Not long ago, my wife Vanessa and I had two different “offices” that were separated from one another by only few feet. One was the dining room table and the other was a glider that we bought in anticipation of the birth of our (now 4 year old) baby girl.
As comfortable as the glider is (it’s the amazingly stylish and well built Luca Glider and ottoman from Monte Design), it doesn’t make for much of an office! We have a little one running around, and both my wife and I work from home (she runs her Professional Organizer business Simple Life Organized and I do business development coaching and consulting). Read more…
Together, we got pretty tired of our temporary offices and the clutter that inevitably takes over. We decided that an actual office was not only necessary to keep the peace, but also to keep our sanity So, we built our own! As you can see, it turned out really well. Well, here’s the story on how we ended up with our dream office…our “World Shedquarters!”
Once we picked the logical site for the shed we had to have two small trees removed. They were small, sparse live oaks but we hated to lose them.
We don’t buy into the whole McMansion lifestyle. Our home is an ample 1800 square feet, 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. Since we have two kids converting a “spare room” into an office just wasn’t in the cards. We’re also planning on being in this home for a just a few more years before we move to some land in the Texas Hill Country, so building an addition was out of the question. I had to think outside the box. Outside the house, actually. I decided to build our “World Shedquarters” in an unused corner of the back yard. OK, “unused corner” is a bit misleading…our entire back yard was essentially “unused.” But I picked the corner of the yard that would be the least obtrusive to our view from the living room and would hopefully allow us to start using the back yard a bit more.
I looked around the net and saw a few designs that inspired me but none captured completely what I wanted. So, I designed my own. I started with a list of what the goals were for our shedquarters.
– It needed to be large enough to have two separate work spaces (for me and my wife)
– I wanted it large enough to host 3-4 clients comfortably
– I wanted it “tech infused,” meaning that I could have all my gear there, have it integrated, and attempt to have it visibly as “coord-free” as possible
– It needed to be comfortable in the hot San Antonio summer and cool winter
– I wanted it as aesthetically pleasing inside and out as I could make it
– Be able to take most of the “expensive” items with us when we move
– If I had the choice I would choose sustainable options over non-sustainable
Once I knew what my goals were I set out to figure out how to make it all happen. First call was to the city to check applicable codes. Luckily, I found out that as far as structure was concerned, if it was under 200 square feet the city’s only concern was that it be 5 feet from all property lines. Unfortunately, we had to take 2 trees down so I called Matt from Land-n-Lawns.com. As usual, Matt and his crew did a fantastic job and I had them back to do some landscaping later…
I knew I didn’t want the expense of pouring a concrete slab and decided to use the Dek-Block system. I found plans and materials lists at their site. That made things a lot easier. The Dek-Block system was great to use and has proven to be very sturdy.
Did I mention that I built this during the hottest summer in recorded history for San Antonio???
A lot of design went into the shed structure itself, but the structure design was born from the functionality we wanted the inside of the shed to have. It’s the inside “stuff” that makes it a productive office.
So here is a little info on what’s inside the office:
We love our SAYL Chairs!
SAYL Chair by Herman Miller: We absolutely LOVE our SAYL chairs. These were a splurge for us but it really makes sense that if you’re going to spend a lot of time sitting you really need to invest in a good chair. We’ve always loved Herman Miller products and took to the modern aesthetic of the new SAYL as soon as we saw it. On a trip to Portland for Chris Guillebeau’s World Domination Summit we popped into a Herman Miller distributor, plopped down into the SAYL, and were instantly sold! Don’t cheat yourself, your back, or your productivity…if you spend a lot of time sitting for work you should really consider investing in a good chair! We opted for the chrome base, adjustable arms, and adjustable lumbar support. We also ordered the chairs with the hard-surface casters, as we knew our floors would be bamboo. When deciding on the right chairs, we took a long time considering whether the cost of the chairs was really worth it. Never again…these chairs are amazing! Plus, they’re 93% recyclable (I dread the day I have to haul these beauties to the recycle bin!)
