Parents of a growing family are often hard-pressed to find new and fun spaces in the home where their children can play. As the kids get older, it becomes all the more necessary to give them a space in the house that is only theirs. The old home can feel so cramped that parents consider moving the entire hoard to a new location. Save yourself from that dilemma by converting your garage to a playroom. Especially in two-car-plus garages, this reformatting of the floor plan can increase your happiness in your home.
Safety first
You must start your garage conversion with safety. Focus on reformatting the garage basics so that they suit the play habits of a rambunctious kid. A great place to start is the floor. Typically, garages are laid with concrete, which can lead to many dangerous play accidents. Eliminate this issue by laying down utility‚Äã-grade carpeting, which is strong enough to deal with both the kids and the cars. To add extra cushion, consider putting down foam mats or rugs for roughhousing on one side of the garage. Next, you will need to address any heating or lighting issues. It should be bright enough for the kids to write and draw, while also being warm enough for winter play. This may require adding a few more electrical outlets.
Getting all of this ground work out of the way early will help keep this a year-round play space, eliminating the need for a mudroom in the winter and spring.
On to the fun
On the playroom side of the garage you will want to install storage areas in both corners with a short desk and chair between. Setting up two Flow Wall 3 Piece Work Stations at the far ends of one wall will provide all of the craft storage the children need, and within close proximity of their crafting stations. To make the storage solution work even more to your advantage, give one cabinet to each child so there is no argument over space. If you happen to have only one child, you can divide the units by use, one for daily craft projects and the other for sports equipment. Along the wall, between the work stations, install a couple of Flow Wall Magnet Hooks low enough for young access. Place a few metal clips along these and let your child use them as a space to display his or her artwork.
Add to this great art playroom by painting the back of your garage door with chalkboard paint. The kids will love the chance to doodle away on a wall without getting in trouble. Also, this leaves a great opportunity for mom or dad to leave cute notes for the kids before leaving for work in the morning.
As the kids get older, you can repurpose the Flow Wall 48 Square Foot Panel Pack with Magnet Hooks to be a sport storage station, or even a child's memorabilia area for you to hang medals and trophies once he or she moves out of the house for college.
