From Rot to Revival: My DIY Historic Garage Restoration
Part 1: Why the Garage?
In 2021, my spouse and I bought a 1925 pseudo-Tudor revival brick home in the Historic Neighbrohood of Richmond Hill Queens, New York. It was the perfect size, in the perfect location, and best of all—it was largely untouched. Original doors, walls, doorknobs. All still there. Naturally, I fell in love.
Like many home owners, our house house has became our life’s biggest ongoing project. Our goal is to restore it as faithfully as we can to the original 1925 structure, with just enough modern sensibility to keep things livable. But historic restoration takes tools, space, and practice—especially for someone DIY-minded. That’s where the garage comes in.
Our detached brick garage, built to match the house, became my workshop. And just like the house, it needed love. The doors were rotten. The trim was mismatched and decaying. The brickwork cracked and tired. So, I decided to start here. The garage would be my test case for paint colors, materials, tools—and all the inevitable mistakes that come with learning.