How much would you pay for an extreme makeover of your garage? For Michael Cardenas, a restaurateur in Malibu, Calif., the bill hit $30,000. That's a steep price, you might think, to remove some junk and add some fixtures. Yet before the transformation, the place was a disaster zone: crammed with catering equipment, an antique bar and dozens of cases of wine--including bottles Cardenas would have loved to uncork, if only he could find them. "It was definitely ugly," says his wife Madoka.
Now the space exudes Zen calm, reflecting the couple's Japanese heritage and their recently redesigned home. The garage...