Garages of the Future Won’t Be Eyesores Anymore

While the garage is technically a part of a house (in most cases, it’s literally connected to it), rarely is it one with a home. The boxy room usually lacks all the things that make the rest of the space feel livable, like natural light, proper insulation, aesthetically pleasing storage, and flooring on which you can walk barefoot. But if you’re top interior designer Kelly Wearstler, who recently partnered with Hummer EV (the company’s electric vehicle), you make the spot feel like an extension of the living room. “The garage is intended to become the home and vice versa,” she says of her design.

Start with the roof. Situated in the Southern California desert, a rendering of Wearstler’s proposed space features a sleek bronze metal shell with angular roof slats that flood the interior with sunshine (the louvers can be left open or closed, so inclement weather is a nonissue). This setup takes the idea to the extreme, but it’s not so tricky to replicate IRL. “I would try to introduce a window or skylight where possible to allow for lovely natural light,” she says. 

Next up, look down. While the flooring in Wearstler’s plans appears to be carpeting, it’s actually meant to be travertine. The patterned stone creates a “tension between raw and refined,” notes the pro. The same goes for the sand-colored plaster walls, which can help disguise ugly mechanical features and blah-looking tool storage. 

Last but not least, bring in furniture (duh!). Wearstler’s own Echo bench and Monolith side table, along with various lamps, vases, and planters, make an appearance in her dream space, because, in the future, the garage will be as much a place to park as it is to unwind. 

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