“I wanted to share how I use/used my Modern Shed over the past few years since its creation at our home in Busch Gardens, Pasadena. The Modern Shed (known to most of my friends as “The She-Shed”), was originally added to our property to give me an extra 90 square feet of “office” space. During the Covid lockdown, it quickly transformed into my one-room schoolhouse! I continue to use it as my tutoring space/office space. I feel so lucky to have had this space as my classroom and to provide curriculum accessibility to my 780 students throughout the virtual learning year of lockdown. Thank you Modern Shed!”
Katherine
A She-Shed / office was the perfect solution in Busch Gardens.Katherine’s Modern Shed allowed her to continue teaching and tutoring during the pandemic lockdown.
Thanks, Katherine for sharing your Modern Shed story with us! To learn more about how we can provide space and solutions for your family, contact our Design Professionals today!
Our clients inspire us every day, from state to state. Their creativity is simply astounding. Help us celebrate your talent by sharing photographs of YOU using your beautiful backyard studio in our #ModernShedInspo photo contest. Every month one lucky client will win a $100 Amazon gift card. Tag us on social media in a public post with a photo of you and your Modern Shed and use the hashtag (#ModernShedInspo) or send it via email (Connect@Modern-Shed.com) to be entered to win!
Fine print: all photos musts be your own Modern Shed. If you did not take the photo yourself, you must have full usage rights, and all photos submitted give Modern Shed same-said usage rights for reuse and publication This contest is not sponsored or endorsed by Amazon or their affiliate companies, we just like gift cards!
One day, Modern Shed Design Consultant Jeff Bergerson received a call from Rafal, who was excited to build a structure on his property inspired by the Modern Shed design. He was already working with a contractor on his main house. “I had a contractor who convinced me that he could do it for less. And maybe he could have, but all the design work and structural engineering costs really added up, and that’s a service I know you guys can provide.”
Unfortunately, Rafal’s project dragged on and was more costly than he could have imagined. As the months passed, Rafal contacted Jeff with a few questions, and eventually shared, “I’ve spent almost $20k and all I have to show for it is a slab. I should have bought a Modern Shed.”
Modern Shed offers more than an idea. From start to finish, the entire project is a finely tuned effort. Our Design Consultants like Jeff listen and work with our clients on every detail. They have done it before. They know what it takes. For example, our prefabricated, segmented panels mean you spend a few days with a construction crew installing your new space, not weeks or even months. Also, we use a unique, fully insulated, quickly installed floor system, and solutions for uneven surfaces. And then there’s the cost savings of Modern Shed’s buying power. “While we have felt the pinch over supply challenges for windows or doors over the past few months, we do have the buying power to keep costs as low as possible,” explains Jeff. Along the way, Rafal contacted Jeff, who was more than happy to assist however he could. “I tell everyone I know who is thinking about doing what I tried to just give you a call,” said Rafal. “It’s more than a great design it’s a thoughtful process.” Thank you, Rafal!
SAN DIEGO – As a successful architect in Southern California, Nastaran knows what she wants from the spaces she designs: aesthetically impactful style with the highest quality and functionality for the budget. This is why she came to Modern Shed when it was time to expand the square footage of their living space. She deeply appreciated the high standards of quality to which Modern Shed builds our products, and knew that her investment would stand the test of time.
Nastaran first started looking at a home gym from Modern Shed back in 2016 while she was remodeling their home with her fiance, but the project was put on hold to divert the funding to the essentials going on in the home. However, as the pandemic hit, Nastaran found herself needing a home office space quickly. While her previous research regarding Modern Shed combined with her expertise as an architect herself dramatically sped up the process to plan and purchase her new office, Nastaran also valued her Design Pro, Trevor’s expertise and professionalism in helping the entire process run smoothly, especially as pandemic-related delays started to affect the delivery time frame. She also adds that his knowledge and explanation of the design and build process would be invaluable to someone less familiar with the ins and outs of construction.
“I definitely made it a bit more interesting for Trevor and the installer, Chase,” Nastaran reflects. “I came to them with a full electrical work up for puck lighting and the ceiling fan, even a floor outlet. They were great! They wired in all the conduit based on my instructions.”
The investment in their property was well worth the investment in time and resources to help Nastaran bring her long-term vision for their outdoor space closer to reality. Even though her 120 square-foot shed is currently being utilized for an office, she already has plans to bring the home gym or even a guest space back into the area when she returns to work in her usual office. “I really appreciate how functional and flexible the space is. It’s just beautiful. If I had to do it all again, I’m not sure if I would eat up 30” of space for the lavatory. It will be handy for guests someday, but right now it doesn’t really get used,” Nastaran mused.
