Let’s play a little catch up. 2020 was a dumpster fire. I think we’re all caught up.

Well, actually, the fact that the event industry tanked due to Covid restrictions inevitably led to the studio office I had shared with an event company for 10 years, could no longer sustain itself and we had to move out last July.

Taking my sign down. This hurt.

I was left with all my equipment, supplies, and business in limbo- do I try to rent another location not knowing how long this bitch of a virus was hanging around? Do I try to work from my home office while my mountain of belongings fall on top of my head each time I open the door?

So I made the decision to invest in an office that enabled me to not commit rent anywhere, still work independently, but be close enough to make sure I was there for my kids who had to still distance learn from home.

So I present to you my solution:

SHE SHED BACKYARD OFFICE

I first turned to Tuff Shed for a prefab unit that I could afford and since they had a lot of options and were local it was a no brainer. I worked with them on the size, and optional upgrades like windows, paint colors, and fancy door. They come out and deliver and build it all on site in one day.

I ended up settling on a 10’x12′ lean-to building for the office and a 6’x8′ lean-to building I would use for production/storage. I was going to have them adjacent to each other to create mid-century inspired silhouette. While not so sexy at first glance I knew it had potential to create the look I was going for.

Tuff Shed Lean To building

However, I do run a design business not a plumbing company so it HAD TO LOOK GOOD. I can’t create if I’m not inspired in my work space and this wasn’t worth it if it wasn’t INSPIRING. I settled on a Palm Springs Chic look, here’s the inspo board I put together:

Inspiration board for Shed shed backyard office design. Palm Springs inspired office.

And as with any good construction project, I then created a 3D architectural model because I’m extra like that:

Shed shed backyard office design with tuff shed . Palm Springs inspired office.

Yeah very different from the base building on their website but this model helped to see the potential. There was a laundry list of things needed to complete this vision.

  • Electrician: to bring in some outlets & lights.
  • Dry-wall installers: to finish the interior. The Tuff Shed finished building has visible framing and radiant barrier interior walls.
  • Wood Flooring
  • Baseboards
  • A/C & HVAC installer
  • Light fixtures
  • Landscaping (Palm Springs desert inspired of course)

Did I mention I went far over budget fairly quickly?? Yeah once the dry-wall was finished I decided I had to tackle the other projects myself. Lay the flooring, install baseboards, paint the interior, install the vinyl tile backsplash, plant all the landscape plants, lug the landscape stones, stain the deck and paint the front door a sexy color. NBD right.

One thing I learned in this endeavor is don’t ever think that any project is too difficult for you. We live in a time where information and tutorials are literally at our fingertips living in our phone. Yes these tasks seem overwhelming but if you’re willing to get dirty, you can DEFINITELY accomplish them.

Girls can handle power tools and install baseboards. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

I documented as much of the process as possible and am excited to take you on this journey. Hopefully this will inspire another person who Covid may have gutted their biz to create their own space that works for them.

The next post will be the install of the building in my yard. Check it out here!

Finally, I have been documenting all the behind the scenes in my She Shed Instagram Story highlight- be sure to follow along HERE.

Enjoy!