4 Home Office Shed Design Ideas for Remote Work Productivity

The term “home office shed” is probably not one of the most common things you are going to hear in the working world. However, once you become acquainted with the experience of what it can be like working with one, you are likely going to want to continue doing so, so long as you're working remotely. 

Certainly, it's incredibly convenient to be able to complete the tasks you are designated without having to deal with the annoying commute and the restrictions on what you may be allowed to wear. However, there are some downsides to working from home that come from precisely what being in your own space means to you. 

Most likely, you typically find it incredibly relaxing to be home. After all, it's supposed to be the most comfortable space for you. As the adage would imply, “there is no place like home.” 

Without getting too philosophical, it could even reflect the people you have around you. Yes, for many people around the word “home” is more of a person or a set of people than it is a place. 

After alluding to all these are wonderful things, what could go wrong if you're working from such a place? Well, because of all these elements, you find that home is seen as a place of bliss and relaxation. Why else would it feel like such an escape from your work?

You can imagine then that trying to give it the same feel as a traditional office can create a couple of challenges and concerns. First, if you do succeed in creating that aura, does it mean you become uncomfortable in your home? 

While many people don't necessarily hate their jobs, there is an air associated with the office space that they would prefer to leave there. Naturally, introducing that kind of vibe to your home prevents it from feeling as comfortable as it normally would. 

Furthermore, you don't necessarily have to introduce the feeling in that manner for something to be off. Another problem is that you have conditioned yourself to be so relaxed in your home for so long, it’s now genuinely difficult for you to remain as focused and as productive as you would in the traditional office space. 

Maybe you have a couple of reports to get done but Netflix is so close to you, and you desperately want to find out what happens next on your favorite show. Therefore, you may decide to sneak in a single episode, and before you know it, you've watched two seasons, your reports are due, and you've done nothing but type your name on a cover page. 

So, one of the best solutions is to implement an outdoor office shed into the mix. This prefab garden office is your designated workspace at your home. You exit your house physically and walk into another space that's dedicated to working. 

Of course, it's still a backyard office shed, so you still don't have to deal with transit times or whatever other downsides may come with being in the office. Clearly, though, you get the benefits of being able to separate your personal and professional concerns.

When it's time for lunch or the workday is over, you can simply walk out of the home office shed and walk into your house for some relaxation. Whenever it's time to go to work, simply walk outside, head to your outdoor office pod, and start working. 

You can even dress for work if it reinforces what you're trying to achieve.

Now that you're acquainted with the idea of working from home, you may be wondering what your options are. 

Certainly, there are numerous models that you may consider for an office pod, but the focus here is on the general ideas. Nevertheless, there is one of these home office buildings that’s covered to a great degree below. 

It's one of the best builds out there, and it should certainly allow you to feel that enhanced sense of productivity without walking off your property. 

Home Office Shed Options

There are essentially four home office shed options that you may want to consider before you make your final decision. Note that there is a bit of overlap in a couple of areas. For example, a cabin shed could be a DIY or prefab pod too. 

However, its origins may be a little different, so it happens to be separated from the others. What's important is that you pay attention to the defining factors of each, consider how it fits into your needs and capabilities, and you should have no regrets when you make your final decision. 

DIY

The DIY home office shed is up first on the list, and you likely already have some idea of what this would look like based on the name. Many things in life that are constructed can be handled by professionals or by those who assume DIY culture and build them on their own. 

Of course, some of the said professionals embrace the DIY culture because they can use their talents at home to build and enhance things. 

One of the best parts of building a DIY home office is the level of control that you get to exercise over the final design. Therefore, it's not beyond the realm of possibility to think that this method can potentially get you the most optimal build possible. 

That's not to say that there aren't incredible prefab designs that have all you would like them to and more. Bear in mind that your DIY builds are often limited only by your creativity. This sounds like a positive thing (and it is), but what happens if your scope of knowledge doesn't expand to something that you didn't even know would be convenient for you. 

There is a lot to consider here, but generally, people are satisfied with their DIY builds because they realize the garden shed of their imagination. 

Not having the required skill set also doesn't prevent you from going the DIY route. So long as you have someone with proper architectural experience guiding the initial design that's built upon, then there is no problem articulating your ideas to a professional and having the working from home shed built that way. 

