I would work in a box or with a fox...
April 13, 2010 12:09 PM   Subscribe

Shedworking is a daily updated guide for people who work in garden offices and other shedlike atmospheres. There is also a book on the subject.

Apparently, Phillip Pullman is a shedworker.
posted by cubby (23 comments total) 19 users marked this as a favorite
 
Neat. I've considered buying a shed for exactly this purpose, had no idea it was a trend or that there was a name for it.
posted by jbickers at 12:12 PM on April 13, 2010


Holy cow, this is awesome. I'm contemplating a shed makeover on my own property. Thanks!
posted by nevercalm at 12:13 PM on April 13, 2010


Woodsy Office?
posted by cmoj at 12:19 PM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]


Folks at Pixar get little shed offices, and before I was fortunate enough to start telecommuting I was always jealous of them: http://www.flickr.com/photos/veerles-blog/461586084/

I have this crazy scheme where someday I want to hand-build myself a little office on a back corner of our property using textile blocks and powered by solar energy (which, in my imagined someday, will be efficient enough to power my laptop, a space heater, and some lights cheaply). Maybe I could start with a shed, and wait until I get dementia concretia to try making textile blocks. Thanks for the post!
posted by usonian at 12:47 PM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]




My wife and I are thinking of converting a small, shedlike garage into an art studio. This should give us some good ideas.

Also, thanks for "shedlike."
posted by swift at 12:48 PM on April 13, 2010


Two (un)lucky members of the English faculty at The College of William & Mary have their offices located in the two structures that originally served as the outhouses for the original* college building in the 1700s.

It's not uncommon for old outhouses to have been repurposed in such a way, after indoor plumbing became common. If you have an old shed with an inexplicably wooden floor, this is probably why.

*Presumably, like the rest of Colonial Williamsburg, the original structures burned/collapsed long ago, and were replaced during the 1930s reconstruction with somewhat-accurate facsimiles.
posted by schmod at 12:48 PM on April 13, 2010


And not a single serial killer?
posted by klangklangston at 12:58 PM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]


I've always thought this would be neat. Everyone needs a little space that's theirs.
posted by JauntyFedora at 1:00 PM on April 13, 2010


I never knew I wanted a shed office until I saw this.
posted by davebush at 1:10 PM on April 13, 2010




Another famous shedworker was James Murray, editor of the OED. He build a metal shed in his backyard and called it his Scriptorium. Apparently the neighbors hated it.
posted by mmmbacon at 1:17 PM on April 13, 2010


Also, Scott Ostler and the Unabomber.
posted by Standeck at 1:25 PM on April 13, 2010


I knew a guy who worked in a shed. We tanned his hide when he died, Clyde...
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:30 PM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]


Heh. My business partner (the coding half of our web operation) works from a classic 6 x 4 shed in his backyard. He loves it. He was proudly telling me earlier of the carpet he laid in there over the weekend.

Works really well for him as he has a wife & two kids and the peace the shed provides is perfect. I have friends who work from home offices with kids & trying to keep the younger ones out seems impossible.

We have a shed meeting later this week. Makes a change from my old corporate hell job...
posted by i_cola at 1:30 PM on April 13, 2010


These office sheds are neat, though I have a feeling I'd find myself taking even more "breaks" out in the garden than I already do, working from home.

On a similar note, one of my secret wishes is to have an office caravan.
posted by medeine at 3:27 PM on April 13, 2010


An ask.me on sheds in general. I find the advice to consult uk.rec.sheds hilarious.
posted by khedron at 4:04 PM on April 13, 2010


Mark Twain probably the most famous shed worker, even though his Victorian mansion was pretty amazing.
posted by stbalbach at 5:41 PM on April 13, 2010


I've wanted a writing shed for years. I had no idea there are so many shed junkies.
posted by Heretic at 7:05 PM on April 13, 2010


Neil Gaiman has a writing gazebo.
posted by various at 8:13 PM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]


Australian Men's Shed Association promotes sheds as places for men to socialize so as to cope with lonliness and depression.
posted by unmake at 11:57 PM on April 13, 2010


I would love to have one of these, but I wonder without the expense of running HVAC how you keep from broiling during the summer and freezing in the winter?
posted by thekilgore at 10:20 AM on April 14, 2010


I wrote a book in my garage, then gave up and converted most of it to a library. Bit hot in summer and not too warm in winter, but it's great being surrounded by my books with an armchair.
posted by mdoar at 4:08 PM on April 16, 2010


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