7 minute read
with rich colour and texture
WFH studio
Love your work Swap the endless commute for an amble through the garden with this idea for a backyard home office
PAULA homeowner
There are plenty of benefits in working from home and, for this Brisbane family, it’s even more appealing with a garden office. The block – home to Paula, her husband Paul and their teenage children – offered ample space for a detached office among the trees. It’s designed as a multi-use room: Paul works in it during the week, while on weekends Paula can use it as an art studio.
Architectural in its simplicity, the steel-clad compact cube is in keeping with its bush setting. “It has such a beautiful natural outlook,” says Paula. “Paul often sends me a photo message during the day of birds, a wallaby or a lizard he’s seen out the window while working.”
Paul worked with his builder brother Matt to complete the studio, which includes a three-square-metre deck, in just under a month. “It’s a wonderful asset to have,” says Paula. “Working out there provides Paul with separation from the house, and the comforts of home are just a stroll away.”
Paula homeowner Note If planning to build a backyard office, first check with your local authority as development permits may apply
Desk job To suit the compact floor area, Paul built a desk for the office with an off-the-shelf SpecRite finger-jointed beech panel, which was the perfect size for the desktop. For the base, several lengths of Tasmanian oak were cut to size and joined together to create square frame legs. The table was then sanded and given two coats of clear varnish. For year-round comfort and connectivity – a must for any WFH situation – an electrician installed air-conditioning and fitted the office with wi-fi.
An easy-build custom desk offers plenty of surface space on which to work, without being too bulky for the room
Going bush Paula’s brief for the studio/office was “a simple box in the backyard that was practical and a little creative,” she says. “We wanted it to have a different finish from the house so opted for corrugated steel with a plain zinc finish that wouldn’t need repainting.” The three-square-metre studio was topped with a gently sloping skillion roof and sits up off the ground to meet a raised hardwood deck. A pergola-style roof helps frame the space, as do painted timber planks, which wrap around its base. For a similar colour, try Dulux Colorbond Monument. }
Mimosa ‘Somerset’ folding timber chair, $69.98, I/N: 3190111. Desk lamp, for similar try Verve Design ‘Hector’ desk lamp in Chrome, $61, I/N: 4371345 Below: Flexi Storage ‘Clever Cube’ 360mm x 330mm x 330mm inserts in Water Hyacinth, $15.75 each, I/N: 2582736. Storage unit, for similar try Flexi Storage ‘Clever Cube’ 146cm x 76cm x 39cm 2 x 4 storage unit in White, $84, I/N: 2583384. Flooring, for similar try Floor Select 10mm water-resistant laminate flooring in Blackbutt, $39.76/pack of 6 (1.42sqm, $28/sqm), I/N: 0135650.
From day to night Adding a deck allows the workspace to also function as a social area. Standardsized hardwood decking boards were left unstained to grey off naturally. “I really like the softer grey appearance, which suits the garden and exterior’s silver-grey tones,” says Paula. A folding timber chair is perfect to pull up and enjoy a break outdoors.
Watch it!
Use a timber panel and furniture legs to make this good-looking piece: bunnings.com.au/how-to-build-a-desk
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1 Hume 2040mm x 820mm x 40mm glass opening Venetian Duracote external door, $1053, I/N: 1976576†. 2 Brilliant ‘Edie’ 20cm metal DIY plug-in lux industrial pendant light in Pewter Grey, $49.90, I/N: 0195402 (globe sold separately). 3 Northcote Pottery ‘Precinct Lite’ 21cm x 20cm fibreclay cylinder pot in White, $24.98, I/N: 0238843. Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered. Reuse and upcycle Windows sourced from a local salvage yard run horizontally above the desk to capture breezes and a slice of the picturesque view. The French doors were kept from a former renovation and are a great budget-friendly option that adds character to the office’s clean lines. “We love to recycle as much as possible. The mix of old and new makes it feel really inviting,” says Paula.