Overall, though, she is absolutely pleased with the whole process. “The install was just amazing. The shed itself took just four days, and they stayed for 10 days finishing every last detail for us. Being in the industry, I’ve worked on projects that are in construction for two or three years, so that’s just brilliant.”
“I would recommend people think of their project as a long-term investment and really think ahead. For example, we also wired for a mini-split to cool our Modern Shed, which will be installed in the summer. The more thought you put into it, the more you can enjoy it!”
“I just love coming out here to work, or just rearrange my space. It’s quiet and serene. We even joke, it’s probably sturdier than our house!”
Modern-Shed is excited to welcome a fresh face to our social media and marketing team!
Rachael comes to us from the Denver area with a background in digital marketing and customer relations. She has been embracing the work-from-home life for over a decade, using that freedom and flexibility to raise her two kids while growing her career.
“When everything shut down last March,” she says, “I was grateful to already be in a position where I could manage my work and homeschooling the kids. It wasn’t easy, but we set our schedules and dedicated workspace, and made it through!” Having a great partner who was also working from home definitely helped too, she added.
“I was very excited to come across the opportunity to work with Modern-Shed as the Social Media Director. My experience in marketing to the interior design and industrial manufacturing communities made for a seamless transition into the ADU and extensible living space world. We’re already looking at our HOA covenants to see how we can add additional living space and storage to our home.”
When Rachael isn’t out enjoying everything the Rocky Mountains has to offer, you can find her right here on our blog, newsletters, and of course our social media channels like Facebook and Instagram. Connect with Modern-Shed today to find out how we can get you the space you need to live your best life!
The heat of summer is upon us as I write this, and there are several weeks to go. Keeping your Modern-Shed cool in the summer does not have to be expensive and complicated. Here are some cool tips to keep you cool.
The advent of portable air conditioner units has opened the door for keeping cool without having to break the bank on a full HVAC system.
This unit was in the $400 range and does not take up a ton of space and can be set up in less than 20 minutes. These units evacuate air to the outside through most any opening window – sliding, single hung, awning or, casement via a large exhaust tube. If need be, it is possible with a little inventive knowhow to exhaust through a sliding glass door also in a more temporary way.
Another tip to keep your space cool is using external shade screens for your windows which face the sun. This prevents much of the heat from ever entering your Modern-Shed. The cool thing about the roller shades, is you use them only when you want to shade direct sunlight… you just roll them up when not needed. These are extremely easy to install in less than 20 minutes and are not expensive either, available at your local hardware store. They come in a variety of colors and sizes, and you can still see through them from the inside.
BAY AREA – When the pandemic hit, Peter and Amelia, with their growing family, found that life in their small San Francisco apartment was no longer sustainable.
The couple had a 4-year-old and a brand new 4-month-old baby at home by the time March 2020 came around. Working from home helping hospitals prepare for the pandemic (Peter) and as a therapist (Amelia) became extremely difficult.
“After about three months, we hit a wall and suddenly went from, ‘We love this place; we’re never moving,’ to ‘We need more space; it’s an emergency,'” Peter said. “What we loved most about where we lived was the neighborhood and being able to walk everywhere. But with the shelter-in-place, those benefits disappeared almost overnight.”
The family needed a bigger place, but finding all that they were looking for was a challenge in the Bay Area – between bedrooms, home offices, and guest space for Amelia’s family to visit, they needed five private spaces.
Modern-Shed proved to be a perfect solution.
“I don’t think I’d ever really seen a shed like this, but we were just trying to consider all options,” Peter said. “One question we had was, ‘What if I built an office in the backyard?’ Thirty minutes on Google and we learned that this was possible.”
In a short span of time, the couple found a rental, moved in, sold their apartment, bought a home, and moved again. The home that they purchased in Oakland had a patio in the backyard that proved the perfect spot for a Modern-Shed.
“Getting everything we dreamed of in a house in a location we love was only possible because building a shed made it possible,” Peter said. “Once we were under contract on the house, the planning kicked into high gear.”
Peter and Amelia had specific measurements to work with due to the space constraints of where the shed would fit in the backyard. They were able to take six inches off one of the standard dimensions for a custom 7.5′ by 12′ Modern-Shed home office.
The pergola and outdoor furniture on the patio came with the house when they purchased it and blends in seamlessly with the Modern-Shed.
Modern-Shed installation started Dec. 2 and finished Dec. 4. In total, work on the shed – the couple hired another contractor for the interior finish work and painting – was done by Dec. 13.
Peter found Modern-Shed design professional Jeff Bergerson extremely helpful in walking him through the process of purchasing a Modern-Shed from start to finish.
“I had never built a building before, so it was a huge benefit to have an expert like Jeff talk me through the process and give feedback on the design,” he said. “At one point, I was debating window placement and I asked Jeff’s opinion. He told me that most people overdo it on the windows and don’t realize how much they want wall space. That sort of insight was invaluable and helped me land on a design that fit my needs perfectly.”