A $10 ottoman and a wireless keyboard/trackpad
Standing desk: Yes, as comfortable as the SAYL chairs are, I do like to use a standing desk part of the time. My standing desk consists of a $10 black “pleather” ottoman we bought from Target years back. I put felt pads on the bottom so it doesn’t scratch the desk and simply set in on the desk top. Instant standing desk! I use my Apple wireless keyboard and Trackpad and mirror my iMac desktop to my 42″ Visio TV and I have a whole new workstation. It rocks! More on the Visio below…
Visio TV with Internet Apps: I didn’t run cable for internet or television to the Shedquarters. Our wifi signal from the house’s Apple Airport Extreme/Time Capsule is plenty strong enough to give us good signal in the office. So, I went “old school meets new school.” I put a TV antenna on the roof and dialed in more stations than I really need and I stream Netflix, Hulu, TwiT, etc, via wifi. If there is a cable TV specific show (such as news, a documentary…) that I want to watch I simply use my iPad and the free Time Warner Cable app. So, I have all my viewing bases covered.
Ikea: Upper Cabinets- We don’t have a lot of “stuff” to store so the upper cabinets are really all we need. Ikea stuff looks good, is inexpensive, and easy to assemble (well these cabinets were anyway).
Ikea filing cabinet and glass whiteboard
Filing Cabinet- We don’t have many paper files as we’re essentially digital, but we do use the filing cabinet for printer paper, cleaning supplies, odds and ends.
Whiteboard: OK, we like to use a whiteboard for brainstorming, making lists, fleshing out ideas, etc, But whiteboards always seem to leave “ghosting” eventually. I researched alternatives such as Idea Paint, and glass whiteboards. Candidly, I just wasn’t convinced with Idea Paint (although admittedly I never used it) and it seemed pricier than I wanted to go. Glass whiteboards were just outrageously priced! So, I started my gears turning and I began to explore. I settled on the Vika Glasholm tabletop from Ikea for under $80. I just made a couple of oak cleats and hung it horizontally, with the frosted side facing the wall. This works absolutely flawlessly!
Other items we got from Ikea include Vanessa’s shelf, my desk light, our trash cans and recycle bins.
From Amazon: All cords (HDMI, Apple dongles for HDMI, Mini Display Port to HDMI cables), VGA cables, audio cables, grommets, powered outlet grommets, USB grommets, 5.1 surround speakers, Audio/Video Receiver, speaker wire, speaker connection plates, A/V and audio plates, speaker connection hardware, outdoor speakers, ceramic heater, and finally, the security keypad deadbolt and door handle. Electronic cords and accessories were so much cheaper and easier to get from Amazon than from Radio Shack (which charged nearly double for some items), Lowe’s, or Best Buy. As an Amazon Prime member the 2-day shipping was free too. I don’t know how much I really saved in the end by using Amazon.com but it was a LOT!
From Lowes: I bought nearly all the construction materials from Lowe’s, including all lumber, ceiling lighting, fan, siding, low-e doors/screen, plexiglass for clerestory windows, Energy Star window unit air conditioner, HardiPlank siding, insulation, roofing, paint, and the floating bamboo floor.
The only things I bought from Home Depot were the “attic” vents. Seems insignificant but Lowe’s didn’t have the style I wanted. The roof needs airflow to prevent buildup of moisture so I checked to make sure I had proper venting designed in and the little vents I used were perfect for the job.
The “System”: During construction I ran speaker wires for outside speakers and 5.1 surround sound inside the office. I run my audio through a Sony A/V receiver so I can switch between audio from any of the computers, over the air TV, and Internet TV very easily. As I mentioned above, we also use the Visio as a monitor and have connections to my iMac, my Macbook, and Vanessa’s Macbook. We have a “community” hook-up too for clients to tap in to, as well. Clients/guests use a guest wifi network through my Airport Extreme. Using the Visio has really upped the dynamic and functionality when working with clients. They can see what I’m doing (or, if they’re hooked up I can see what they are doing) and easily follow along. This system has worked really well and has really paid off when working with clients and partners. The one thing I’m considering adding is Apple TV…only because I’d really like to be able to use AirPlay Mirroring from my iPhone and iPad as I do in the house. Other than that, the system rocks!
