Having plenty of light was a primary importance when converting this garage to an art studio. The owners added several skylights and included banks of fluorescent light fixtures under the ceiling soffits. Painting walls and ceilings a crisp white helps keep the interiors bright and creative.

Image: Pine Street Carpenters, West Chester, PA

No excuses about not getting to the gym when you make your own workout center in your converted garage. Modifications aren’t necessary, but you might want to add a heater for cooler days. Rubber anti-fatigue mats ($28 for a ½-inch-thick, 3-by-5-foot mat) help prevent muscle strain and protects concrete slabs from accidentally dropped weights.

Image: Chris Bainbridge

Sometimes a garage is just a garage — and a greenhouse. A complete redo of a detached garage included a new three-car structure connected to the main house via an airy greenhouse. The new garage was carefully designed to comply with historic precedents of this St. Louis-area neighborhood.

Image: CORE10 Architecture

With no space for an addition in this urban setting, the homeowners decided to convert their garage to create a handsome living room. On the opposite side — facing the street — a pair of faux outswing garage doors satisfy local historic requirements by preserving the original look of the facade.

Image: WentworthStudio.com/Ron Blunt, photo

A custom cabinet with now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t sliding barn-style doors houses a full-on home theater system that helped turn this garage into a combo playroom and in-house movie palace. The garage doors still open for that fresh-air, drive-in movie ambience. A heating system and carpeted floors keep the media room cozy all year.

Image: SoundVision

This fetching guest cottage has it all — even a garage. Simple structures such as this one are good ways to begin developing a property. You can live small as you gather the economic steam to build a larger main house. Just be sure your municipality or HOA allows multiple dwellings on your lot.

Image: WPB3 Digital/Point B Realty

No whining about where to stash your vino collection when you convert a portion of your garage to wine storage. Partitioning off a 10-by-10-foot section of this garage provided enough space for 1,800 bottles stored on handsome redwood racks. Insulating the space and adding thermostatically controlled systems to regulate temps ensure an ideal 56 degrees for optimum wine-keeping.

Image: Joseph & Curtis/Joe Kline, photo

A professional photographer, this homeowner turned her garage into a combo photo studio and crafting center. The photo backdrops pull down like giant shades; when not in use, they roll up to reveal the crafting work station. Simple shelves add convenient garage storage for supplies and knickknacks.

Image: Natalie Wright

Very little had to be done to this sweet space to turn it into a clean, bright backdrop for a variety of hands-on games. With a classic, three-shade pool table light fixture and white painted interior, there’s plenty of light for hands-on action. Tough epoxy garage floor paint stands up to heavy traffic and an occasional flying cue ball. This room will readily revert back to a garage if needed.

Image: Florida Villa Services

Adding insulation, plumbing, a finished floor, and a cleverly designed sleeping loft turned this 250-sq.-ft. freestanding garage into a tiny house. Salvaged gym lockers offer storage and a wood-burning stove adds heat. A small add-on bathroom completes the living space.

Want to see more small houses? Check out our slideshow on tiny homes.

Image: Michelle de la Vega