How We Transformed Our Garage Into A Bedroom in 3 Short Months

When The Hubz and I blended families all those years ago, Roo and Baby Girl lost the luxury of having their own rooms. We were in the old farm house, which provided us with 3 bedrooms simply divided up by “Girls”, “Boys”, and “Mommy & Daddy’s” room. Although there were random complaints, it didn’t seem to make a big difference for the first few years; the kids were young and the girls always ended up in the same bed anyhow.

Fast forward to the preteen and teenage years and we were past due of separating the girls. Being 3.5 years apart, this was a stage in life where maturity levels were at opposite ends of the spectrum and social behaviors were changing, BIG TIME. We promised the kids we were looking for a home that could provide EVERYONE their own space. The kids heard, “New House = Instant Own Room”.

They didn’t quite get that. We bought the 20yr makeover house; turning a 4 bedroom house into a 7 bedroom house doesn’t happen overnight when you are on a budget and DIYer’s.

On Roo’s 13th birthday, The Hubz, obviously caught up in the moment, promised her she’d have her very own room by her 14th birthday. What? Umm.. my kitchen is in the basement…. I really thought I would get that moved first. Nope. Spoiled Kids.

Let me just side note here for a second to point out a few things:

1. Roo Forgets Nothing. Her Grandpa Promised her a VT Teddy Bear when she was 2yrs old. It was a “in passing” type of promise, you know, “Next time you visit we’ll go to the bear factory and get a bear, ok? Love you.” 3Years later, she called him out on not getting her bear. They went the next day. He had forgotten; she had not.
2. Sharing a room meant the promise of Roo getting her own room, instantly gave Baby Girl her own room.
3. This timeline allowed a FULL YEAR to complete this project. Face palm. There is such a thing as TOO MUCH TIME
4. This is a BUILD, not a makeover. Roo’s “New Bedroom” was planned to replace a bay in the original garage, the kind built into the house.
5. The Hubz WORKS FULL TIME

This project began in August… 9 months into the “deadline.” Can we take a moment to revisit #3? HA!

We started by replacing the garage door with 3 windows. The room faces South with an overhang from a porch above and we wanted as much natural light as possible. By doing a wall of windows, it allowed us to avoid any disruption of the foundation and gain the desired light. We were lucky to have The Hubz’s dad visit for a week. He took Little Man under his wing and together they designed and conquered.

Tearing out all of the built-in shelving and finding a new spot for all of the “stuff” was next.

Once the windows were in and the space was cleared, The Hubz got to work on the framing, wiring, insulating, and hanging the sheetrock. Let’s give The Hubz a shout-out for being AMAZING. He did all of this mostly on random Sundays and at Midnight.

We hired out the mudding and taping. Could we have done it? Yeah, but not as quick!

The room was beginning to take it’s shape, making it finally time for the fun part; The Design.

Because this space is technically the basement, we went with a vinyl plank floor. The laundry room is set to be moved behind this space making it important to us to use a product that wouldn’t get instantly ruined from water or moisture if there were to be a leak of some kind.

Once we found the flooring, we were able to pick paint colors, lighting, a door, and hard wear. The entire time we tried keeping Roo’s taste in mind along with the fact that this room would double as the guest room.

We reminded Roo that although her input is important to us, there are some things that we will instantly veto. Roo wasn’t impressed with this at all, especially when she found out we picked the paint color without her. She felt she wasn’t having much say in the design of HER ROOM. I basically told her to TRUST US and at the end of the day it really didn’t matter because we were not going to have a “Ripe Tangerine” or “Deep Artic Mist” or “Fresh Mowed Grass” colored room, that in 5 years everyone is going to hate. I’m not repainting. We would be going neutral and she could “pop” with colored accessories.

Needless to say, the room wasn’t 100% “done” on Roo’s 14th birthday, but was finished enough for her to sleep in it. And, She LOVED IT.

This was definitely a Win.

It’s been 5 months and the only thing left to do is hook up the heat pump. This will provide the room heat and A/C. Due to the location of the space, this was the best solution.

The room is well lived in by your typical teenager; clothes on the floor, wrappers not in the trash can, dirty glasses. I yell, she picks it up. This is basically the routine. She is really good about cleaning it up for company and doesn’t complain (too much).

The Details

• Wall Paint: ALPACA by Valspar Signature with Eggshell Finish
• Trim Paint: DU JOUR by Valspar with Satin Finish
• Floor: 5mm Grizzly Bay Oak LVP by Tranquility Ultra
• Door: Custom Order, Solid Core

The total cost of renovating this space was about $5,ooo.

We did Everything Ourselves except finishing the sheetrock (taping, mudding, sanding). Thankfully, The Hubz is more than knowledgeable in this department, making him a keeper for sure!

Estimated Cost Break Down

• Heating/Cooling/ Insulation: $1,600
• Flooring: $600
• Framing: $1000
• Contracting Out Sheetrock Finishing: $600
• All Electrical, including fixtures: $300
• Paint: $150
• Windows: $300 (new on Craig’s List)
• Door and Hard Ware: $250
• Trim: $500