Carriage house becomes high-tech, virtual golf playroom

“I like to create a space that a lot of people can use. It’s not all about golf. We have the drop-down screen so the space can double as a media room. Kids can hook up the Wii and play video games too,” Megginson said.

The biggest challenge for Megginson and her team was prepping for the new interior. She hired general contractor Foxcraft Design Inc., which had to deal with the mildew caused by a leaky roof.

Chandler Fox, Foxcraft’s president, said his crew had only 15 days to treat the space, remove garage railings and install advanced electrical systems and circuits for all the technology. They approached the space differently because it was a temporary feature created specifically for the design show.

“We understood what we needed to do going in. For an actual client, we would have removed the garage doors, framed the walls and installed insulation instead of using panels.”

When converting a structure built for outdoor use into an interior space, it’s important to ask the right questions. “You have to think it through,” Fox said. “What type of utilities are required? Will you need plumbing out there? You don’t want it to get too hot or too cold.”

For example, the carriage house had no air conditioning or heating equipment. Fox said transportable units are available for these type of three-to-four-month seasonal rooms. His company frequently works with such spaces in basements, pool houses and other structures.

Although the exterior still looks like a garage, the interior is now filled with all the luxuries of a private golf club. Diamond Carpet installed russet-and-gold plaid carpeting — which is textured to hide imperfections in the concrete floor. Upholstered 4-by-8-foot panels, finished with golf-ball-shaped nail heads, were hung to conceal the garage doors and provide the soundproofing critical for movie viewing or the virtual golf experience.

Original exposed brick was painted in Farrow & Ball’s Bookroom Red, adding texture and warmth to the room. A plush burnt orange velour sofa with paisley-patterned accent pillows provides comfortable seating. A card table, wet bar, handsome credenza and memorabilia-filled shelves make for a stylish man’s cave.

The main attraction is the Virtual Golf Girl system. More advanced than a video game, Virtual Golf Girl uses satellite imagery and ground digital photography, which allow players to tee off at some of the best golf courses around the world. No Wii wands, computer mice or joysticks are involved. Instead players use their own clubs, strike real golf balls into a screen; producing realistic results.

“This is the only high-definition golf simulator in the world,” Megginson said.

The high-definition golf simulator screen sits in front of an Astroturf tee box. Another screen drops in front of the golf screen at the touch of a button. The room is now a movie theater with sound-activated “Rump Shakers” built into the sofa. The sound system includes outdoor speakers in the golf garden — a three-hole putting green surrounded by landscaping installed by Elliot Landscape Group.

With elegant furnishings and high-tech toys, the space is sophisticated enough to entertain colleagues, yet casual enough to host a group of teens. “A lot of homes split up spaces for children from the spaces for adults,” Megginson said. “What I wanted to do is give people the ability to blend both.”