“Very impressed with the whole process from start to finish.  The design stage with Matt was smooth and professional, and any unusual requests (for example, custom-sized windows) were readily accommodated.  There was a robust consultative process so we were confident with the plans.  All of the required regulatory paperwork was also organised on our behalf.

The build, itself, was refreshingly fast and professional, with reliable trades who clearly knew their business, all overseen by the attentive Site Manager, Glen.

The end build quality for our garage was far better than what we have seen in most new-build houses (by other builders).  Altogether, a very professional operation with excellent attention to quality and service.”    

David and Alexis

With this particular project, there was some unfinished business to attend to. The previously built garage on the property had never been properly plumbed to stormwater, the gable roof trusses had a rusty long star picket bolted on for non-compliant support, the side aluminium fence had a gap that looked out of place, and there was no door where the garage led to the house, leaving the garage exposed to security breaches. The actual street frontage of the house is a super cute heritage design and, in comparison, the old garage just looked like a box. So, it was Custom Outdoor Living to the rescue! There was no way of rectifying the issues of the past, other than to knock the old box garage down and start afresh. And that’s exactly what we did!

The consultation process with these astute owners flowed as ideas were put on the table.  Once David and Alexis’ concepts were meshed with those of our Lead Designer and Managing Director, Matt Goodie, the plans were drawn for a new garage featuring 11 courses of exposed secondhand red bricks around the base, a concrete floor, weatherboards on the outer shell, and a timber frame with a 25-degree pitched roof.  Clever angular guttering would also streamline the design and re-capture previously wasted boundary space.

Once the old garage was completely removed, we created subfloor footings to incorporate proper drainage lines and electrical cables.  Now, with everything in its rightful place, we could concrete the floor and lay the bricks, and position the walls to maximise the boundary lines.  Cleverly, we also made the new 24sq.metre garage’s length longer than before to align with the depth of the neighbouring garage for a cohesive look.  The exterior of the new build was clad with weatherboards and a monument coloured 3300mm wide roller door was installed (in the laneway) to match the fence.  Rather having the downpipes visual in the rear lane, we enclosed them behind the existing fence panels, the garage was plaster lined inside, and the piece de resistance was the centrally located double barn door with striking black hinges and handles, and a natural-light feature window facing the house verandah. Privacy screen panels were added to the top of the laneway fence, and some neat timber trimming on the base of the fence in the bluestone lane was added.  For the icing on the cake, two coach lights were all that was needed to complete the look.

Notably, a special value-add to this tailor-made garage design is the mezzanine space we created inside the gable roof.  With a property width of only 7600metres, maximising this area for secluded storage gives the owners a special ‘cubby’ to stash away the things that rarely see the light of day – and no-one would even know it’s there!

Custom Outdoor Living’s Garage design experts in Melbourne took care of all Planning Permits, Council Dispensations and Engineering, and naturally attended to all Council Compliance requirements.