New construction homes these days are multipurpose spaces. Living rooms serve many purposes, including media rooms, entertainment venues and family hangout spots. Kitchens are places to cook, eat and entertain. In fact, every room in your home is likely to have multiple purposes and uses, because that’s how we live these days. It’s all about open concept and flow.

But how about your garage?

There’s a growing trend to allow the multifunctionality of modern homes to spill into this space, too. Here we look at a few great ways you can use your garage for more than just housing your car – and we’re not talking about storing rusty tools and dusty holiday décor, either!

Entertainment Area

If you have a large, multi-car garage and not enough cars to fill it up, a portion of the space can be converted into the perfect place to watch football games or motor racing. Stick to the garage theme by sourcing repurposed vintage car seats to use as “movie theater seating” and add a carpet to keep your feet warm. A small fridge and a big TV are all you really need to complete this type of rugged viewing space, but you can add any other details you like.

Workshop

This is probably one of the most classic uses of garage space because it’s also one of the best. Given the garage’s accessibility and its separation from the house, it’s one of the easiest places to undertake DIY projects and still keep dust and noise out of the home. Invest in a top-of-the-line workbench, and make sure you beef up the lighting. Standard garage lighting is sometimes insufficient for detailed projects.

Teenage Hangout

It seems garage bands have been a part of the teenage experience for as long as there have been garages and bands. So if your teens are interested in jamming with their friends, give them a space to do it. A designated area with a comfortable couch and space for a drum kit will keep the noise out of the house and give your kids somewhere to hang out with their friends while still being close enough for adult supervision.

Game Room

If you don’t have a basement, or if your basement is dark and dingy, then the relatively bright and airy space in your garage can be a great place to keep your foosball table, pool table or other bulky but fun activities. Add a carpet and a divider of some kind and you’ve got a great additional space.

Boat or ATV Storage

If your garage is large, it can be a great place to store boats, ATVs and other outdoor toys when they’re not in use. If you are building a new home and you do want to store a boat in the garage, be sure to discuss this with your contractor. You may need to adjust the design so that the doors are tall enough to accommodate the boat and trailer.

Remember: Safety First

Whatever you use your garage for – whether to store your car, for something else on this list or for other purposes – it’s important to remember that safety should always come first. Cars should never be run inside the garage if it’s being used for another purpose, as exhaust gases can build up quickly and be very dangerous.

If you’ll have an attached garage, it should also be designed to limit the flow of air into your home. The space should be well insulated, and there should be no venting between the garage and the house. Talk to your homebuilder if you have any ideas or concerns and discuss the best ways to transform some of your garage into a multi-use space safely and correctly.