COLLECTOR OR ENTHUSIAST?

THE FIRST QUESTION BEHIND EVERY GARAGE WE DESIGN

One of the first questions I ask a new client isn’t about square footage, storage, or even investment.

It’s simpler than that: Are you a collector, or an enthusiast?

At first, the distinction can seem subtle. Both share a deep appreciation for the automobile, a respect for craftsmanship, and a desire to surround themselves with machines that inspire something emotional. Yet the way each owner relates to their cars—and the environment those cars require—can be fundamentally different. Understanding that difference is where meaningful design begins.

A collector approaches the automobile with a sense of stewardship.

Provenance matters. Rarity matters. Preservation matters.

The space surrounding the vehicles must support those priorities with restraint and clarity—controlled lighting, thoughtful sightlines, refined materiality, and an overall atmosphere that allows the cars themselves to remain the quiet focal point. These environments often feel closer to galleries than garages, designed to honor legacy as much as function.

An enthusiast, by contrast, is guided more by experience than preservation.
Driving rituals, brand loyalty, motorsport history, and personal nostalgia shape the relationship to the car. The surrounding space becomes more expressive—welcoming color, graphics, memorabilia, and moments of immersion that celebrate identity as much as the machines themselves. These garages are not only about display; they are about energy, movement, and lifestyle.

Neither approach is more meaningful than the other.

They simply reflect different forms of devotion.

For a designer, recognizing this distinction changes everything.

It informs lighting strategy, spatial planning, material selection, and even the emotional tone of the environment. Most importantly, it ensures the finished space feels authentic to the person who lives with it—because the most successful automotive interiors are never only about cars. They are about the people who love them, and the stories those machines carry forward.

And that is why the first question matters.