$2M garage conversion in Bed-Stuy has a zen atrium and industrial glamour

The article details the redesign of an 18th-century farmhouse in Lumberton, transforming it to accommodate modern living while honoring its historical roots. The project was undertaken by Michelle Gage of Philadelphia-based Michelle Gage Interiors, who notes the home's significant age, dating back to the Revolutionary era. This particular residence presented a unique challenge due to its extensive history and the accumulated alterations made by previous inhabitants over centuries. The homeowner's openness to Gage's suggestions was a crucial factor in the redesign's success, allowing for a creative yet respectful approach. Gage identified an inherent 'English vibe' in the home and aimed to align the interior design with both this aesthetic and the client's 'quirky and eccentric' personality. The English influence is evident throughout the house, starting from the entry where antique boot racks hold wellies. The primary bedroom showcases a vibrant display of color and pattern, featuring layered florals on the walls, headboard, and bedding. The chosen wallpaper designs evoke a British country house style, characterized by rich patterns that contribute depth and character to the space. The redesign also incorporated unique elements like a moody, jungle-themed wall covering in the breakfast nook. This wallpaper, featuring hidden animal motifs, thoughtfully frames the home's original built-in cabinetry, adding an element of surprise and whimsy. In contrast, the laundry room adopts a more serene ambiance with a subdued sage-green and white botanical wall covering, designed to create a fresh and crisp atmosphere reminiscent of newly laundered linens. The project successfully merged historical integrity with contemporary comfort and personal style, creating a home that respects its past while providing a vibrant and unique living environment for its current owner. The collaboration between the designer and homeowner resulted in a space that is both historically conscious and reflective of modern eclectic tastes, demonstrating how an antique structure can be adapted for current lifestyles without sacrificing its inherent charm. #LumbertonFarmhouse #HistoricalHome #HomeRedesign #EclecticDecor #InteriorDesign #MichelleGageInteriors #EnglishVibe #RevolutionaryEraHome

The Starmer family, residing in Jacksonville, Florida, undertook a significant home renovation project to support their son, Lyman, in his entrepreneurial endeavors. Lyman, upon graduating high school in 2022, aimed to launch his AI-driven house-hunting startup, Deli. His mother, Christina Starmer, recognized the financial burden of rent in their area post-pandemic and the need for Lyman to allocate his limited funds to his startup rather than housing costs. This concern prompted Christina and her husband, Jeff, who own CenterBeam Construction, a company specializing in renovating historic homes, to consider converting their detached 378-square-foot garage into a studio apartment for Lyman to live rent-free. This solution not only provided Lyman with affordable housing but also presented the family with a potential future income stream through Airbnb rentals once Lyman moved out. The renovation began in November 2022 with an initial budget of $48,000. Leveraging their expertise in construction, Christina and Jeff acted as their own contractors, performing most of the labor themselves and outsourcing only specialized work like electrical and plumbing modifications. Their daughter, Chloe, contributed to the design and layout, while Lyman assisted with physical tasks such as tiling and framing. The project commenced by enclosing one of the two existing garage doors, maintaining the other for potential future reversion to a garage. The primary goal was to create a functional and spacious studio apartment within the limited area, featuring a kitchen with bar seating, a refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, and a cleverly designed built-in pantry to maximize storage. A notable design element was the integration of an internal window, crafted from an antique glass door, to bring more natural light into the living area, which otherwise had only one glass door and one window. Challenges included optimizing the layout of the small space and ensuring it felt open and inviting rather than cramped. The garage's original hip roof resulted in higher ceilings, approximately 11 feet, which significantly contributed to the apartment's spacious feel, enhanced by exposed beams. The apartment also includes a full-size stacked washer and dryer. Due to existing plumbing, the bathroom was elevated by seven inches, creating a subtle separation from the rest of the space, a design choice Christina found practical despite a minor regret about the dryer's height. The renovation concluded in March 2023, costing approximately $69,000, exceeding the initial budget but still representing substantial savings compared to hiring a general contractor. Lyman resided in the apartment until he moved to New York City, crediting the rent-free living situation with providing him the financial runway to invest in his startup, Deli. He emphasized the balance of independence and family support the arrangement offered, facilitating late-night coding sessions and investor meetings while maintaining close family connections. The Starmer family documented their renovation journey on social media, where their videos garnered millions of views on TikTok. This unexpected viral attention led them to develop a side business, Her Home Reno, offering plans for garage conversions and an online course to guide others through similar projects. They have sold hundreds of plans, aiming to empower individuals to optimize their living spaces. #GarageConversion #StudioApartment #HomeRenovation #RentFreeLiving #StartupSupport #FamilyProject #SmallSpaceDesign #DIYHomeImprovement #RealEstateInvestment

