Using a Shed as a Garden Office
Some of us would live in our gardens if we could. To besurrounded by the lush beauty of nature and growing things, thesoothing sounds of the wind rustling leaves, the buzzing of beesand the sweet trill of the birds is the ultimate in luxury - butit's impractical for most of us. What's not impractical, though,is using a gardenshed as a gardenoffice to leave at least some of the stresses of every daywork behind.If you work from home, you know how important having your ownspace ...
...for an office is. It may mean taking over a spare bedroomfor your desk and computer, or refinishing a basement room totake you out of the hustle and bustle of the family. Even if youlive alone, being 'in the office' adds a psychological nudgethat makes you feel like you're at 'work' rather than loungingaround the house and subject to distraction. More and more,those who work at home are opting to outfit a garden shed andusing it as a garden office.So popular an option is using a shed as a garden office, thatthe BBC has reported on it in their online Magazine. Accordingto correspondent Giles Wilson, using a shed as a garden officeis a high-priced luxury conversion - but we have our doubts. Forthe average work-at-home business mom or pop, managing a website, or selling out of their homes, high end items like 36power outlets and a full security system aren't necessary.Instead, one could turn a shed into a garden office for far lessmoney - and still enjoy all the benefits of using a shed as agarden office.First, consider your needs. Do you already have a garden shed?In the house where I grew up, the garden shed was a magicallittle haven that exactly matched our house in color and style -a tiny little room just the right size to fit a desk and chairand a few office cabinets. For someone like me, a professionalwriter working at home, converting the garden shed to a gardenoffice would be a simple matter of adding a few outlets -there's electricity there already - and insulating the walls forthe winter.Consider your needs before you start dreaming though. Will youneed to run wiring from the house to the shed? Add in the costof the electricians, then. If you're in an area with coldwinters or hot summers, will you need insulation, heat and airconditioning? Remember, it's more than just your comfort youneed consider. When you're using a shed as a garden office, youalso need to consider the 'comfort' of your equipment. Mostelectrical equipment - computers and the like - are happiest ifthe temperature is kept at around 68 F. What about phones? Willyou need a land line with multiple extensions - or will yourcell phone do just fine? For that matter - with a good wirelessconnection, can you make do with a laptop and docking stationfor your computing needs?Using a shedas a garden office can be a wonderful option - and dependingon your needs, it can be extremely affordable - or pure luxury.Think it through, make your plans, and then decide if it's worthit to have a beautiful, comfortable office that makes yourworkday a pleasure.
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