Here's some insight as to how the Great American Garage will look by the year 2020. The physical characteristics, various uses, and who will be making decisions regarding the emergence of this new category in home improvement are all a part of the make-up of this developing trend.

By 2020, garage space is viewed as a fun and functional place, shedding its dismal past as a repository for clutter.

FLEXIBLE SPACE PROMOTES MANY ACTIVITIES
The garage becomes the ultimate, multipurpose room, and it's the home's flex space providing flexible options for various activities for crafts, hobbies, science projects, children's birthday parties, Cub Scout den meetings, a guy's hangout for watching TV, or lifting weights.

LIGHTING MAKES THE GARAGE MORE INVITING
No one desires spending time in a dimly lit room. That's why the single, exposed light bulb on a ceramic base in the garage gives way to track lighting or other lighting methods to help create a bright and inviting environment.

RESILIENT FLOORING DELIVERS EASY MAINTENANCE
Advanced floor coatings and coverings make for easy clean up to avoid tracking dirt into the home. Flooring options create an environment that is conducive for family activities. Lighter colors for garage floors expand the sense of space. Homeowners can be creative with colors and patterns for their garage floors.

WORKBENCH DESIGNS INTEGRATE ERGONOMICS, FORM AND FUNCTION
Workbenches become the family activity center for various projects. And they are built as long as practical for the space available in the garage for functional uses. Workbench heights are raised to avoid that slight stooping while working on a project that produces lower back strain. Watch manufacturers produce workbenches that are fully integrated in design to appear as the furniture for the garage much like kitchens are designed with countertops, drawers, and cabinets.

GARAGE INTERIORS INCORPORATE SPACE PLANNING FOR EFFICIENCY
Look for the standard garage depths to be 24' long. Deeper garages can accommodate modern vehicles and provide more space that can be functional. Home buyers have more options from builders to include cabinetry, sports lockers, wet sink, lighting packages, heating and cooling options, electrical upgrades, ceiling storage, wall storage systems, and many more products not yet on the market. An unfinished garage in a new home by 2020 is rare.

TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED GARAGES CREATE YEAR-AROUND COMFORT
Climates with extreme temperatures prompt homeowners to install heating and cooling systems to be able to achieve more use in their garage. Even today, nationally known architect, Donald Evans, installs air conditioning in upscale retirement homes in Florida. He refers to those garages as the living garage.

WOMEN INFLUENCE THE DEMAND FOR THIS EMERGING TREND
Much like the closet industry 15 years ago, the garage is viewed as the 'drive-in' closet. Valuable space for storage and organization for the possessions acquired requires a place. Women are involved in the purchase of 61% of major home improvement products according to the Wall Street Journal. One out of three women homeowners in a home improvement project say they were the sole decision maker, and another 40% shared the decisions equally with their partners according to a report in Traditional Home magazine. The report included that both men and women preferred an over-sized garage, more flexible space to be used as game rooms or exercise rooms, and space that can provide private retreats.

By 2010, women will control 60% of the wealth in the U. S. according to Business Week and Gallup research, which suggests more influence in making financial decisions than in the past. The value proposition of achieving more use in the garage for storage and family activities is one that is embraced by women much like they did when the closet industry was in its infancy.

NEW HOME BUILDERS RESPOND TO THE GARAGE DESIGN AND FINISH TREND
Homebuilders see the benefits of a clean, functional, and organized garage because it is value-driven by consumers. Innovative builders who adopt this trend early clearly differentiate themselves from other homebuilders. Offering various options to design and finish a garage is the beginning. Prospective homeowners desire options that enable them to furnish the garage to meet the requirements for a family's lifestyle.

ARCHITECTS EMPHASIZE DESIGN STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE VISUAL APPEAL
Faced with smaller lot sizes, the visual impact of garages, and the demand for more garage space create the need for innovative designs by architects. While new urbanism communities construct garages on an alley or a lane, there are traditional subdivisions that have the garage appearing on the front elevation of homes. Adding a veranda or porte cochere on the front of the home improves the visual appeal. Moving the garage to the rear of the home can be incorporated into the design to enhance the front elevation of a home.

GARAGE REMODELING AND ORGANIZING ENHANCES THE HOME�S VALUE
Real estate appraisers value a home in the marketplace based on several factors: Buyers' preferences; other similar homes that have sold within a certain time frame; financial market trends; supply and demand of home inventory for both existing and new construction.

As the trend for remodeling and organizing a garage matures and becomes commonplace, a home's value can be adversely affected if it appears to be a dark and dingy garage from the '90s. Buyers' expectations prevail to include garage cabinets, storage systems, and the appearance of a clean and functional room in the house.

GARAGE REMODELING AND ORGANIZING: A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Local, regional, and national companies create businesses to remodel, organize, and furnish existing garages. The heady entrepreneur seizes to gain a position in the marketplace that produces satisfied customers. There are approximately 68.5 million owner-occupied homes, townhomes, and condominiums with garages. That space and the vast number of garages will not be ignored by manufacturers.

The objectives for success are a passion for the business, an ability to deliver value to the home owner resulting in high customer satisfaction, an ongoing focus on growth, and identifying the products that meet homeowners� needs. Making it easy for homeowners to achieve a functional and furnished garage, drive the desire and the demand homeowners require.

Condensed from the book, Your Garagenous Zone: Innovative Ideas for the Garage, ©2004-2008