Latest office shed/studio update
We're halfway through the year, here's the latest on my new workspace
For those of you who haven't been following along, I'm in the middle of a project to create the ultimate indoor/outdoor workspace. This was my last update if you missed it. And here's a quick refresher.
I actually spent several years working daily in a fully outdoor office. Part of it was pandemic-era necessity, part of it was wanting to try a new way of working, and part of it was just an excuse to enjoy the amazing weather that we typically enjoy in Northern California while still working as a knowledge worker who needs to be in front of a screen all day.
While it was fun for a while, there were certainly some trade-offs. Mostly these tradeoffs involved screen glare, overheating computers on select warm days, and underheated fingertips trying to type on select colder days. The pandemic ran its course and we ended up moving into a new home that head a little more interior space where an outdoor office wasn't needed.
But fast forward a few years and add a second child into the mix, and I was again looking for a dedicated home workspace that gave me a bit more privacy and quiet. And bonus points if I could incorporate more sunlight and some fresh air into the equation.
Back in March, I began the process of converting our backyard shed into a suitable office space. The existing shed had only been used to store garden tools and potting soil for the previous owners. It was in pretty rough shape. While I thought it only needed a quick facelift, it turned out to be less structurally sound and waterproof than I had hoped. So yeah, with a little help from my handy father, we basically built up a new shed from the decaying bones of its predecessor.
In a mere two weeks of work, we had a whole new structure. A bolstered foundation, higher ceilings and a pitched roof with new windows, and a new glass door really allowed natural light to transform the space. The only thing missing was the actual interior of the space.
I was able to install some sound dampening insulation to help with noise and temperature swings. And after conducting video meetings for several weeks where I looked like a prisoner in an unfinished jail cell, I'm happy to report that we finally have some properly painted walls now.
Allowing drywall professionals to handle the heavy lifting was a wise choice. Overall, it turned out pretty good considering the DIY nature of the structural rebuild. It's obviously not easy to mount drywall panels where angled corners don't always meet exactly where you'd like them to.
So no more video backdrops of unfinished walls, but what's next? The floors will likely be the next thing to tackle. Right now they're just unfinished sub-flooring that is sturdy enough but obviously not aesthetically ready for primetime. In the same sprint of work, I'm looking to cut in one more window to allow for more natural lighting from both directions. Essentially, that would give me a full pane of light from the glass door on one side of me, this additional new window on the opposite side, and a trio of high ceiling windows to provide a back and top-lit glow.
In order to really make the space have an indoor/outdoor feel, I'm looking to create a landing/deck area in front of the door that gives me some space to properly work fully outdoors when I'd like to. Really this only needs to be a rough square of wood that's big enough for my mobile standing desk or a small table and lounge chair. You don't necessarily want to be the guy on video calls who looks like he's lounging on vacation rather than putting in a hard day's work. It's a fine line between creating a functional work area and a place that maybe looks too comfortable to be taken seriously.
What else do I need to make the inside feel creative and productive? We'll need to add some things to the white walls. First, there will likely be some sort of wall art/decals to provide some color. I like the idea of some colorful textured felt shapes to brighten the room while also absorbing some of the sound that's currently echoing off the newly installed drywall.
And on those gloomy winter days where the natural light won't get the job done, I'm planning to install some Nanoleaf tile light panels on the ceiling that should mimic the effect of a skylight while also hopefully directing enough light straight down to make it work for video calls.
As for the actual work gear, I don't think much will change in the short term while I look at some more flexible options for the long term. That means I'm going to keep using my current desk with an adjustable standing desk topper for probably a few months more.
A more versatile longterm solution might be a mounted display attached to an arm that can go up and down while also allowing it to move out from the wall in all directions. Basically, something like you'd see in a doctor's office but way more aesthetically pleasing. I've even seen some nice examples where the table folds up and the monitor can hide right in the wall or behind a piece of art.
While the primary function of the space will be computer work in my day-to-day marketing job along with a quiet place to write material like this, I want it to be versatile enough for other things. The acoustics should be good for recording more audio content like reading aloud this passage or releasing a podcast. The lighting should also be good for potentially shooting some video content as well.
And I should be able to do yoga and wild gym strength workouts inside without worrying about knocking into too much furniture. It should be able to accommodate movie nights or when I need to watch a game on the large monitor in a comfortable manner. And in a pinch, it should have the flexibility to house a proper sleeping setup for a guest that includes a foldout bed or mattress of some sort.
Yes, I may be asking a lot of this space, but I've been enjoying the possibilities of figuring it all out. I'm grateful that I've had time to build it out slowly with intention. With such a small space, every decision really counts. I'm thinking of it less as an office that needs furnishing and more like a tiny house where each item is thoughtfully chosen for its innovative design and versatility. A typical office desk can work for now, but it's not the design I'm ultimately envisioning.
So that's my half-year workspace update. I likely will have another update in September after the next wave of work gets done. Hopefully I'll have more pictures to share of a finished space by the fall.
And do let me know if you're into these updates or don't really give a hoot. My hope is that this discussion will soon involve more fun tech being installed or general workspace Q&A. I'm always curious to hear about how other people have their home workspaces setup and especially how they make the most of small spaces. If anyone else has been figuring out clever outdoor computer setups that are more than just a laptop on a picnic table, I would love to see them!
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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