Dressed to impress A simple colour scheme in the shape of floating timber flooring and Dulux Natural White painted walls brings a bright feel to the studio, while Paula’s artwork adds personality and a vibrant punch. Storage is provided by a cube unit with a mix of attractive, on-show items and baskets to conceal clutter. Paula’s paints are contained in a stylish vintage crate. A pair of pendants offer ambient illumination, supplemented by a desk lamp for task lighting as needed. Easy-care plants, including sansevieria (above right), cactus and fiddle leaf fig (above left), supply a lively burst of low-maintenance greenery. ◆
2. Working from home
1. Study zone
Works for me
3. Photo shelf 4. Home office organiser
With a plethora of options available, creating a working from home or study zone that’s right for you is easy with Flexi Storage
When your home doubles as your office – or even if you just need a study or part-time classroom – you need great storage solutions to make it work. Flexi Storage has clever combinations that deliver functional work zones with flair.
FOR EVERY SPACE
Flexi Storage is designed to turn any corner of your home into a fabulous workspace. Use a 1 x 2 ‘Clever Cube’ desk (just one metre wide!) to squeeze a study set-up into a hallway, bedroom or living area, or turn to the wall with Flexi Storage’s vast range of wall-mounted shelves, baskets and bracket systems. wardrobes and ‘Clever Cube’ storage units, to floating and decorative shelving and kids products, you can select a finish to suit your space and feature it consistently throughout!
FLEXI HACKS
Flexi Storage products can be mixed and matched to suit your space and work needs. Try using ‘Clever Cube’ units as a base, fixing on a benchtop and adding drawer, cupboard or basket inserts to create a storage-packed desk. Build your workspace further with wall-mounted cubes, strip-and-bracket systems, shelves and even coat hooks!
COORDINATE
A lot of time is spent on your inside style and decor, so when adding a study nook into a corner of your home, put as much consideration into ensuring a seamless style transition (don’t worry, we’ll do the hard work for you!). The Flexi Storage range comes in a series of key colour finishes: classic white, the natural beauty of oak and industrial-inspired black. These finishes are present throughout the range and available in a number of storage solutions. From SHELF PORTRAIT
You’ve ticked-off the functional stuff, now it’s time to make it yours! The Flexi Storage ‘Decorative Shelving’ range has a variety of sizes, styles and finishes to fill your wall space with your favourite photos, artwork and indoor plants. The photo shelves have concealed fixings and feature a storage lip to prevent small items from falling onto your desk, while the hexagonal wall shelves can be grouped together to create a stunning honeycomb wall display.
1. Flexi Storage ‘Clever Cube’ 1 x 2 cube desk in Oak, $110, I/N: 0125526†; ‘Home Solutions’ 900mm x 350mm x 16mm shelf in White, $15.23, I/N: 2583627, 1000mm single slot upright wall strips in Black, $9.87 each, I/N: 2580185, and 350mm S-track single shelving brackets in Black, $4.94 each, I/N: 2580159. 2. Flexi Storage ‘Clever Cube’ 1460mm x 1460mm x 390mm 4 x 4 storage unit in Oak, $165, I/N: 0045679, and 330mm x 330mm x 370mm inserts in Ember Black, $10.70 each, I/N: 2583441. 3. Flexi Storage ‘Decorative Shelving’ 600mm x 100mm x 35mm photo shelf in High Gloss White, $20.90, I/N: 2582665. 4. Flexi Storage ‘Clever Cube’ 2 x 4 storage unit in White, $84, I/N: 2583384, and 330mm x 330mm x 370mm inserts in Ember Black, $10.70 each, I/N: 2583441; ‘Home Solutions’ 1200mm x 350mm x 16mm shelves in White, $18.59 each, I/N: 2583628, 320mm double slot brackets in Black, $5.99 each, I/N: 2583651, 1206mm double slot wall strips in Black, $7.67 each, I/N: 2583637, 1800mm hang tracks in Black, $14.18 each, I/N: 2583634, and 558.8mm hang track covers in Black, $3.78 each, I/N: 2583640.