The office took a couple of months to build as I could only work on it nights and weekends. I did hire a master electrician to do all the rough in and a drywall guy. While I can do basic electrical, and certainly drywall, I’m smart enough to call a pro for those. I got some painting help from my wife and ex-wife (we’re all friends…but that’s another post), and some help hanging the doors from my friend Steve, but I did the rest of the job by myself. I wish I had more help with the roof and some of the framing, but otherwise it wasn’t too difficult a job.
It’s hard to express how truly happy we are with the results. The office is a great place to work and lets us separate “work” from “home,” yet is only steps away from our back door. Plus, everyone who sees it loves it. We’ve even had a few tell us they were jealous! It feels great to know we did it ourselves, and for the most part, on the cheap.
So I guess I’ll wrap this up by saying if you’re stuck in a rut with your work station or office, there are options. If you have any questions or comments I’d love to hear them. I’ve always been kind of a DIY guy…but I really learned a lot on this project. I did a lot of foolish things, like standing on the top rung of ladders, holding a sheet of plywood up over my head while clutching a framing nail gun between my knees…but by the Grace of the Big Jumpmaster in the Sky I didn’t make the Darwin Awards this year. I lost very little blood, broke no bones, and still have my eyesight. That said, if you have any questions or comments on the project feel free to leave a comment below.
I love this! It’s so cute. I live in an 800 square foot attachment to my parents’ home (my downsizing from a big house after my divorce) and it’s plenty of my space but I do often dream of a workspace outside the house just to have some separation to write and do crafts. Ever since I saw Martha Stewart’s craft barn. But I don’t need it, you two definitely do working at home and with a family. It came out lovely!
Amazon is so much cheaper. I do feel guilty at times though as I’d like to support local business but some of the tech and craft stores on Maui charge over MSRP so the price difference is just too great so I do Amazon a lot. Plus the amount of time and gas it takes to drive around the island only to find out no one here carries what I’m looking for can be frustrating.
I love your office what great ideas you put into your project and great ways to say some money. I was wondering if you could share where you got your plans for the build. I have been looking to find a design like this for a home office here in California.
Thanks
Steve
Steve- I wish I had plans for the shedquarters, but it was all just in my head. I had a young architect working on plans after the fact since so many people had asked, but it didn’t work out. I do know 2 others who duplicated the shed after they saw it online, so if you want to give it a shot, it’s certainly doable. Plus, if you have any questions about a specific feature I’d be happy to help. Best of luck!
Hi Steve , I’m one of the two that nearly duplicated Daniel’s design. I live in Hermosa beach CA. and you’re welcome to come by and have a look anytime. I love my shed !! Thanks Dan !
My pleasure, Fred! Thanks for offering to help Steve out!
Fred, did you run off some plans, or did you keep track of any of the measurements?
Hi Kyle, I have all the basic measurements , but not all the little detail measurements . But it’s really about just getting out a tape measure. If you’re in the Southern Ca. area , you’re welcome to come by and have a look /
Fred
I love the simplistic elegance of the design, and the inside is impeccable. Would you be willing to post or share your design for the shed itself? I find myself in a similar position and my wife wants my office out of the house…
Shahin- Sorry, my friend, the only plans I have for the shed are in my head. I had contacted a architect to produce some plans for me after the fact but he didn’t work out. So many people have requested designs…maybe I’ll re-look at that in the coming year. I think if you show a builder the website they would be able to re-create it. Best of luck!
thanks Daniel, appreciate the response and would love to be on your list if you do decide to embark on documenting the plans… Love the design, great work.
Will do! Thanks, Shahin!
Daniel, I love your office and have been looking for the right design from me… would you be willing to share you plans for the shed itself? I haven’t found a design I like better than yours.
thanks
Shahin
Hi Daniel-
Nice job on the office and very nice write-up and description. Thanks for all the detailed info and sources. I eventually want to build something similar in my backyard and this is very helpful. I live in San Antonio too, and you’re a brave guy for building this in the middle of summer!
Kurt
Hi Kurt! Glad you like the “World Shedquarters”! Give me a shout before you build…there’s a couple things I would do a bit differently, but overall it has been great!
Do you mind sharing an estimated cost of building something similar? My wife and I are looking to construct detached office soon. Thank you!
