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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Installing a Modern-Shed Kit:

Modern-Shed kit construction is easier than you might think.

Modern-Shed Kits: Ever thought about having a Modern-Shed in your backyard? Do you have basic construction skills? Can you read directions?

Great then you should have no problem installing a Modern-Shed Kit.

The best way to minimize the cost of a Modern-Shed is to install it yourself.

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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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Backyard Office & Storage By Modern-Shed

 A Backyard Office Close to Home.

Backyard Office Kit by Modern-Shed

Mixed Use: 7′ x 22′ Backyard Office / Storage

SEATTLE — Chris Hansot was used to paying $400 a month for an office in Queen Anne he barely used. It got him thinking about a Backyard Office.

The software salesman travels regularly for work around the Northwest and Canada, but when he needs to get projects finished, he needs the privacy and space to do so.

Chris found himself working more and more from home, in order to be close to his wife and four kids — a 6-year-old boy, two twin 8-year-old girls, and a 10-year-old boy.

He has another office in Bellevue, but he hates going there, he said.

After four years paying monthly rent on the Queen Anne office near his home, he finally made the decision to build something even closer to home, a backyard office.

“I thought, ‘Why am I paying money for this?’” he said. “I need a place to go and have my own space.”

Chris looked into building a garage with a home office attached, but he was surprised at how costly a home addition could be.

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Vancouver Backyard Studio

Vancouver Backyard Studio

Vancouver Backyard Studio

Vancouver BC: Backyard Artist Studio

Our client had a dilemma, he had just moved into a cute little East Vancouver BC bungalow  The upstairs was the perfect size for he and his wife and their two cats. In the basement was a revenue generating bachelor suite.

That meant no room for his design studio!

With the size of his lot there was no room for a full-fledged addition to the house. Read more ›




Modern-Shed: Ultimate Fan Cave

Modern-Shed Fan Cave

Seattle Seahawks Modern-Shed Fan CaveSeattle Seahawks Modern-Shed Fan Cave

Seattle Seahawks Modern-Shed Fan Cave Seattle Seahawks Modern-Shed Fan Cave

Modern-Shed SEATTLE — When Joe and Lisa Sakay moved into their new home in the Leschi neighborhood of Seattle this past June, they both felt as though the home was missing something.

“For some reason, the house didn’t have a basement or an office, a space where I could go and work and watch football,” said Joe Sakay, an attorney who puts in many hours over the weekend. “I needed my own office space to get my work done.”

In addition to work, however, Sakay has been a “huge” Seahawks fan his whole life.

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Radiant Roof Sheathing & Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless Water Heaters & Radiant Roof Sheathing:

As a homeowner and private contractor, I understand the importance of sustainability. Having worked on Long Island Homes for over 3 years now, I’ve seen a lot of things that are commonplace, along with some that are newer to me.

Tankless water heaters and radiant roof sheathing are among the most innovative energy-saving home improvement technologies available today. Many homeowners overlook these devices. However, they can help people save a lot of money on energy expenses.


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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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