Building a home office, a stone’s throw from your doorstep
Introducing the PixelShack, a softwood log cabin in kit form.
Now more than ever, people are working from home, and whether you are just looking for tips on how to create a good working space or you are considering building a cabin, this is must-read.
PixelHaze founder Elwyn Davies has recently built a new cabin at his Mid Wales farm to double up as a garden office and multi-functional recording studio. Constructed just before Christmas 2020, the 5 meter by 3 meter garden office has already been put to good use, through sun, rain, hail and snow; and we are still only in March!
This is the first building we have self-built (with the materials arriving in kit-form), so we thought we would share our thoughts with you.
tl;dr:
Budget - To keep costs down, you can build it as a DIY project. Just make sure you have a mobile and eager friend who is happy climbing ladders.
Format - The cabin arrived in a flat-pack log kit (44mm thick timber planks) format and all the walls of the cabin came in planks that assemble a bit like Lego
foundation - elevated the base using timbers, gravel and concrete with a breezeblock frame to raise the height of the cabin ¾ of a metre above the ground, this allows any water to flow underneath the cabin and creates a level foundation.
Budget:
Elwyn wanted to keep the budget as low as possible, while still having a durable and long-lasting cabin. The cost of the final build can vary drastically depending on whether you tackle it as a DIY project, or if you the construction to builders or carpenters. In Elwyn’scase, he did it all with the help of his father and our very own Ken Rees (the Creative Director at PixelHaze). In regards to the sourcing of the cabin itself, prices can of course differ depending on where you buy it. This particular model was at the lower end of the price range. This was largely due to the fact that it was built using softwood and arrived in kit form. The total was £3,500+VAT with an option of hiring a construction team at a further £800+VAT.
If you shop around, you will find that the sweet spot for this size of garden building is between £6,000-£15,000 depending on style and requirements.
Complete with a PixelHaze essential - the chalkboard!
So, how does the cabin arrive?
The cabin arrived in a flat-pack log kit (44mm thick timber planks) format and all the walls of the cabin came in planks that assemble a bit like Lego. Each log then slots together with interlocking corners and a tongue and groove format holding them in place. Doors and window fittings arrive complete, you just need a few hands to lift and fix them into position. You just need to make sure you have a suitable storage area for the packs as they are removed from a long lorry bed via a Crain. Also, think about the distance that you will need to carry the logs. Ideally, you want the kit to be within 100 feet of the construction site. We are fortunate to have a large driveway next to the cabin site so unloading and moving the materials was a breeze.
“Building a cabin is the perfect therapy for the inner-child. Think of it as Lego for grown-ups!”
Beware the house built on sand…
A crucial element of building a good cabin is having a sturdy foundation. For this, Elwyn elevated the base using timbers, gravel and concrete with a breezeblock frame to raise the height of the cabin ¾ of a metre above the ground, this allows any water to flow underneath the cabin and creates a level foundation. Again, Elwyn and his father constructed the foundations, reducing the cost. The decision to elevate the foundation was tactical due to the fact that level ground is at a premium in mountainous Mid Wales. If you are fortunate enough to have some flat ground, the foundations will be far easier to construct. Getting your base level isn’t an optional step, it is essential to ensure you avoid problems when additional levels are added to the build.
The cabin is built layer-by-layer using interlocking wooden logs.
The foundation is built using breeze blocks, a concrete pad and gravel and stone areas for drainage.
Making the house a workday home
When it came to furnishing the cabin, the challenge was once again to keep costs to a minimum. It was also essential that the final build ‘feels’ like an inspirational and creative working environment. In a post-Covid world, we are entertaining the prospect of holding interview podcasts, video courses and 1-2-1 workshops in the cabin. Therefore, a versatile and creative workspace was top of the list of requirements. Elwyn achieved this by adding a small coffee table and two comfy chairs on the side of the cabin that wasn’t required for the desk area. With having a small space to work with, the interior having a function in the cabin is just as important as it is looking stylish.
It was important that his cabin was soundproofed to ensure that we could create great quality voice overs and recordings for podcasts. This has been achieved by ensuring all glass is double glazed and there are also hooks available in the roof joists to pin up large sheets around the desk area to help to reduce reverb, the enemy of good quality sound. at 3x3x2.5 meters, the small area also helps to produce a high-quality semi-professional sound.
Finishing touches
For one of the internal walls, Elwyn used foam board designed to look like a brick wall this is multi-purpose as it not only gives the visual effect of the brick wall, with it being foam it also helps with sound absorption. Above this, there is a rail that will be used to hang sheets for backdrops for videos and it is also good for when he is recording as it makes a soft backdrop which is good for reducing the amount of reverb and echoes in the cabin. As you are now probably aware having a soundproof cabin if being made into a recording studio as well as an office is really important.
Not quite ready yet?
If buying a cabin isn’t an option for you but you are desperately in need of a home office, garden sheds can be just a viable alternative, especially if you only want it for an office and not a recording studio. However, it is still possible to achieve a good recording studio from your garden shed It may just need a few extras but here are some solutions you could do to achieve this.
If your shed is producing quite a bit of echo (clap your hands together and listen to the sound), putting acoustic foam panelling on the walls is a really good way of helping with this. If you don’t want to do that then you could target the corners of the shed to dampen down the sound.
If your shed doesn’t have windows, then where you place your lights are important. However, if you do have windows, getting blinds is a great way of controlling the natural light and they can also help a small amount with sound absorption. Another problem you may need to confront if you want to convert your garden shed is that it might not be as sealed off as a cabin (which in turn isn’t as effective as a brick and mortar building), so, to tackle this issue you could get spare bits of timber that you can nail down in the corners to make your shed as airtight as it can be which in turn will help with sound and heat proofing.
When making a home office what is important?
Elwyn’s advice is that filling the spaces up will make it feel less empty and having a good colour scheme is important for a good working environment as well. In his cabin, he has left the floor and ceiling the light wood colour and has painted two of the walls white, added a stone effect foam board on another and of course no Pixelhaze office is complete without a chalkboard wall. If you are interested in creating your own chalkboard wall the link for the blog on how to create one is here….. Putting a shelf up to allow for extra surface. These are not necessities. However, the little details are the things that help make your office more of a friendly space. Like everyone’s home décor, your cabin office will look completely different to reflect your personality, so by adding canvases and objects you like helps make your space more your own.