Hi John! Glad you like the shedquarters. We “overbuilt” this a bit, but in the end (for the structure alone) it cost about $9-10K. That’s wired, insulated, drywall, bamboo floors, etc. Hope this helps!
Nice work Daniel! Thanks for the detailed write up. I’m planning to do something similar in my backyard and am wondering one thing: Did you pull permits for your structure? Here in California, I know that a 10×12 structure is fine without a permit but the electrical would definitely require a permit. Anyway I’m just wondering what your experience was with permitting. I hate to get the bureaucrats involved, but I don’t want to screw myself later down the road with selling or getting an appraisal.
Thanks!
Evan
Hi Evan! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Codes are so different from place to place. Where we live, the county didn’t care, but the city code compliance folks advised us that while no permits were needed for the structure, we did need to leave a 5′ easement from all property boundaries. As for the electric, we hired a master electrician and he took care of all the code/permit issues. Like you, we didn’t want to regret that later.
Thanks for the response Daniel. I’m going to go talk to the city planning people just to make sure everything i’m planning is okay with them.
Thanks again,
Evan
I’m in Hermosa beach Evan and yes I did permit because of the electrical and set back laws that exist. My shed is nearly identical to Daniel’s. I can give you my builder’s name and number if you are interested
Fred
My daughter found your office plans and wants help building a similar project in her Austin, TX backyard. My only concern is how to properly frame and trim out the upper fixed windows. Could you send an individual picture that shows the framing detail and the finished window?
Hi Mark- I just sent you an email with a couple of pictures. Hope it helps!
Great pics and an inspiration for our backyard project as well. Could I get larger pictures of your build process and the windows, so I can get an idea of the structure? Also what are the rough dimensions of the shed and the deck?
Hi Abel- I sent you an email with some pics. Hope this helps!
Can you please send me the dimensions also. Thanks
Faisal- The shed is 12 feet by 12 feet.
Nice outcome for what seemed to be a fun project.
If you were to build the Shedquarters again would you do anything different with the design or how it was furnished?
I noticed there were not a lot of windows besides the entry door. How is that working out?
Hi Joel! The only things I would have done differently would be to put a vent in the roof. We have so many beautiful days here in San Antonio that most of the time we don’t need AC or heat. Still, even with the doors open there is not much natural ventilation in the design. Working windows would solve this, but we do video shoots in the office so we didn’t want any glare. We get PLENTY of natural indirect light through the doors and the clerestory windows.
No AC unit in San Antonio? That’s insane! With 90-100 degree highs 3 months out of the year, you must not work out there during the summer months.
Oh, we have AC! I mentioned in the post that we have an Energy Star-rated window unit. It’s more than enough for the 144sf. For heat in the winter we have a small ceramic heater that does the trick.
That looks epic! I saw that you have no plans, but do you have any rough size estimates? Do you generally remember your costs [no including any furnishings]? Trying to convince my wife that this could be a good direction. Thanks.
Kyle- It ran around $9-10K all said and done. That said, I overbuilt it, insulated well, and used very quality products. It could be done for less, I’m sure. I did mine 12′ x 12′ but another size may fit for you. To comply with code around here (easements) and my yard size, 12×12 was perfect for us.
So how much did you spend on the materials for the shed (minus all of the furniture and other extras)? I work from home and our family is expanding (due Oct 2014!!) so we are thinking of building an office/guest house in the back yard (but we got a tight budget!)
Hi Jennifer! It ran around $9-10K all said and done. As I mentioned, I overbuilt it, insulated well, and used very quality products. It could be done for less, I’m sure. I had to have a few trees removed so you could subtract another $600 from that, too. The Hardiplank was pricey…if you used something like T-11 siding it would be cheaper, for sure! Best of luck to you and congrats on your “expanding” family!
I’m working on a home office and have a similar layout in mind. Where did you get your desk(s) from?
I built that myself. I used oak plywood and oak veneer edge tape.
I’m considering building something similar in my backyard, so thank you for posting your process on your Shedquarters!
How tall is the shed, overall height and interior height? I had a contractor come out last week to discuss building one and he said it would need to be around 11′ or higher so the interior could be 8′. That seemed too much to me, but I’m having a hard time judging just how tall a lot of these sheds are.
Thanks!
