A Delaware woman did an extensive self-renovation of her parents' garage, transforming the barren space into her own cozy home, replete with sweet and gentle personal touches, from quirky vintage furniture to “boho beach” wall art.
Savannah Shockley, 24, drew inspiration for the project from the converted garage apartment she rented in Fresno, California, last summer — a living situation she went viral for on TikTok in 2022.
When the singer returned to her hometown of Delaware last fall, she decided to put her own spin on the concept by setting up in a garage on the property of her parents' newly purchased home in the Delaware Bay town of Lewes.
From there, Savannah—along with her fiancé, her brother, her uncle, and a few friends—renovated the modest space into a bohemian studio apartment that exuded what she described to as a “cottage vibe.”
24-year-old singer Savannah Shockley decided to renovate her parents' garage herself and transform the barren space into a cozy abode
The room is full of personal touches, from knick-knacks and crystals to keepsakes from family members
Savannah's “love” for “natural colors” significantly influenced the interior design
A vintage pyramid-shaped dresser from her uncle is one of the more versatile pieces of furniture in the room
The house her parents had just purchased also included a stained glass panel now installed in the garage that had apparently been thrown away by the previous owners
Savannah said there were “references to celestial things,” including “little stars” and “moons,” reflecting her interest in astrology
The process began with a trip to Home Depot, where the group spent a total of $1,500 on materials — just $100 more than Savannah and her fiancé had previously spent every single month on their old rental.
From there, they built two walls within the garage, separating a 250-square-foot area that would become Savannah's living and working space.
They completed the walls with layers of insulation and drywall, thereby fully defining the parameters of the room. For flooring, they installed wood-patterned vinyl from Lowe's.
Savannah recalled that the group worked on the project “all day long” for nearly seven days, “from the moment I woke up until the night.”
“We really wanted to do it.” “We were so excited that we just kept going,” she shared.
After the basic construction was completed, Savannah chose a sage green color for the walls.
“At first we didn't even know exactly what color we were going to do, but we just thought, 'Okay, I want to do something relaxing and beautiful.' And we ended up choosing sage green. So I was happy with the color.”
While there are no plumbing or major appliances in the garage, her family's main home is just steps away.
The garage stands as a separate building next to the house that Savannah's parents recently purchased
When designing the living and working space, the group created two new walls within the garage
The process included adding insulation and finishing the surfaces with drywall
The total cost of the renovation was a thrifty $1,500
While there is no indoor plumbing, Savannah uses the bathroom in the main house – just steps from the garage
Savannah decided to paint the room a sage green color. She saw this above
The expansion was completed with vinyl flooring with a wood pattern (in the picture the floors are partially finished)
The total renovation took about a week. Above is a look at the finished product
“Everyone loves it!” Savannah raved about the end result. The furnished living space is shown
Savannah, the frontwoman of her eponymous The Savannah Band, keeps a variety of musical instruments on hand in her garage
“We have a refrigerator and a microwave here. “But we also use their kitchen whenever we need it,” Savannah said of the facility, since both are separate yet adjacent to her parents’ house.
Savannah took an eclectic approach to decorating, combining a selection of vintage furniture with neutral wall art and warm lighting.
“I love the natural colors,” she said of the interior design.
An elongated, pyramid-shaped dresser, for example, came from her uncle, who had the piece “forever” before giving it to her parents, who “didn’t have room for it.”
“And I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm going to take it,'” she said.
Elsewhere, a stained glass panel was found, now installed in a window frame in the garage, “standing as if outside near a shed” – apparently left behind by the house's previous owners.
“I thought, cool. “Let’s use this in this space somehow,” Savannah said.
“It looks so beautiful during the day.” I love the color effect. The sun comes straight through. But it also provides more privacy; “You don’t really need curtains,” she added.
Other details reflect Savannah's personal aesthetic and history, she shared.
“It feels very earthy, calming and natural,” she said of the decor.
“Then hints of celestial things – little stars, moons, things like that.” “I love astrology,” shared Savannah, who has an Aries-Taurus connection.
“I really love the sailboats, they just remind me of home,” she continued, referring to a large painting of sailboats that hung above one of the sofas.
'I like [having] a boho beach vibe. I live near the beach. “When you walk in you feel peaceful and serene.”
A painting of sailboats above one of the couches reminded Savannah of “home,” she said. “I live near the beach,” the Delaware native explained
With that, Savannah explained that there was enough space to display or otherwise store items of personal significance that she had accumulated over the years.
For example, she first acquired one of her candles when she started dating her now-fiancé six years ago: “They're two people and they're hugging… They're like candles with two flames.” We always said we were each other's twin flames, and I found that out a week after I met him.
In addition, “I have lots of small crystals, knick-knacks and small gifts displayed on my shelf and shells that I have collected.”
“I have little angel wings on the wall.” “My mom always gave me angel wings since I was little…so I have two hearts with angel wings,” she continued.
“I have my ukulele on the wall and just guitars laid out.” I love having stuff like that too, so it's easy to pick up an instrument, just start playing the keyboard, and so on. “
She further thought, “I loved decorating it, it was definitely my favorite part.”
As the frontwoman of her eponymous The Savannah Band, her living situation has also harmonized with the modern suburban tradition of musicians rehearsing in garages.
“It's a good place to make music, just get inspired, look around and have a nice atmosphere,” she described.
“Since we built it, I’ve had friends come over a lot. We hosted jam sessions. And everyone loves it!'