Studio Dreaming

I've been day dreaming about building my very own backyard studio.  I've been working from home since 2005 or 2006.  It was just too cost prohibitive to rent a studio when I had no stable income from my art.  I felt like I was just pouring money down the drain.  The above picture is the work of Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture.  It's one of the many inspirational images I've been looking at.  I found it through Margaux Lange's blog

Working from home has it's constraints, but it also provides me with a lot of conveniences.  I can work anytime I want to, there's no travel time and I can make a sandwich when I'm hungry!  I mostly work on my dining table or I spread everything out in the living room.  The downside is that I would need to clean up my work space when I have company over, disrupting my flow.  I also get really frustrated at what a huge mess I live in.  It's a constant fight trying to manage the clutter.  My main reason for working from home is to save up money to build a studio.  It has taken years, who knows, it still might take a few more... but at least the planning process has started.


Last year we bought our first home with a big yard that's big enough for a proper studio!  I thought it would take a few years of saving up before we could afford to build something, but while cruising Craigslist for a garden shed I saw and ad for the Mighty Cabana!  It's a shed, uninsulated shell, that comes as a kit and you put it together.  There are several sizes... I love the design, great big windows, high ceilings and the price is right.  A 12'x16' cabana kit costs $7520.00, a very reasonable price.  The picture above is what it looks like.

I'm very excited about this design, the company also has insulation upgrades.  There are lots of options to switch things around or upgrade features.  I've talked with the company and they seem like nice folks.  They also connected us with with a past client to get some feedback.  My husband and I are going to visit their client's Cabana this weekend!

I don't know if I'm getting ahead of myself.  I'm trying to not get too excited... There are many concerns and questions still out there.  How is the quality of the building... although it's a kit we're probably going to pay them to put it up.  I don't see a lot of reviews about the company online.  What permits do we need?  Do we have enough money this year?  The headache and excitement builds...


Here is an interior shot.  The kit that we're looking at purchasing is 12'x16'.  It has a slant roof, the lower back half has a ceiling height of about 7'8".  The higher front has a ceiling height of about 12'!  The estimate we got with additional insulation (floor, ceiling walls to R13) and a metal roof brings the price tag to about $9000.  Construction costs would be extra.  With our damp weather this will go on pier blocks. 
I'll definitely post updates on the process if we end up building this cabana.  I'll also give you guys a breakdown of costs and what options we went for.