Before and After: A Garage Is Transformed into a Stylish, Cozy Living Room

Written by

Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director at AT Media
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director at AT Media
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
published Jul 24, 2018
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(Image credit: Laura Gibson )

When Laura Gibson—who runs the blog Sophisticated Rust—and her husband moved into this rental house, she didn’t see a lot to love. It was small, hadn’t been taken care of, and just wasn’t what she wanted in a home. But her husband fell in love with the property and persuaded her to consider purchasing it. She was finally sold on the idea, but only if they put a lot of work into the house.

(Image credit: Laura Gibson )

She reports the entire house is a big DIY, but the living room is quite a feat. While it’s a cozy, farmhouse style room for the family now, it started out as the home’s garage. Concrete floor, rolling door, old garage. A soft, creamy color palette, plush furniture and antique finds all come together today to create a space that doesn’t remotely resemble a garage.

(Image credit: Laura Gibson )

“So, we made the decision that we would close in the garage and make it a functioning part of the house. Now, I have to tell you, I was hesitant about this decision. Every time I noticed someone did this to their home, it didn’t look good, it looked like an after thought (which it was), and it just wasn’t typically done well.”

“I needed this space to feel like it belonged with the house. It needed to flow and be cohesive with my kitchen and sitting area, and, quite frankly, I wanted it to feel like it had never been a garage.”

You can see and read more about all of the projects on Laura’s website and on her Instagram.

Thank you Laura!