Hi! I recently found your podcast and I am so encouraged by them. I love the wood decking you have. Can you provide any tutorials on the decking? I want to do that in our backyard over a small patio and grass that we have currently.
Would you mind giving me more information on the type of “roof vent” you were referring to so that you could avoid moisture buildup?
Did you put a portable AC in the shed? I live in Austin and was wondering if that keeps you cool enough in the summer.
Thanks!
Gina
Yes, Gina…we have a window unit that does just fine in the summer. The shed is well insulated, too.
Hi Daniel ! been a while, hope all is well . Have you guys moved yet ?? Just a comment on window air conditioner units, particularly for sheds like ours. There are many of them out there and if you’re like me , I like them efficient and QUIET. Friedrich takes first place for me in regards to AC window units and Sharp is a close second . Staying cool quietly is cool.
Oh for heaven sakes.. that is not a shed! That’s an addition… and so beautifully done! I just found y’all and started at podcast #1 … I think I’m on about 15 now.. I’m doing the Edit and Forget it Challenge for 2015 and it’s FABULOUS!.. and I’m just sad you’re not podcasting as frequently anymore… dang it! But GREAT JOB!
Thanks, LeAnn! Yeah…it’s a NICE shed isn’t it? It’ll be somebody else’s soon as our house (and the World Shedquarters) goes on the market tomorrow.
So glad you found us and good luck on the Edit & Forget It Challenge! Don’t be surprised if the editing finds it’s way into all areas of your life. It’s awesome! Take care!
Hello,
I feel very inspired by thiskind of building a home space and am looking for something euqivalent in Germany. Would you have any advice or link for me?
Look forward to hearing from Yoou,
Magdalena Miles
Hi
Love your design and finished product. Exactly what i had in my mind for my garden office in London in the UK. A very much newbie to DIY but looking to build it myself. You have inspired me! I have some questions (apologies in advance if they may be stupid) but have had trouble finding non-commercial forums to ask these.
– Foundation: What did you put under the DekBloks? Gravel? If so how deep? Why did you not go for a concrete slab instead?
– insulation: Is the outer wrap you moisture barrier? or is there another barrier? Is there a moisture barrier for the floor?
– Venting: What did you for your venting system?
– Roofing- what did you use?
If you do get a chance to answer some or all the questions, I would like to thank you in advance.
Thanks
Nikolai
Wow a great shed and article!
Question? How did you prevent mold and mildew with the changing climates? I’ve insulated my walls and the drywall has now a diverse mold. Any advice you could give me would be appreciated.
Sincerely,
Aaron on the east coast
What was the overal cost for this? My hubby needs something like this and we are looking to move. So just trying to find a home with a yard large enough for this type of office and still room for our kids to play.
This looks amazing. We’re looking to do something similar in our back yard in western pa. I love the plan you selected. Unfortunately, the link to the deck plans.com site is no longer working. Any chance you have a different link or a copy of the plans?
Thanks, Paul! The link was only to spacing requirements for the deck blocks (Dek Block). I looked around and found a similar link on their website. Here you go.
Can you remember what it cost you. I want to build a general workshop, nothing quite as fancy as what you have and i love the design you have.
I LOVE THIS IDEA!! I am in san antonio as well and would love to chat with you on how my husband and I can get this done. Right now we both work from home and I currently use the kitchen as my work area and my hubby did a DIY in part of our garage but it is a tight fit for him. Would not mind at all sharing offices, possibly just a partition for some privacy since he talks to customers. What do you say total costs were to build this? We spent $800 on a 4×8 office for my husband and rerouted the 2nd bathroom a/c duct to his office. Would love to chat seriously LOVE IT!!
This is amazing. How big is it? About how much did this project cost you in total? My husband and I are thinking about doing the same in our yard.
I am planing to do build one too. I am in Toronto, I am keeping the size to 8×12=96 Sq ft.so that no permit is required.
before I go an buy all the material from home depot or lowes, I am hand sketching on paper so that I do not buy extra. also I am planning to keep the cuts to a minimum.
The first thing to buy is door and windows and I have found habitat restock has stuff as well as on kijiji
I have looked at the following video too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z00berTW5hc&t=2733s
Hope this helps