Room of the Day: Instant Craft Studio on Vashon Island
Prefab workshop in the backyard of a waterfront vacation home makes for a cost-friendly alternative
By Julie Sheer, Houzz July 7, 2016
This article originally appeared on Houzz.com
Instead of renovating their vacation home on Vashon Island to accommodate a crafting space, a Seattle couple decided for a quicker, cheaper alternative: a factory-made shed behind the house. The couple recruited Seattle-based Modern-Shed, a company that assembles three sizes of prefabricated structures for clients seeking home offices, guest studios and arts and crafts spaces, as well as man caves and “diva dens.” Located in a wooded area about 300 feet from the main house, the modern-style studio was up and running within a few days.
Craft Studio at a Glance
Who uses this: A couple from Seattle use this shed as a craft space on their vacation property.
Location: Vashon Island, Washington
Size: 192 square feet (17.8 square meters); 12 by 16 feet (3.7 by 4.9 meters)
Designer: Modern-Shed
Related:Find the Right Design-Build Firm to Design Your Own Studio
Going prefab helped avoid a messy construction site, says Mike Probach, general sales manager for Modern-Shed. The panels for the shed’s floor, roof and walls were constructed in a 35,000-square-foot factory 80 miles from Seattle and delivered by trailer and ferry to the site. Vashon Island is located about 15 minutes by ferry from Seattle. The studio’s assembly was completed in about four days. It was standing after Day 1; electrical work was done on Day 2, including the installation of outside porch lights and motion detectors. The price? “This one came in between $35,000 and $40,000 for the whole package,” Probach says.
The exterior is a combination of James Hardie HardiePlank lap siding and clear-grain red cedar accents and columns. The panels were painted at the manufacturing facility.
The roof is tongue-and-groove pine, and beams are architectural-grade glue-laminated wood, or glulam. “The slanted roof is our trademark,” Probach says. The homeowners chose a deck and an overhang for the porch, which offers protection from the elements. Probach says about half of the company’s customers opt to extend the roof for an overhang, which does block some from light from entering the studio.
Awning-style vinyl windows made in the Northwest hinge at the top and open outward. Upper clerestory-style transom windows on three sides of the studio is a standard design for Modern-Shed structures. Window glass is insulated with argon gas, which slows down the transmission of heat and cold for increased energy efficiency.
Related: My Houzz: Creative Color in Seattle Craftsman
The shed’s installation crew built the custom work desk. There’s no need for air conditioning in the cool Pacific Northwest, and a forced-air wall fan heats the unit in winter.
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