How To Create A Backyard Oasis by Jeremy Nova, Co-Founder & Creative Director of Studio Shed
Colorado-based Studio Shed creates free-standing, custom-designed, prefabricated, modern backyard sheds used for a variety of scenarios including home offices, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), wellness and workout studios, backyard sanctuaries, guest rooms, additional storage, garage space, simply adding more space (and value) to homes and much more. The company also reintroduced a custom-designed backyard greenhouse in the midst of COVID-inspired “gardening fever” across the country. In this issue, Co-Founder & Creative Director of Studio Shed, JEREMY NOVA, shares 4 tips for creating a backyard oasis.
TIP 1: CREATE A DESTINATION IN YOUR YARD
A detached studio is often the catalyst for a larger backyard transformation giving the opportunity to create hardscaped seating areas, pathways, or similar. People often find themselves with unused or neglected yard space, and adding a studio is a great way to use your property more fully.
TIP 2: USE YOUR BACKYARD STUDIO TO INCREASE PRIVACY
A backyard studio can be positioned to screen neighboring houses and create “positive” space between your home and your studio. Bounding the edges of your property with a backyard studio can create a courtyard feel in even the smallest backyards.
TIP 3: INTEGRATE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACES
Incorporating glass wall elements and french doors (as commonly found on Studio Shed models) allows you to bring the outdoors in and connect your indoor and outdoor living spaces. With 300+ days of sunshine per year, Colorado has a perfect climate to enjoy an outdoor studio year-round.
TIP 4: BIGGER IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER
A small single-room studio is often easier to permit and install and is often just the right amount of space to create a big lifestyle benefit. Our 10’x12’ models often do not require a building permit and are the perfect size for a single-room studio or backyard office. It’s far easier than adding square footage to your home, without the hassle and cost of a remodel or addition.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
In 2008, Jeremy Nova, a professional mountain biker was trying to find storage options for his bikes. He was frustrated and disappointed in all of the solutions -they were either uninspiring “barn-style” sheds or price-prohibitive upscale prefab dwellings. With a background in design and engineering, Jeremy teamed up with friend and Boulder entrepreneur Mike Koenig to develop the first Studio Shed and the concept was an immediate success.
Studio Shed enables homeowners to easily design and install stand-alone backyard studios and sheds, adding much-desired square footage quickly, without disruptions and costs associated with a traditional remodel or home addition. The interest in additional space for homes across the country has been explosive in the past year with record-setting sales each month.
It has been just over a year since COVID-19 prompted stay-at-home orders across the country and consumers have spent more time in their homes than ever before. The immediate merging of work and personal spaces has been a challenge for many. Add children, from school-aged to college students home from university, and U.S. households have never felt so crowded. Across the board, there has been a unique need for more space in the home.
And while home offices were the initial push and may have been the catalyst to convert many sales, Studio Shed spaces are flexible for each customer’s needs. The customer use cases are varied and always evolving. What may be a home office during the day could be a guest house or extra living room in the evening. Some have even converted their units into schoolhouses where children “go to school” and fitness studios when gyms have been closed.
Additionally, Studio Shed has been addressing the demand for space for multigenerational family members during the pandemic. The pandemic has forced many families to make a difficult choice: Should elderly parents stay in retirement communities or nursing homes, or should they be brought to live at home? Many are moving elderly parents into private, backyard detached spaces often called “Granny Flats” at a time when traditional assisted living and care facilities are more restrictive due to Covid-19.