Buildings
About
Several years ago I was contacted by a woman who was in the process of buying a house in the historic Gillespie Park neighborhood in Sarasota. The 1920s house came with a detached garage in not-so-great shape, placed awkwardly in the middle of the yard and she wanted to replace it. Then she had a few big life changes, including moving out of the country, and the plans for the garage were put on hold. When she called back last year, she no longer wanted to just replace the garage. Instead, since the main house was being used as a vacation rental, they wanted to add a garage apartment that could also be rented out. Historic Shed™ designed a two-story, two car garage apartment with details that complemented the main house with a one bedroom, one bath layout. We also included a large porch for a private sitting area for visitors, accessed by an exterior stair. The cottage is available for rent at: https://www.vrbo.com/811457 So far, it has some rave reviews.
Historic Shed was contacted by a couple who live in the Hyde Park historic district in Tampa to design a garage and guest room for a very unusual lot. Triangular in shape, their small lot was just over 4,500 sf and contained a lovely one-story Craftsman bungalow with less than 1,000 sf. The atypical lot was further constrained by a large protected oak tree on the site, and one on a neighbor's lot, just over the property line. With Tampa's strong tree protection ordinances, this left little space to build. Building up was the only real option to maximize the remaining lot space.
Before: The site once had a one-story one-car garage on the lot, long since gone. The original concrete was still in place, complete with a 1919 date embossed. A ramshackle carport had been constructed by a previous owner.
The Main House: The historic bungalow on the site has a 3:12 roof pitch and 4' bead board eaves with bracket supports.
After tweaking the design to fit the lot and meeting with Tampa's Historic Preservation Office and Forestry Department, the resulting project created a 12'x20' one-car garage with apartment above. A 6'x8' one-story shed allowed additional storage while accommodating the lot's shape and giving a visual step down from the two-story volume to the street. The stairs were placed at the rear of the building for privacy with an exterior design that allowed them to encroach within the required oak tree setback.
Due to height constraints at the Historic Shed shop, the first and second floors were prefabricated separately.
Installation of the Garage Apartment adjacent to the historic Hyde Park bungalow.
Installation of the prefabricated outbuilding.
Trusses installed, roof sheathing on, and the shed addition in place on the right side.
The garage design itself took its cues from the main house which had a low-sloped front-gable roof and very wide eaves. Walls were clad in lap siding and an existing skirt board was inspiration for a belt course on the new building. The new outbuilding was kept simpler in architectural detail, but clearly complementing the main residence.
Windows and shed door installed. With no alley and an odd shaped lot, the garage faces the street and has the same front setback as the main house.
The stairs to the second floor apartment are set to the rear of the building for privacy. The exterior wood framed stairs allowed the building to set closer to the protected tree on the site.
Second floor interior view when you walk in the door. The floors are laminate, the ceiling is 1x6 V-groove pine, and the walls are drywall. A mini split ac system cools and heats the space.
The main room in the second floor apartment. The space will double as a home office and guest suite.
The French doors let in extra light. A 5'-6"x5'-6" 3/4 bath is located on the right.
View into the apartment bathroom.
The Garage Apartment Floor Plans
A steel overhead garage door with a carriage house overlay by CHI finishes out the front facade along with period-inspired lighting.
The ribbon driveway completes the exterior of the garage apartment with a period look.
The interior of the garage was finished in plywood fro added strength. The storage shed is located on the right.
The 6'x8' side storage shed features a cypress bead board door.
Details on the Garage Apartment front facade
Eave and trim details on the garage apartment
The finished product, waiting for sod.
A new deck creates a welcoming entry from the street.
Landscaping completes the look.
And the rear of the carriage house completed.
See more about the Two-story Garage-apartment options. A two-car version is in the works as well.