A homeowner, impacted by Section 24 and rising mortgage rates, seeks to convert an attached garage into Airbnb accommodation to supplement income, particularly due to its proximity to a major airport. The individual is confused by conflicting information regarding planning permission and permitted development regulations for such a conversion. The homeowner specifically asks whether planning permission is required or if it falls under permitted development. Additionally, clarification is sought on what amenities can be included, such as a shower, air fryer, kettle, and microwave. The article then presents a series of comments from other members of the landlord community, offering diverse perspectives and advice on the matter. One commenter suggests contacting the local council for guidance, emphasizing the need to comply with local regulations, health and safety standards, and parking provisions. This commenter also highlights that Airbnb itself might have specific guidelines for hosts. Another member, who has experience with a similar conversion, recommends structuring the garage conversion as an extension of the main house with an adjoining door that can be locked. This approach, they suggest, helps avoid the appearance of a self-contained unit, which councils may frown upon. They advise against installing a cooker to maintain the appearance of a non-self-contained unit but state that a shower room and utility room are acceptable. This member also suggests exploring alternative advertising platforms beyond Airbnb, as some platforms attract less negative attention from local authorities. They further advise that after council sign-off, the owner is free to make additional modifications. A third commenter strongly recommends transparency with the local authority from the outset. This individual stresses that converting part of an existing dwelling into a dedicated business, even if Class C5 is not yet formally introduced in England, will likely constitute a material change of use. This change could impact neighbors through increased parking demand, noise, and constant foot traffic, potentially requiring planning permission. Building control inspections would also be necessary, necessitating adherence to updated U-Values, such as insulating the floor. The commenter also advises notifying the mortgage lender (if applicable) and reviewing their terms and conditions, as well as updating home insurance policies. They warn that a single neighbor complaint could trigger enforcement action and a retrospective planning application, which is generally an unfavorable outcome. Finally, another piece of advice proposes initially undertaking the conversion as an extension to the main home, with the intention of later letting it out under the 'rent a room' scheme, which offers up to £7,500 tax-free income annually. However, a counter-argument to this suggests that being transparent with the local authority is crucial. The risk of neighbor complaints leading to enforcement actions and forced retrospective planning applications is reiterated, emphasizing that neighbors are often quick to complain, especially if they perceive the owner to be profiting. The overarching theme across the comments is the complexity of garage conversions for short-term rentals and the critical importance of understanding and adhering to local planning, building, and insurance regulations to avoid potential legal and financial repercussions. #GarageConversion #Airbnb #PlanningPermission #PermittedDevelopment #RentalIncome #PropertyInvestment #LandlordAdvice #BuildingRegulations #HomeImprovement

