SUPPLIED Designer Kim Reiche oversaw this garage conversion in a Takanini, South Auckland home. She says utilities have been completely separated from the house - they have their own power and water meters, and separate waste water systems. Transforming a double garage into permanent living quarters is not just a case of closing the door and lining the walls. But it is possible to create a comfortable, healthy, well-insulated one-bedroom home in a former garage, and this award-winning South Auckland project is proof. Designer Kim Reiche of Refresh Renovations says her client, who lives in Takanini, undertook the renovation to provide a separate home for her son and his partner. Eventually, it could become a retirement home for the client herself, who could then rent out the house for an income.