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Detached

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Not so long ago, all garages were detached. We called them carriage barns or stables. We kept them separate because the horses lived there, too. Times have changed, of course. The modern architectural marvel known as an attached garage is a fairly recent development, born of America's love affair with automobiles combined with our distaste for distance and weather. For traditional beauty and style, however, a garage glued to the end of one's home cannot match the elegance of a carriage house perched at the end of a cobblestone driveway.

Does that sound too snobbish? I must admit that my own garage is firmly planted on the windward end of my simple little ranch house. If I could actually park inside, I'd never have to venture out into a blustery, snowy New York morning to start my vehicle. That doesn't mean I cannot appreciate the innate superiority of a detached garage. If I had more land here, and a nice big line of credit, I'd construct a lovely two-story garage. My previous home had one: it had a turret! Sometimes motorists would pull into the driveway to ask me about it.

Detached garages are not only pleasing to the eye. They offer other benefits, too. That second story is a big bonus, and makes a fine guest quarters when properly constructed to satisfy the building inspector. In addition, freestanding garages offer unique opportunities for expanded storage. You can add-on to it from any of the four sides, with just a bit of architectural caution. For those of a more practical mind, a separate garage saves you money on your homeowners insurance, too, because it reduces the threat of fire to your main residence.

State the question simply and the answer is obvious: which style offers more design flexibility, detached or attached? A stand-along structure does not rely upon the constraints of your home's design. It can be taller, fancier (or more plain), wider or deeper, and offer interesting door and window options for a bit of whimsy. You can toss in a dormer on one side, add a portico on another side, or attach an open woodshed on the back to feed a wood-stove inside. The interesting architectural possibilities provide a wonderful challenge to the limits of your creativity.

Today's faux-Tudor suburban mini-mansions have made vain attempts to enhance the dreary attached garage that evolved in the post-War era. Many homes today include something called a "bonus room" over the garage, trying to take advantage of a second story there. While this is certainly a better

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