Stepping out to the office
Backyard work spaces the latest trend in home design, HGTV designer says
Heading outside to work typically entails mowing the lawn, trimming the hedge, weeding the beds or watering the garden. These days, it could just as well be about responding to emails, writing a report or taking part in a Zoom call.
That's because the “al fresco” home office is not only on the rise, it's most likely here to stay, says designer Sarah Keenleyside, co-host of HGTV's Backyard Builds.
“In the past year-and-a-half, it's been the main request,” said Keenleyside, speaking from her own temporary home office — a bedroom at the cottage. “We're really seeing a trend of people working from home and most likely continuing on.”
Sure, it seems simple to take your work outdoors if you have a laptop, strong Wi-Fi connection, some shade, and a comfortable table and chair. But in Ontario's temperamental climate, Keenleyside's best scenario for a backyard workspace is a dedicated outpost building, whether it be a garage, shed or made-to-order shipping container or pod.
“It's very easy to retrofit an existing structure for a three-season office; it's a little more costly to retrofit it for four seasons,” said Keenleyside.
When converting a garage or shed, the rule of thumb is to use two-thirds as an office and reserve one-third for storage. The minimum for a “comfortable human bubble of space” is 10 feet by 10 feet, according to Keenleyside, and you will need a natural light source.
She also recommends upgrading windows if they are old, doing your due diligence to check for mould or mildew, and adding an air exchange if you are going to be heating the room. If you're not already running power to the building, you'll need an energy source, whether solar panels, electrical or other. You'll also want to add insulation and a comfortable flooring.
A good backyard office design can easily serve more than one purpose: a quiet refuge during work hours and an extended entertaining space or overnight guest house during downtime. On the latest season of Backyard Builds, Keenleyside builds a “kitchenette without a sink” along the back wall of an outdoor art studio, providing hidden office storage. When the studio is in use, the counter becomes a desk. When guests arrive, it's an elegant entertaining space.
Furnishing a backyard office can be “cheap and cheerful” since run-of-the-mill interior pieces will work, but with so many styles and colours available, it might be worth it to invest in good quality outdoor furniture that can easily be brought outside when needed. Keenleyside often adds a casual seating area and refreshment centre to her designs. She's also careful about furniture placement so that clients can easily control their backdrop for video calls and gaze out a window when seated at their desk.
Other accessories to consider include: decorative rugs, cushions or throws made of weather-resistant material, a portable fan, a charging station, noise-cancelling headphones to block random outdoor noises, and a glare guard for your computer screen to reduce reflection from the sun.
“It's such a healthy working environment when you actually try to separate your work from home life,” said Keenleyside. “You set your hours and you go out to your backyard office for that set amount of time, and when you're done, you come back into the house – that separation of the home space and the work space is one of the best benefits.”