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.
Follow Us
Blueprints for Building Community
After tragedy struck a local restaurateur family, one of their daughters stepped in to complete the design for her brother’s unfinished home.
Although he was just 35 when a heart attack took his life, Khoa Pham’s imprint on Seattle’s international district was such that the city quickly designated April 21 as a memorial day in his honor. With his rescue pitbull, Pinky, by his side, Pham cut a colorful figure through Little Saigon and became well known…
Tuft Stuff
Tuft Ruft turns fiber art into a social, hands-on experience in Pioneer Square.
It all started with a bout of pandemic boredom. Like many, when COVID-19 hit, recent graduate Carrie Xiao found herself stuck at home, with extra time on her hands. One day, while scrolling social media, she discovered tufting: a textile manufacturing technique that creates a garment or rug with a “pile,” or raised surface. After…
Collaborating Cultures
Looking to build a home to welcome family and friends, one Kirkland couple turns to a sister to design a modern house with influences from the wife’s Thai heritage.
For many years, when homeowners planned to build or remodel, architects and designers advised them to think first and foremost about resale value. From the number of bedrooms to the materials, appliances, and finishes in the kitchens and bathrooms, homes were often treated solely as an investment, with an eye to future sales. In recent…
Whale Of A Remodel
The transformation of an Orcas Island home takes advantage of remarkable views
For many years, Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders entertained his Orcas Island neighbors with breathtaking acrobatics in his vintage airplane. Anders and his wife, Valerie, had purchased a five-acre compound on the isolated western edge of the island for its mesmerizing view, a subject he knew something about. As a member of the first human…