Garage conversion by architect Paul Westwood. Photo by Chris Wharton.
Looking to make the most of your unused garage space? This article showcases 15 stunning garage conversion ideas, all designed by talented UK architects. From Victorian coach house refurbishments to 1970s townhouse transformations and fully remodelled detached garages, these examples highlight the potential for creativity and functionality. If you're ready to take the next step, see the link below to a detailed guide on garage conversions, offering comprehensive advice and insights to help you get started.
READ: Garage Conversions: Your Ultimate Guide
Trewhela Williams transformed a mews garage, in Belsize Park Conservation Area, into an extended minimalist home for a young family. The design features an oak-finned facade that allows natural light while maintaining privacy. Inside, a nine-meter galley kitchen and a serene, minimalist aesthetic with carefully chosen materials create a cohesive living space. Photo by Lorenzo Zandri.
A dilapidated rear garage, too small for a modern car, has been converted into a garden home office by architect Paul Westwood. Photo by Chris Wharton.
This transformed garage outbuilding by Intervention Architecture creates a compact, light-filled live-work space for a writer in Birmingham. The roof volume has been utilised to create a mezzanine level accommodating a private bedroom and study area, with an open-plan living space and bathroom on the lower level. Photo by Paul Miller.
Architects McCloy + Muchemwa renovated a dilapidated garage in Norwich, adding a bright-orange greenhouse extension clad in polycarbonate. The project, driven by a small budget, focused on reusing materials and improving the existing structure to create a hobby and storage space. The garage, now named The Orangery, features vibrant orange woodwork and a new pyramid-shaped window, while a matching pergola at the house's rear enhances the garden. Photo by Simon Kennedy.
Commissioned to convert an 1820s stable and hayloft in Edinburgh into a one-bedroom house, the design by Richard Murphy Architects preserves the building's historical shell while introducing modern elements. The original garage opening features a steel channel and a combination of glass block and lead panels, with lead masking internal elements for privacy at night. Inside, a ridge roof light and strategically placed mirrors maximise natural light and space, with custom-designed furniture completing the contemporary interior.
This converted and extended garage designed by architects Chambers McMillan incorporates a workshop at the back, a glass-fronted studio extension at the front and a mezzanine den above the studio with an asymmetrical roof. Externally the building utilises original stone, larch cladding and corrugated metal roofing, while the interior features timber beams and exposed OSB board. Photo by David Barbour.
This converted garage by VATRAA creates a 30 square metre home office at the base of a 1970's end of terrace house. Full height glazing maximises natural light and creates a sense of spaciousness. Photo by Jim Stephenson.
Built on a former garage site, the development consists of three houses; a converted coach house and two new builds, each designed by MW Architects. The development is energy-efficient with air-sourced heat pumps and high insulation levels. Photo by Taran Wilkhu.
Architecture studio Konishi Gaffney transformed a 1950s concrete garage in an affluent Edinburgh suburb into a functional artist's studio, sensitive to the existing Georgian property. The overhaul includes a rhythmic facade of wooden battens, raising the roof to match the house’s ground floor, and integrating a side gate. The structure was fully insulated, with aluminium-clad windows and a skylight providing lots of natural light. Photo by ZAC and ZAC.
Tasou Associates has renovated a neglected 1850s warehouse into spacious office in London, emphasising natural daylight and robust industrial materials. The design complements the building’s industrial heritage, with sliding timber shutters that enhance privacy and echo the original facade. Photo by Rory Gardiner.
Hyperspace has competely remodelled a suburban garage into a garden workspace featuring a charred-timber facade that doubles as an insect hotel. The design reused materials from the original garage, including the timber beams from the original roof. Leftover materials were used in other projects by the architects to keep waste to a minimum. Photo by Simon Kennedy.
Tuckey Design Studio transformed a small mews house in Knightsbridge into a live-work space for a fashion boutique. The refurbishment retains the existing garage doors and includes a shop and a multifunctional bathroom that doubles as a meeting room on the ground floor. The upper floors contain an attic-style residence. Photo by James Brittain.
Architects Archmongers has remodelled and extended a 1960s terrace house, updating its facade with glazed tiles and translucent glass blocks. The renovation transformed the former garage into an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living space. Photo by French+Tye.
This house on Regal Lane by modernist architect John Winter, was the first he built for his family after returning from America, where he had worked for SOM and the Eameses. Originally completed in 1961, the house was extended with his input, including a room added over the former garage. Photo by The Modern House.
This 1980s end-of-terrace house has been refurbished and extended by Archmongers. The project connects the main house to a bedroom converted from a garage via a single-storey courtyard extension. The existing garage walls have been retained and extended, stained black, with a corrugated aluminium pitched roof and clerestory window above. Photo by French+Tye.
The information provided in this article is intended for general guidance and educational purposes only. For specific expert advice on your project, choose a skilled residential architect featured on Designs in Detail.
About the author
Aron Coates, an architect with over two decades of experience, draws upon a wealth of residential architectural expertise, encompassing projects ranging from the restoration of historic structures to the design of contemporary homes.