Peter would advise anyone looking at purchasing a Modern-Shed to plan out their furniture before they build, down to the size of the couch and the placement of electronics.
Having a detailed plan ahead of time helped Peter decide on the exact dimensions of the walls and where to place the outlets right where he knew he would want them.
He also advises people to consider and understand the sequence of steps involved, including steps beyond the Modern-Shed installation.
“Understanding what steps have to happen in what order, so that you can coordinate the various contractors, is very helpful,” he said.
Peter’s shed has a concrete foundation, as opposed to sitting on piers, a decision that was switched partway through the process.
“The pros and cons of concrete versus piers were something I didn’t really understand early on, but I am glad that we switched because it was the right decision given our location and other constraints,” he said. “That’s one decision I would recommend thinking through carefully.”
The family is now fully settled after a transition-filled year of welcoming a new baby, weathering the pandemic, and the increased workload Peter had as a consequence, buying a home, building a Modern-Shed, and moving in.
“Though we expected to stay in our old apartment for a very long time, the pandemic made moving not only necessary but urgent,” Peter reflected. “We were optimizing for a lot of things. The ability to build a shed quite literally put our dream home within reach.”
If you’re just joining us, check out our previous posts about being mentally prepared, physically prepared and operationally prepared for Working From Home. In this post, we’ll talk more about getting the work done amid distractions.
The Key Word: Discipline
As I mentioned in earlier posts, staying focused on work can be challenging while working from home. The inclination to go to the fridge, do laundry or other chores are “in your face” when you are at home unless you have a completely separated space like a Modern-Shed. If you are in the dining room or down the hall, it is all too tempting to throw a load of laundry in or get a snack from the fridge. Here are some ideas to help keep those distractions under control.
Avoid the kitchen and use it as you might a “break room” at your old workplace. Keep a small fridge in your workspace to keep snacks and beverages in. Not that taking a break is a bad thing– it isn’t — but not if it is a several times during the day.
Schedule times during the day for a specific “break” to see your kids, talk to your partner, take a short walk or exercise.
Create rules in the home regarding interruptions by loved ones. Talk with loved ones about urgent, critical, important, or can it wait until after work hours? interruptions
Dress for work if it helps you stay focused and makes you feel like you are “at work”.
If you feel compelled to do something that could pull you away from work, such as laundry, set a timer on your phone beforehand for 5-10 min in case you go off on a tangent.
Set your alarm: Some folks can be on a flexible schedule but most need to be at work certain times of the day. Be careful not to run into the trap of “… oh, I can get to that later…” or “…I could work tonight instead of today…” I suggest keeping regular work hours and ask the boss what they require from you. If you are recently self-employed, create your work hours, track them, and stick to it.
Some of you may have never set up a computer before because you have an IT person at work. My guess is that if that is the case, your IT person will guide you to get things set up at home. Many businesses use a virtual environment or remote desktop that, once set up, your IT department can access.
As stated in an earlier blog post, your desk size and location are of utmost importance. Two of our Modern-Shed employees have monitor arms which allow their external monitors to be positioned any which way that suites them. This is very helpful for numerous reasons, not the least of which is switching it up occasionally to make things more interesting or moving your personal position in relation to sunlight as the seasons change.
Plenty of desk space, plenty of natural light!
My monitors sit on my desk but swivel and go up and down. They are also curved slightly which helps the transition from one to the other and keeps the screens a better relative distance to my eyes. Typical computer systems include a computer or laptop, keyboard, mouse, monitor(s) and printer. If you use a laptop with a built-in keyboard and trackpad, I highly suggest getting an external ergonomic keyboard and mouse … believe me, it will make your daily computer tasks much easier and help reduce chance of carpel tunnel.
The first purchase after your desk and chair is a high-quality surge suppressing outlet station with enough outlets for your computer, monitor(s), and any other expensive equipment. These units help control power to these items and reduce the chance of damage in the event of a power surge through your home. Continue reading →
Choosing a physical location at home to set up shop for your “office:”
Typical choices often are:
Dining room table
Kitchen nook
Garage
Attic
Basement
Corner of family room
Backyard tool shed
Spare room
Detached home office space, such as our Modern-Sheds
Home addition
The chosen space should:
Allow you to focus without major distractions
Allow for video conferencing and private phone conversations
Have access to natural light
Have enough space for your desk/chair/cabinets or shelves as necessary
Be customizable to create your space
Allow you to “leave” work
Leave work whenever you want, and make it home in seconds!
Over the 30-plus years that I have worked from home on and off, I have had my office in my bedroom (twice), in a spare room (twice), in the dining room (twice), in an insulated garage, in an RV and in a basement (obviously I have lived in numerous locations during the past 30 years!). Continue reading →
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