Working from home has gotten too pastiche and boring now. It’s the same old faces, the same old routine, and the same humdrum of activity that seems to have become the norm now. What people need right now is a solution that does not force them to go to the office, but still allows them the utility to work from or near your home. This is where a solution like an outdoor home office comes in: a solution that uses the humble outdoor backyard shed to bring you to an oasis of productivity, a corner where only you and your computer are allowed. In this blog, we’ll look at how you can create the perfect outdoorsy home office with a modern shed from Backyard Escape Studios.
The modern shed is very versatile because it can give you whatever the user might want in terms of utility. Using it as a storage shed? Yes, any modern shed from Backyard Escape Studios will do, but it's always better to have a purpose-built one. Home office sheds are available from many retailers and manufacturers, but infusing a little personality into your shed is always better. After all, it’s where you will spend a lot of time by yourself, so it's best to make it worthy.
Let's take a look at the basics that you need to know when crafting an outdoor home office with a modern shed.
First things first: the elements will make all the difference. Let's start with a few and work our way to the final touches.
When you have your shed and your idea for an outdoor home office, the first thing to start with is the center of the office, which will be the workstation. Since this is where you will spend all of the time in your office, you will need to start from there. Utility should be the keyword here, and avoiding excesses should be your goal. Start by introducing a table that is spacious enough for your laptop and can also comfortably organize your accessories, documents, and other items. Since the table will be the centerpiece, try to think of the workstation as the central point from which all other aspects of the outdoor home office originate. This will help you build around the table.
While a simple storage shed has the bare minimum in electrical connections, just one for a bulb, your outdoor home office definitely needs more than just one. You can always start by estimating the devices you will have with you during a day in the office shed: your laptop, your phone, maybe your wireless headphones, and perhaps a tablet PC. Consider charging them all in the shed, and you will get an idea of how many outlets you will need. While many people decide to wing it and use an extension cord, you will run into problems when scaling up later. So, it's advisable to keep scaling up in mind when doing so and opting to go for extra electrical connections just for a rainy day.
By interior, we mean not only the layout of the outdoor home office but the décor as well. The layout will obviously help you navigate around the shed better and will keep things organized within the office. The décor is a pro tip: many remote professionals sit through online meetings while an unwieldy bookshelf or something rather personal sits behind them, unbeknownst to them. The purpose of having a modern shed double as your outdoor home office is to create an environment that mimics that of a professional space, and you can always go for the safe décor that looks professional: stripes of paint, maybe a motivational poster or a plant pot in the background for those Zoom or Google Meet sessions. Or introduce a little playfulness and follow a theme for the interior: we’d recommend switching out Star Wars for a generic sci-fi theme.
While in the outdoor home office, you will obviously not spend all your time working. We all need a quick breather, a quick refresher, or something to take our minds off work. Instead of returning to the house, why not integrate a small nook or corner for your me-time? Many people go for a chessboard in the corner of their shed that keeps them occupied. On the other hand, you could have your little gaming station in the corner of the home office, maybe with a Nintendo Switch or a console just waiting to be picked up. Whatever your form of recreation, be sure to include it within the outdoor home office.
You’d think that’s the first thing many people would have in their workshacks, but unfortunately, for remote professionals, work sometimes plays too big of a role. So, in the same vein as carving out a little room for me-time, you should also consider a mini-fridge or a snack cabinet with something refreshing for you. Non-alcoholic drinks (because even if you’re working from home, you’re still working), crackers, crisps, and other high-energy snacks that can give you the boost needed to get through the day are all necessary. The goal of the outdoor home office is to provide you with an office-like environment within a small, enclosed space in your backyard so you may not have to go back into the house for trivial things. And having a snack cabinet always helps for when you take that Netflix break during work.
One of the last but best tips that you can have for your shed office is this: don’t stuff it! The conventional office boasted large spaces that left plenty of room to walk or take a leisurely stroll when not working. The problem with a shed office is the compulsion many people have to stuff theirs with stuff, things that they won't probably need or use during their work session. This not only robs you of precious space but will also impact the ambience of the shed office negatively, causing you to lose interest in the shed office. Therefore, find a balance and make sure that despite all that you might need with you in the shed, you still have plenty of space to walk around.
Building or buying an outdoor home office shed isn’t all that difficult, but what really takes time is planning it out. By following these tips, you will create a home office shed that affords you all the formality and environment you need to work with laser focus, all the while keeping you within the reach of the home. In short, a well-executed home office shed will emulate the feeling of an office, but won't necessarily be an office, just your productivity pod a quick skip from your house.
Backyard Escape Studios: office sheds that maximise productivity!
If you want the best shed office imaginable, look no further than Backyard Escape Studios. With a selection of the finest designs, the most rugged and durable materials, and the best prices, our sheds are simply built to a higher standard. Whether it's additional storage space that you want in your backyard or a fully furnished shed office complete with all the necessary requisites, Backyard Escape Studios has it all. Wow yourself and elevate your backyard with the best shed solutions from us.