The Painter’s Dilemma: Meet Barbara

Before finding Modern-Shed, Barbara’s large-scale paintings had begun to take over her living space.Before finding Modern-Shed, Barbara’s large-scale paintings had begun to take over her living space.IMG_6718

“I’m a large-format painter, specifically I paint portraits, but for the last seven years I’d been painting in our dining room,” she said. “The last series I did were roughly 30-by-40 feet. Sometimes I do 36-by-72 feet work. I work in panels and by the end of the day I’d have stacks of paintings.” Continue reading

We’ve been featured….

1-backyardshed-fw15In Oregon Home Magazine!

Portland resident Sheila Meehan shared her experiences with Modern-Shed and how her lovely shed turned out in the latest issue of Oregon Home.

“The building has helped me to be a better agent,” she explains in the article. “It allows me to focus — I don’t even hear the front door now.”

The gorgeous photos from Dominic Bonuccelli Photography capture the beauty of Sheila’s shed.

We also profiled Sheila’s experience in our blog, “The Right Fit.”

 

The nuts and bolts of permitting

A 14' by 14' Modern-Shed garden studio in progress.
A 14′ by 14′ Modern-Shed garden studio in progress.

Navigating the messy world of building codes and permits can be an overwhelming and daunting experience for many of our Modern-Shed clients.

Thankfully, Modern-Shed works closely with our clients to determine when and if a building permit is needed in their jurisdiction and for their structure, and if so, what is needed to make the process as smooth, speedy and efficient as possible. Continue reading

Something More

Northern California —  Like most people who find Modern-Shed, Darren started off looking for something more. 

This 12 by 18 Modern-Shed home gym serves as a Krav Maga training facility.
This 12-by-18 Modern-Shed serves as a home gym and training facility.

“I wanted to have a state-of-the-art gym at home, and created one in my garage,” he says. “After a while, this got old as it sacrificed space for all my vehicles. I wanted something more.”

Continue reading

What in the world is prefab?

In the world of “prefab,” there are some misnomers.

Building codes/laws regulate the difference between certain construction types and are regulated by different government agencies.

Most pre-fab structures are built in a factory. The factory can be certified or “pre-inspected” by a governing agency; such is the case for mobile or manufactured homes, where the governing agency is the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.photo(4)

Smaller operations such as Modern-Shed, which are not certified by any government agency, must produce structures that can be inspected at the building site and must conform to International Building Code (IBC) standards. Continue reading

An immediate solution

ModernShed12by18officestudio
This Modern-Shed 12′ by 18′ home office and art studio provided the perfect space solution for a busy, growing family in Berkeley, Calif.

BERKELEY — Karina and her husband Thomas never expected to stay in their two-bedroom, one-bathroom 1939 California bungalow for long, but after 11 years and two kids, they’ve grown accustomed to their neighborhood and their cozy home.

“We thought for sure we’d have moved on by now, but we don’t want to leave the schools and the neighborhood,” says Karina, a fine artist who works from home. “We wanted a way to accommodate our growing family and keep us comfortable.”

Enter Modern-Shed. Continue reading