The garage is often the biggest and most poorly-used part of the home, says Jaime Dietenhofer, co-host and lead designer of the DIY Network's "Garage Mahal."

Today, Dietenhofer, co-host Bill Goldberg, and the crew of "Garage Mahal" helped a longtime Ann Arbor business turn its garage into productive space when it revealed its redesign of Car and Driver magazine's garage space.

When "Garage Mahal" arrived in town, the Car and Driver garage was a mess, a catch-all for anything that didn't quite fit its office space. Four days and three dozen workers later, the space is fully functional for work and play.

Among the amenities of the renovated garage are a two-post car lift - the magazine relied on a traditional jack before - a lounge area including a projector screen, a race car simulator and a grill made from an engine block. "Garage Mahal" also put a rubber floor down over the cold, oil stained concrete.

"If I ever hear about any of you guys cooking tofu on this grill, I'm coming back and you guys got some explaining to do," joked Goldberg, a former professional wrestling champion and football player.

Goldberg is also a car enthusiast who believes the appropriate role for the garage is to house cars. Because of the renovation, Car and Driver magazine can do just that - without kicking garbage and spare tires out of the way to make room.

K.C. Colwell, assistant technical editor of Car and Driver, said the approximately $90,000 worth of renovations didn't cost the magazine a dime. "Garage Mahal" reached out to Car and Driver, Colwell said, and the magazine was more than happy to open its doors and put its garage space to better use.

Goldberg said the biggest help any home or business can provide "Garage Mahal" is the simple willingness to open its doors. But some of the staff at Car and Driver, Goldberg said, went a step above by rolling up their sleeves and helping with the renovation effort.

Both AnnArbor.com and Car and Driver magazine will run previews of the local edition of "Garage Mahal" closer to its airing. The Car and Driver garage will be revealed in full on Friday, June 18 at 9:30 p.m. on the DIY Network.

James David Dickson can be reached at JamesDickson@AnnArbor.com.