The Designer Show House, a biennial event sponsored by the Village Improvement Association in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, showcases diverse interior and exterior design inspirations across its 6,000 square feet of space and nearly an acre of outdoor areas. This event serves as a platform for regional designers to present their expertise and offers visitors a wealth of ideas for their own homes. One featured space is a sunken living room, designed by Kate FitzGerald-Wilks of Timeless Design in Landenberg, Pennsylvania. This room embodies a West Indies aesthetic, characterized by bold lines, soft sandy hues, and rich textures. Key elements include vintage stick bamboo chairs painted black, adorned with Kuba cloth and Ralph Lauren zebra-stripe pillows on a slipcovered camel-backed sofa. A mid-century hutch is repurposed as a cocktail bar, complemented by sculptural metal and glass console tables flanking the fireplace. Wood mirrors with faux tortoise shell lean against textured wallpaper, while modern sculptures and art blend with antique books and global treasures. FitzGerald-Wilks also designed the dining room, aiming for a dramatic effect with a backdrop of 200 wine bottles and a striking Dolcetti chandelier crafted from shells and crystals, evoking sea glass. An 8-foot-long reclaimed wine rack sits atop a buffet. The room's color palette consists of soft creams and tans, punctuated by emerald green accents in the chandelier and wine bottles. Windows are framed with woven ikat print panels. An airy sunroom, conceived by Alfred Wolf Home (a new venture from Design Center of Rehoboth or DCOR), was designed to create a light-filled, contemporary transition between the house and garden. This involved removing existing French doors and window grills, painting the room in various shades of white and French gray-green, and incorporating textural elements of white canvas, iron, and marble. The family room, also by DCOR, maintained the warmth of its original paneling and fireplace stone, setting the foundation for a soft khaki and cream palette. The room is furnished with herringbone, tweed, and leather fabrics, offset by tortoise shell wood finishes and local tidal scene artwork. Mary Stewart of M. Stewart Interiors in Bear designed the upstairs hobby room, named "Just Us," intended as a shared family space for various pastimes like painting, photography, reading, chess, and Lego building. The room features updated cherished family heirlooms and is painted simply white to highlight paintings by Nadia Zychal. Nile Johnson of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, designed the second-floor paneled library, drawing inspiration from Rehoboth's laid-back yet cosmopolitan atmosphere. This space offers an updated interpretation of a classic library, decorated in layers of sandy tans. Cyndi and Ron Oronzio and Cathie Sheetz of Dreamweaver Interiors of Rehoboth Beach decorated a bedroom and bath, inspired by vibrantly patterned fabrics. They utilized Robert Allen fabrics as wallpaper for an accent wall, building the room's design around this print. The team selected fabrics for their depth, crisp patterns, contrasting textures, and detailed embroidery, incorporating a bright coral pink accent color and rhinestone embellishments for a feminine touch. Brenda Carder of blcINTERIORS of Rehoboth Beach designed a small guest bedroom, combining natural cotton and linen fabrics with metal and reclaimed wood. Crown moldings add formality. To compensate for limited sunlight, the room was kept light and bright, with a deep navy blue accent wall and touches of bright yellow for warmth. The second floor features art by Libby Zando of Zando Designs and Art Affects in Milton, alongside works by award-winning regional artists. Boardwalk Builders of Rehoboth transformed a hallway into a gallery space by adding wainscot paneling, creating an updated cottage aesthetic that visually broadened the hallway. Mark A. Polo of The Urban Dweller in Boonton, New Jersey, designed the master suite, aiming for comfort with soft textural colors ranging from taupe to blue. The furniture is upholstered to enhance the room's softness, featuring taupe draperies of embroidered sheer linen and silk edged in leather and freshwater pearls. Blonde floors are softened by a long-fiber rug. Outdoors, Erin Walls and Justin Bartels of Bella Terra Landscaping in Lincoln repurposed existing flagstone patios and walkways, adding new stones to create a Celtic-inspired design. The layout divides the space into a grand area for social gatherings and secluded nooks for quiet retreats. Creative Concepts Furniture of Lewes and Ocean View furnished the patios as outdoor rooms with bright coastal colors, including a sectional, loveseat, dining area for six, and lounge chairs, inviting visitors to envision themselves in the setting. #DesignerShowHouse #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #RehobothBeach #DelawareDesign #LuxuryInteriors #OutdoorLiving #DesignInspiration

Garages are typically seen as utilitarian structures, primarily for vehicle storage, and are not often considered architectural marvels. However, this article highlights five different projects that demonstrate the successful transformation of these mundane spaces into stunning and functional areas for various purposes, showcasing a remarkable design feat. These conversions, spanning from the East Coast to the West Coast, reinvent former car storage and auto repair shops while acknowledging their industrial heritage. The first example is the Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles, California, designed by wHY Architecture. This project merged a food market and a car repair shop to create a soaring art gallery. wHY Architecture, known for designing prestigious institutions like the Harvard Art Museums, preserved the industrial roots of the structure by exposing trusses and ducts, resulting in a space that respectfully integrates its past with its new artistic function. Next, Selldorf Architects transformed a former service station in Brooklyn, New York, into Berg’n Restaurant, a vibrant 9,000-square-foot beer garden. The conversion involved replacing garage doors with operable storefronts made of black aluminum and glass. Inside, the main beer hall features reclaimed wood picnic tables, a refurbished vintage bar, food vendor stalls clad in quilted stainless steel, and industrial copper light fixtures, creating a cool and lively atmosphere. Another significant conversion is the Pace Gallery in New York, NY, designed by HS2 Architecture. Situated beneath the High Line in an area once dominated by garages and auto body shops, this gallery is part of a larger trend transforming the neighborhood into an art destination. Due to the constraints of the High Line tracks above, HS2 Architecture implemented a structural solution using shallow steel members to maximize ceiling height. Skylights running along the east and west party walls allow abundant natural light to fill the exhibition spaces. AA Studio, an architecture firm specializing in restoring industrial spaces, converted a garage in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, into its own offices. The firm replaced the original garage entrance with a transparent glass façade, making the large conference room visible from the street. The newly designed office space features exposed brick walls and includes eight workstations, a principal's office, a kitchen, server and printing rooms, and a storage area. Finally, Menter Architects designed a residential gym in Seattle, Washington, for a family with young, active children. A freestanding, two-story garage was transformed into a durable, multi-purpose family room with a clean, modern aesthetic. This 413-square-foot vaulted gym opens to a patio and garden, with steps that double as a stage for performances, providing a dynamic space for recreation and entertainment. #GarageConversions #ArchitecturalRenovation #AdaptiveReuse #InteriorDesign #CommercialDesign #ResidentialDesign #UrbanTransformation