The 8,300sq ft, 17-Car Garage Inspired By Ferris Bueller

Especially in this time of self-isolation, having a home garage would be a salvation of tinkering, building and relaxing around cars for those who can’t leave the house. But when it comes to this Texan homeowner’s palatial, three-level garage, you might not ever want to leave.

The culmination of two years of design and build, with the involvement of two design firms and a construction company, this 8,300-square-foot automotive showcase in Austin can hardly be referred to as a simple ‘garage’. Built with a mix of polished concrete, wood and steel design elements, it has a distinctive 1980s esthetic.

“The goal here was to tip our hats to the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and luxuriate in that theme,” Michele Lorenz, creative director at Mark Ashby Design, told Dwell Magazine. “For example, we used an Andy Warhol–printed wallpaper in the bathroom and covered the iconic Le Corbusier sofa and lounge chairs in a Porsche red leather.”

You won’t find any oil spots or dirty wrenches here, but you will enjoy luxurious lounge areas, grand views of the tree-laden grounds through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls and the artistic designs of some of the most beautiful cars ever made from the owner’s private collection, including a Porsche 904 and BMW Z8. As well, along with vintage race posters, neon signs and other beautiful pieces adorning each floor, a real 1980 BMW M1 hangs on a basement wall. Now that’s what we call ‘art’.

*Images courtesy of Clay Grier, and a special thanks to Dwell Magazine too. You can also check out how the M1 was mounted to the wall in the below video.