Blog Archives

Guest Cottage: Convenience in a Box

Modern Shed Guest Cottage

12′ x 14′ Modern-Shed Guest Cottage

Modern-Shed Guest Cottage:

SEATTLE — When Kai Carroll and his wife, Emily Wang, were expecting their second child last year, they knew that they had to create more space in their cozy three-bedroom house in Ballard.

The couple loved their house, and they loved their neighborhood. But with a young son and a daughter on the way, they realized that each child would need their own room — so there would soon be no space for either set of grandparents when they came to visit the little ones.

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B.C. woman fined for renting garden shed to homeless couple

Man, woman and pets living in tool shed in Kelowna, B.C. paid $200 a month

CBC News Posted: Dec 7, 2012 7:23 PM PT

A power cord that ran from the woman’s house in Kelowna, B.C., supplied electricity to the small metal building, for which she was charging rent of $200 per month.

It’s not clear how long the people and pets had been living in the shed. Bylaw officers warned the owner two weeks ago it was not suitable accommodation, but the advice was ignored, said city spokesman Stephen Fleming.

Fleming described the small building as “a standard type of metal garden shed that you’d get at your local hardware store. It certainly doesn’t look like a place for people to be living in.”

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Prefab Laneway House: 12′ x 20′

Prefab Laneway House:

Prefab-Vancouver-Laneway-House

Prefab Vancouver Laneway House

Designed as a place for visitors to rest their travel-weary bones this Guesthouse concept could easily be adapted as a Laneway House for the Vancouver marketplace.

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Backyard Bedroom: Home in a 96 Sq/Ft box

Backyard Bedroom Kit: A Teenage Dream

Backyard Bedroom Kit: Our customer came to Westcoast Outbuildings with a problem. Their children were growing up right before their eyes. Brother & Sister once happy to share a single bedroom, it was now rapidly becoming a dysfunctional situation.

Vancouver Backyard Bedroom

Modern-Shed: Backyard Bedroom installed by handy client.

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A History of Modern Prefab Houses

Modern-Shed Dwelling-Shed - Modern Prefab Houses

Modern-Shed Prefab House – Under $150 a Sq/Ft

Modern Prefab Houses

Although the concept of modern prefab houses and design has been around since the ’60s, the architectural movement didn’t take off until early 2000. As technological advances like SIP panels (structural insulating that is precut and can be locked together) were made and interest in residential architectural design blossomed, architects turned their attention to prefab houses. The goal was to create a home that could be transported to a building site, be easily erected and look like modern architecture — all within a reasonable budget.

… and modern prefab houses were born.

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Modern-Shed Prefab Dwelling Compound

Prefab Dwelling Shed Compound: Don’t live LIFE confined to four walls!

Modern-Shed Dwelling ShedLocated in the quaint town of Port Townsend on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula the Dwelling Shed Compound was designed by Modern-Shed founder Ryan Grey Smith.

The Prefab Dwelling Shed Compound was built as a recreational family getaway.  It also serves as a showcase for Modern-Shed products, designs and concepts.

Connected with raised inter-connected decks the compound is designed around a central courtyard complete with fire pit and benches. A mix of gravels paths, bamboo, concrete stepping-stones, composite wood and cedar decking offer many different textures to the look and feel.

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Shed Living: Small Practical Prefab Living Space

Shed LivingShed Living an Affordable Housing Trend

Shed Living and Small Houses are the new “In Thing”, and this practical little living space couldn’t be more in vogue.

The “Shed for Living,” designed by Manchester England based FKDA Architects, provides all the necessary amenities for living in a compact unit.

Designed for those in need of affordable and practical space.

Constructed of FSC certified timber-framed walls, double paned windows, cellulose fibre insulation from 100% recycled newspaper and interior finishes with low VOC content. Read more ›




Modern-Shed Dwelling Texas: The Inside Scoop

Modern-Shed Dwelling: Texas Style

The following interview is with Heidi Brunet the builder of the first Modern-Shed Dwelling. The Modern-Shed Dwelling, is a pre-fab, home-built by Modern-Shed. Modern-Shed recently launched its “Dwelling” line, which is an extension from its pre-fab “room” specialty. Heidi’s home is a full-sized family style home, and is being built in Dallas, Texas.  

Q: How is the building process going thus far with your Modern-Shed Dwelling? There has been tremendous progress in the past couple of weeks – the foundation was poured, floors were installed, walls were built, and most recently the roof was added. Is the process as fast as you thought it would be? Have you come across any hiccups this early on in the process?

A: No. The entire shell of the house went up in 3 days with very basic tools. It was faster than I anticipated. Next week we will frame the internal walls in the house, assemble the carport, rough in electrical wiring throughout the house, install the fireplace and start putting up siding.

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