The homeowner of this old, detached garage wanted to create a functional living space with a kitchen, bathroom and second-story bedroom, while still maintaining a functional garage space. We salvaged hickory wood for the floors and built custom fir cabinets in the kitchen with patchwork tile backsplash and energy efficient appliances. As a historical home but without historical requirements, we had fun blending era-specific elements like traditional wood windows, French doors, and wood garage doors with modern elements like solar panels on the roof and accent lighting in the stair risers. In preparation for the next phase of construction (a full kitchen remodel and addition to the main house), we connected the plumbing between the main house and carriage house to make the project more cost-effective. We also built a new gate with custom stonework to match the trellis, expanded the patio between the main house and garage, and installed a gas fire pit to seamlessly tie the structures together and provide a year-round outdoor living space.

Timber Frame Garage / Workshop / Guest house

Carolina Timberworks

This Garage Guesthouse was born when my wife and I built a new home and I realized that it was perfect except for one thing: I really wanted and needed a space of my own. That, and a good friend once told me that if one could ever justify the cost of a Guest House, we and our guests would prefer the arrangement. And so was born a simple, yet attractive, highly energy-efficient 18' x 22' timber framed Garage/Workshop with an upstairs that currently serves as a Guest House--but could also be a studio, home office, or Airbnb. The White Oak timber frame is enclosed by highly efficient pre-cut structural insulated panels, and is heated and cooled by a Mitsubishi split unit. We plan to offer this as a timber frame kit in the coming year--please give Eric Morley a call for more information. Photo copyright 2017 Carolina Timberworks