the structure save for the original brick walls. "I treated the interior like a custom piece of furniture," she says.
New Exterior View
New Exterior View
The adjoining garage also doubles as a recreational room, with a vintage roadster and nearby pool table lending some fun.
The adjoining garage also doubles as a recreational room, with a vintage roadster and nearby pool table lending some fun.
The Langs use an outbuilding as a rec room of sorts. "We call that the Grace Studio," Lang says. "It's designed so a car can pull in there, but we use it as more of a rec room and work space."
The Langs use an outbuilding as a rec room of sorts. "We call that the Grace Studio," Lang says. "It's designed so a car can pull in there, but we use it as more of a rec room and work space."
Landscape designer Jay Griffith recreated the area between the house and the studio.
Landscape designer Jay Griffith recreated the area between the house and the studio.

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