As remote working continues to be on the rise for many companies, you may be expected to work from home some (or all) days of the week. Having a dedicated space to work from home may be tricky, especially if you have no spare rooms or a noisy environment in the house. By transforming your shed into an office, you can create a designated quiet environment to get your work done and become more productive.
Transforming the shed can be made easy with our step-by-step guide and top tips to help create an office, for as cheap as possible.
Preparation
Make sure you have a plan for exactly how you want your shed to look and the exact layout you’re planning to have. Make sure you measure up the space you have for when you buy furniture and plan exactly how much space you have to work with.
Begin to remove any unwanted items from the shed and make sure to declutter all the items you no longer need (and have not used in years). Even the outside of the shed needs to be cleared, so make sure to remove any unwanted plants and weeds and begin from scratch.
Time for the DIY
In order to have a reliable and safe home office, you will need to make sure you add windows to your new space (in order to have natural lighting). Whether you add just one or two new windows, it is important to have these installed into the shed as soon as possible. As well as this you will need to add reliable doors and locks to the shed to protect all items that may be left in there.
Insulation is a key part of this process. Ensure you get the insulation sorted quite early, by using either foam boards or spray foam. You can do this step on your own or hire a professional to do it for you. Insulation will keep you warm within your office and save you on electricity (as running a heater or AC inside may be expensive).
Add your Electrical Connections
If you’re working from home, electricity will be essential. Whether you need to run a laptop, clock, lights, heater, coffee maker or maybe all at the same time, its important to have a good electricity source to keep these running efficiently (especially if you’re working from this area as you need good connection).
This step can be quite dangerous and may be worth getting in an electrician (rather than doing DIY work) to ensure it is completed correctly and safely.
Begin to Decorate
When it comes to decorating your new office, the world is your oyster as you can design it in any way you like. You can decide your own colour scheme, wallpaper, flooring colour and décor inside. Purchase budget friendly paint from B&Q or The Range and save money by painting yourself. This should only take a few days, and you can even grab your family members as a helping hand.
You may want to make your office as colourful as possible, or perhaps keep it very sophisticated and neutral. Whatever you decide to do, make sure to make it as homely as possible and a place where you know you will be able to concentrate.
Choose some flooring that you will love, whether that be vinyl, carpet, laminate, hardwood or even floor paint. We highly recommend choosing water-proof vinyl flooring as it is easy to install and moisture friendly in the outdoor environment.
Add Furniture and Heavy-duty Shelving
It’s time to add your desk and chair, and any other furniture you require to help your office come together (like family photos or a comfy chair to chill on). No office is complete without strong, heavy-duty shelving to help store your items and work away neatly and safely. Here at Rhino we have the perfect shelving to help your office really come together. Our shelving is boltless, heavy duty and adjustable to your needs, making it the perfect addition to any home office.
It is super easy to build and cost effective and will store even your heaviest items away safely. Whether you have piles of paperwork and files to store away or need a place to store your laptops or stationary, you can shop our MDF and wire shelving ranges now. The new wire shelving range looks great in homes, with its sleek, black finish and will have your new office looking AMAZING.