Creating a Garage Shop Space

The information in this article applies to:

QUESTION

How can I create a space in my garage that can be used as a shop or work area?

ANSWER

Using the Cabinet tools and library fixtures and furnishings, you can create a space in your garage to meet a variety of needs. Work areas for vehicle maintenance, storage, gardening or other hobbies can easily be designed using the same tools and basic techniques.

In this article, we will cover the following:

• Creating a garage
• Placing garage cabinets
  
• Adding additional storage furniture and accessories
  

To create a Garage

1. Open the plan in which you would like to create a garage work area or select File> New Plan  from the menu to open a new, blank plan.
   
   
   
2. Using the Straight Exterior Wall tool, click and drag to draw out four walls to create a garage.
   
   In this example, a simple 22' x 30' garage will be used.
   
   
   
3. Click in the room that will be used as your garage, select the Open Object edit button to open the Room Specification dialog, set the Room Type to Garage, and then click OK.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Navigate to Build> Door> Garage Door and place one or more garage doors in your garage.
   
   In this example, we placed a single 9' garage door, along with a double 16' garage door.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Next, select View> Library Browser  to open the Library Browser and navigate to Home Designer Core Catalogs> Exteriors> Vehicles to find and place 3D vehicles in your garage.  
   
   Recreational vehicles and Trailers can be found in the Bonus Vehicles Catalog, which can be downloaded from the 3D Library.
   
   
   Note: More information on downloading library catalogs can be found in the Related Articles section below. 
   
   
6. With vehicles in place, it will be easy to judge how much room you have to add other objects.
   
   
   
   

To place garage cabinets

1. Select Build> Cabinet> Base Cabinet  from the menu, then click in the garage to place a base cabinet at that location.
   
   
   
2. Click on the base cabinet to select it, and select the Open Object  edit button to open the Cabinet Specification dialog.
   
   
   
   
   • On the General panel, specify the Floor to Bottom height as 4" to raise the cabinet above the floor and make any other desired modifications.
     
     
   • On the Door/Drawer panel, select the Door Style drop-down menu and select Slab Doors from the list.
     
     Perform the same procedure to set the Drawer Style to Slab Drawers.
     
     Remove the handle from both Doors and Drawers by selecting None from the drop-down menus.
     
     
   • On the Materials panel, select the material of your each of the cabinets components.
     
     
   • To delete a toekick, backsplash, drawer, countertop, or other cabinet component, select it in the 3D preview to the right, and on the Front panel, select the Delete button.
     
     
   • Click OK to close the dialog and apply your changes.
     
   
   
   
3. Create copies of this customized cabinet by selecting it, clicking the Copy/Paste  edit button, and then clicking in the drawing area.
   
   
   • Enable Sticky Mode  to make multiple copies of the object instead of just one.
     
     
   • Alternatively, you can use the Object Eyedropper   and Object Painter  tools within a 3D camera view, if you'd like to set your already created cabinets to be the same as a customized cabinet.
     
     More information on the Object Eyedropper and Object Painter can be found in the following training video: Using the Object Eyedropper and Object Properties Painter.
     
   
   
   
4. Perform this same procedure for any Wall  and Full Height Cabinets you may want in the garage.
   
   

   As with base cabinets, you can specify a door style, size, and other attributes in the Wall Cabinet and Full Height Cabinet Specification dialogs.
   

Storage shelves, tool boxes and other accessories can be added to your plan.

To add storage furniture and accessories

1. Select View> Library Browser  from the menu to open the Library and browse to Home Designer Bonus Catalogs> Tools and Shop.
   
   The Tools and Shop bonus catalog can be downloaded from the 3D Library.
   
   The Garage Accessories ($4.99) bonus catalog is also available for purchase if you'd like additional garage items.
   
   
   Note: More information on downloading library catalogs can be found in the Related Articles section below.
   
   
2. Click on an item to select it, then move your cursor into the drawing area and click to place the object at that location.
   
   
   
3. To place objects on a storage shelf, begin by placing them on the ground in front of the shelf.
   
   
   • Create a Full Camera  or Elevation  view of the shelves and adjust the height of the objects so that they are the right height to sit on the shelves. 
     
     
   • Select File> Close View to return to floor plan view and use the Move edit handle to move the objects into the same space as the shelf.
     
     
   • If you bump into other objects, hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard while you move the object to override any movement restrictions.
     
   
   
   
4. Select 3D> Create Camera View> Dollhouse View  to see the results.