b'Nesting ComfortablyResidents take on projects to make their homes work betterBY CARLA LABIANCAH ereweare,spendingwaytoowhich we launched our days. Today they are more likedo list. Without that motivation, Aimee says, I would muchtimelustingafterthetrampolines, accommodating the demands of a careerhave put it off another year.or 10. Thats when they perfectroomsonZillowandand online school and basic psychological needs, likerealized they had uncovered a hidden gem: extra space. Houzz.Daydreamingaboutpersonal privacy and security. Architects will likelyUltimately, Garage School University, as it has been thatfixerupperinGeorgiastudy and discuss how to create these post-pandemiclovingly dubbed, was established in the Ryans garage we would never actually movespaces for years to come. After all, the vanity room,for one simple reason: It has electricity. into,versusthatnewkitchenthe first iteration of the powder room, came about inSo how did they do it? After they stashed or do-renovation that most architects are too busy to takethe wake of the Spanish Flu as a place to wash yournated their stuff, they gave their garage a good pow-on. Saturday Night Live captured just this culturalhands when entering the home; its sort of like ourer wash and patched up all the gaps and holes to zeitgeist when it shined a spotlight on our obsessionpresent-day mudrooms, but with a sink. keep the critters out. They had the floor and ceiling with Zillow surfing in a February skit. But thats a topic for another time. With the helppainted, and added beadboard to cover the raw walls Its no wonder. We have, after all, spent almostof one very creative family, two talented home styl- around the perimeter. Closing the kids in wasnt a an entire year trying to make our homes work for usists, and a professional organizer, I explore what wepossibility due to their strict COVID-19 protocols, in ways we never imagined. While many of us oncecan do now with limited budgets to make our homesso they installed a large 16-foot sliding glass door. yearned for the aesthetic of open concept spaces,work for us right where we are.They set up Dyson heaters with air filters and keep we now find ourselves seeking the opposite. Cozythe windows cracked as well as the sliding doors. nooks and rooms that are singular in use offer practi- Garage School University To keep water from pooling in front of the ga-cality. And when it comes to current home organiza- Like many garages, Aimee and Peter Ryans was sim- rage, they had gutters installed along with a french tion and space design, COVID-19 has taught us, isilar to most of ours: a bit messy. But, their son Sandersdrain. Says Aimee, The space actually looked much teaching us still, that function is foremost. school pod needed a safe space to meet and suddenly itbigger once we removed the garage door, as we can Our homes used to be jumping off points fromwas time to move a garage renovation off the long to- now see the ceiling. The renovation has really been a 22/ matters magazine / hearth & home 2021'