Prefab

You can think of a prefab home office shed as the polar opposite of the DIY option. While you may get some level of customization in the mix, this is down to the elements that the manufacturer allows you to change. 

As you can imagine, these designs are prebuilt and taken to your location or built on-site. Either way, they are based on a concept that was already being created without your input in the architectural design. 

Of course, one of the biggest advantages here is getting to take advantage of the professional capabilities of the teams that put these things together. This is where the benefits going beyond your immediate knowledge come into play. 

For example, imagine that you were unaware that air conditioning can be built into an outdoor office shed during the design phase. Though it is something you would appreciate, you may construct your DIY unit without it simply because you didn't know it was possible. 

However, seeing it as a feature of a prefab design would probably cause you to request it immediately. Therefore, it becomes something you even know you needed or something you never thought of that you can then benefit from. 

Prefab designs often have reviews and company names behind them that reinforce how well constructed they are. Additionally, depending on the manufacturer you are working with, you may be able to get a test run before you seal the deal.  

Later, you get a look at the Autonomous Pod, which is one of the most effective and outstanding designs for anyone who may need a home office shed. One of the most exciting and inclusive parts of it is its ability to be mounted on uneven terrain. 

Cabin

As indicated before, the cabin style could potentially be a prefab or a DIY design, though it's more likely to be the former. Additionally, it may be constructed by someone who happened to have the talent, as opposed to a company. 

What you get here though is something that's not necessarily a single room that boils down to an office space. Think of those movies you've seen in the past that may feature a cabin in the woods. 

In this case, what you see is a bit of a mini household unit with multiple rooms that separate concerns. It's a home away from home. 

You would want to take advantage of the cabin style if you want a bit more out of these home office buildings. It’s entirely possible that the space you have for the cabin is not necessarily in your backyard. Who knows? Maybe you own another property that you'd like to use for it.

Nevertheless, it still prevents you from having to travel to a traditional office space to get your work done. The fact that it's a separate building from your home should help you eliminate the productivity dampening effects of the relaxed aura. This is especially true since you can effectively choose what you bring into the cabin. 

While there is nothing wrong with keeping a few suits of clothes handy, you may want to leave your TV and your video game consoles behind to ensure that you're doing the work you're supposed to be doing. 

Open

Including the open office plan here can be seen as cheating in a sense, since this is supposed to be a home office shed idea review. The word “shed” seems to imply a closed structure that is at least big enough to be an office space. 

The open plan may deviate from the trend here depending on how you implement it. For example, it may be an area with no walls with a covering in your backyard. 

You may even have electricity running to the area so you can power your home office equipment. 

Alternatively, you may decide to have a fully open space with no form of covering to speak of. That way, you get to sit and take in the outdoor air as you get your tasks done. 

So, while there is usually some kind of building involved in the other options, you may not necessarily have a true enclosed office here. 

The Autonomous Showroom Tour

Previously, there was a mention of the Autonomous work pod, which embodies everything you could need in an outdoor office shed. It doesn't necessarily have a large footprint, it's adept at dealing with uneven terrain, and it’s designed to be as plug and play as you could imagine. 

Thanks to prepping with pre-wiring lighting, air conditioning, outlets, etc., its backyard compatibility is very immense. 

The Autonomous showroom allows you to stop in, see what it would be like to work in one of these units, and decide how willing you are to purchase one. 

Note that during your one-hour work session, you are provided with an Autonomous SmartDesk and ErgoChair Pro, which also means you get to feel the true Autonomous experience. 

Note that you can choose to purchase the Autonomous Pod, which is just the building and pre-configurations described above, or you can buy the Autonomous WorkPod variation, which includes the desk and chair you get to experience during the tour. 

You are heavily encouraged to book a tour to see what all the buzz is about. 

Final Remarks

Our home office shed can come in many shapes and sizes. Some of them are pre-designed while you may have a hand in the creation of others. The intention is to ensure that you have a productivity-encouraging space that allows you to properly separate your concerns from your home. 

The information above alluded to the different types of home office buildings you could opt for, and it provided you with enough details to carefully consider whichever applies to you. 

Even so, you cannot ignore the incredible benefits of going the prefab route. Of course, remember that you can always take up the Autonomous WorkPod showroom tour to get a feel of what this new space in your yard could feel like if you were to give it a go.