Home Office Shed Transformation

2020 has been the year of families needing more space. In our home, we have a six-year-old working from my old desk doing remote learning, a three-year-old making age-appropriate messes all day and a one-year-old needing constant supervision. Then add two parents who have to work from the kitchen table to the mix. All in a three bedroom house. Yeah, we needed space. I was desperate for an office but it had to fit the budget, and I needed it ASAP.

If this sounds anything like you, you’re in luck! I’m going to share with you how I transformed a Rubbermaid® shed into a Breathing Room approved office, using only items from The Home Depot, and without any specialty tools or paid-for help.

To prep, we just needed to make sure the ground was cleared and level.

Next, I decided to build a platform because I wanted the shed to be above ground in case of rain/flooding in my backyard.

Before we dove into building the shed, I wanted to ensure a smooth, efficient process. No getting stuck because we didn’t have the right tool handy or couldn’t find a certain shed piece. So I took all the items out of the box, and with instructions in-hand, I set out all the shed parts in the order I would need them, along with the tools for each section. This little bit of prep made a huge difference in making the process stress free and simple. Yay for organization!

Once we had the shed up, I couldn’t resist the transformation of paint. Our main house is white and since I wanted this shed to be an extension of our home and fit with my style, white it was going to be! The paint specialists at The Home Depot recommended I use a primer called 123 Primer before using the exterior paint. We used a paint sprayer for an even layer and to speed up the process. (*Rubbermaid® does not recommend painting)

Next up, shiplap. This addition allowed the shed to fit my personal aesthetic.

I love light. I need it if I’m working. So having a space that’s bright and airy was essential. Luckily, the shed lets in a ton of light through the three roof windows and the double doors.

The desk chair is probably my favorite item in the entire shed. It came in a set of two. We’re using the other one as my daughter’s desk chair, so that our fourth breakfast table chair can finally go back. I LOVE the design of this chair. It’s simple, classic with a modern touch, and really well built. The white deskand black chair create a great contrast.

Inside, I added a fig tree and put inside one of the striped baskets. I added a few branches from my olive tree to the desktop vase, and a potted pothos to the bookshelf.

On the exterior, I purchased two large rectangular planters four lattice steaks and fourjasmine plants to eventually weave their way up the side of the shed.

Next we added a few bags of mulch to spruce up the ground around the shed. It’s seriously amazing what a little mulch can do.

The day I finished, we had our first big rain of the season. That night as I heard the rain pelting the windows I cringed imagining water stained shiplap and buckled floors. The next morning when I ran out to check, everything was bone dry (of course!). Thank goodness for Rubbermaid’s® durability!

Not only can I rest assured knowing that all my work materials will stay dry, but I can also lock the shed, which adds to my comfort – whether it’s little hands that want to use my documents for paper mache, or those bushy-tailed night bandits that get into everything.

So if one of your 2021 goals is to give yourself the space you need, aRubbermaid® shed is an amazing solution – for an office, craft room, workout room, or extra space for your kid’s items (and kids!). Have fun and can’t wait to see your finished shed projects!