Photos by Christa Smothers

Aaron Wright always wanted a place in his home that could be “just for the guys.” When he and his wife Jackie moved into the house in 2002, they decided it needed serious updates to sustain a family. “We moved in and started redoing everything in the house. It was built in 1981 and hadn’t been touched since 1981,” he explains. “We have a finished basement but it’s full of toys.” While the basement is the perfect playroom for his five-year old Emily and two-year old Ethan, Aaron wanted something a little more manly where he could escape on his own. He set his eye on the next best thing: the garage.

“We started working on this last fall. It was finally finished just a few months ago,” he says. The finished garage, which he has named “The Chop Shop,” is now a haven for Aaron and his friends – offering anything a group of men’s men could want. Built on casters, the bar is fully mobile, meaning the room can be reconfigured to allow space for poker tables, band equipment, extra tables or additional vehicles. The entire room is wired with a PA system so he and his band can perform or practice. The PA is also wired to the flat screen television to make football games an earth-shattering experience.





The TV sits above the bar, in front of overstuffed theatre-style maroon leather seating. The base of the coffee table in the seating area is actually a repurposed NASCAR tire that was given to Aaron by a friend. But this room isn’t just for sitting around and drinking beer, although Aaron does not wait for any excuse to use it as such. “This is a real working workshop. I do a lot of work here.”



Complete with Craftsman equipment, heating for the winter, galvanized metal walls, and the red, silver and black color scheme, the industrial feel of the room is equal parts hang-out-with-the-boys space and workshop. Aaron says he wanted to keep it simple, but stay with the “custom motorcycle culture, the old-school garage look.” Vintage beer signs are the only decorations on the walls, signs that he’s collected from various contacts he’s made
while playing gigs all around the country.

“Really, this is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. There’s only one rule here: no kid stuff.”

Want to be featured in our next “What’s in Your Garage”? Contact Jon at jtheiss@pubgroupltd.com.