🖼️
The project:
We transformed a single car garage into a dual-purpose wellness room and workshop. Having spent years doing DIY in my apartment open-plan lounge, resulting in sawdust in the kitchen and constant cleanup, I was determined to have a dedicated workshop space when we bought a house. When we added the idea of a sauna and cold plunge wellness area, we had to get creative with a single car garage. The result is a fully functional fluted-wall wellness room on one side, a complete workshop on the other, divided by a curtain, maximising every centimetre of vertical space on a tight budget.
- Materials:
- Tools:
- Step 1:
Plan the dual-purpose layout
With only a single car garage, every centimetre counted. We designed the space to divide into two zones, a wellness room with sauna and cold plunge on one side, and a fully equipped workshop on the other, separated by a curtain to contain sawdust.
This was determined by the size of the sauna, and the circulation requirements of the cold plunge cooler. Once that was downpat, I used sketchup to design the floorplan
- Step 2:
Garage Floor Tiles
We laid Decko DURANTE garage floor tiles throughout to protect the sauna and cold plunge from rain and water that drains to one side of the garage. A practical first step that made the whole space feel intentional immediately.
These were really easy to install. The hardest was pushing our junk around to be able to complete the whole floor. But once the tiles were in, pushing the junk around was a lot easier to slide! The DECKO online calculator was very good at estimating how many tiles we needed.
I cut tiles with a circular saw and a rip cut guide. It prob would have been better with a smaller tooth blade or a table saw, but it did the job.
It raises everything off the floor (particularly my offcuts) enough to not get damaged by the water flow, and provides perfect ventilation for the water to dry up.
- Step 3:
Limewash the walls
Using the hydrated lime powder mixed to a 1:1 ratio, I limewashed where I could reach the brick on one wall. I referenced the Bunnings workshop site heavily for the mixing instructions. It transformed the raw garage walls into a bright textural finish and it was surprisingly easy. Easier than me having to re-read the instructions. I wanted an opaque finish and two coats of 1:1 ratio was perfect.
This was done in portions as I had to work around the junk we had sitting against the walls. I just finished the last section last week! that was 6 months of painting.
Steps:
- wear full protective gear as hydrated lime is very dehydrating and can cause respiratory issues so this includes, eye, mouth, and skin protection.
- mix 1:1 ratio of hydrated lime and water in a yoghurt bucket
- Mix until fully combined. It will be runny.
- spray walls with water before brushing on lime wash
- Brush on limewash, don't expect it to look good. It will get darker as it dries.
- Once finished, apply 2nd coat after 24 hours.
- Step 4:
Install fluted wall paneling
Using a mix of pine pre-primed (delivered), and MDF fluted panels (picked up in the Corolla) from Bunnings we framed the walls with 90x35 timber battens and installed the paneling throughout. Mixing panel types helped me use panelling I had left over from a past project, and also manage cost without sacrificing the look.
Steps:
- Cut to size, pilot drill and install timber battens to brick wall horizontally at around 400mm centres. Also pilot drill the brick prior to securing the batten to the brick.
- Use an offcut of a batten as a spacer to keep the bottom of each wall panel even at the floor. Due to our uneven ceiling I had to measure each panel to ensure the top would also look even.
- Brad nail into the tongue of each panel to secure. This quickest, most visually satisfying, dopamine hits a project could give you)
- Step 5:
Paint the wall paneling
Once the fluted paneling was up, we painted it to achieve a cohesive, finished look throughout both the wellness and workshop zones. Fluted panelling is easiest painted with a spray gun. So a lot of prep of the ceiling and walls, and taping plastic drop sheets assisted with a perfect finish.
We wanted an earthy grounded look. What do you think of the Dulux Red Earth?
- Step 6:
Build the workshop bench and upper cabinetry
An IKEA MALM dresser sourced from Facebook Marketplace became the base of the workshop bench together with another Facebook Marketplace find of a metal tambour office cabinet.
A pine project panel from Bunnings was laid on top for the benchtop and secured with screws into the MALM dresser, and double sided tape to the metal cabinet.
Slat panels were installed on top for vertical storage for smaller tools like measuring sticks and safety glasses.
IKEA ENHET upper cabinets and doors (purchased on sale, saving over $300) were installed above for tool and material storage.
I calculated the cost to make everything from scratch and buying everything secondhand or on sale beat the time and money of making from scratch. It also provides a better finish too. But because of the discontinued IKEA sale, it did mean that the only option for cabinet doors were mirrored ones in the size we needed.
- Step 7:
Install slatwall and vertical storage
To maximise the limited floor space, we installed slatwall panels for vertical tool storage, high shelving with brackets, and two black wall-mounted bike racks to keep bikes completely off the floor.
- Step 8:
Add secondhand metal office cabinetry
To keep costs low while achieving the metal cabinetry security we wanted, we sourced secondhand office cabinetry and an additional office cabinet from Facebook Marketplace. Metal cabinetry is expensive new, this was the smart budget alternative.
We can securely store our tools in one, and paint/chemicals in the other.
- Step 9:
Install the wellness zone
The sauna and cold plunge were installed in the dedicated wellness side of the garage, creating a proper recovery and relaxation space separate from the workshop.
These were both installed by their respective professionals. The sauna needed an electrician to install a 15amp plug. We also had them replace the single light bulb in the centre of the garage into two flat panels to light and define each space.
- Step 10:
Hang the dividing curtain
A blackout curtain was hung on the workshop side. Being 100% polyester it is perfect at keeping sawdust out of the wellness area and giving each space its own feel. The wellness side I chose to hang a cotton curtain for a softer feel, and to improve the sight of the back of the blackout curtain which was all black. I chose curtains as it allows us to open and close each space as desired and was more practical and cheaper than building a wall.
