An extension of the home
WEST SEATTLE — When Kristie’s friends came from Ireland for a two-week visit in the Pacific Northwest, they were surprised with how comfortable their stay was.
That’s not because Kristie isn’t a great host, but they, like many others, got caught up on the word “shed” in Modern-Shed.
“I think a lot of people, until they see it, in their minds they’re thinking it’s a typical shed,” said Kristie, a Seattle-based freelance photo stylist who works partly from home. “It’s really an extension of the home. They loved it.”
Kristie remembers hearing about Modern-Shed among her group of designer and photographer friends some years ago, and when she began to consider adding onto her three-bedroom home in West Seattle, the words “Modern-Shed” popped into her head.
“I have a modern aesthetic, so that was an initial draw to the sheds,” Kristie recalled. “I thought it would fit in great. They’re simple, and it’s an approachable look. It looks different from anything else out there.”
Kristie visited owner Ryan Grey Smith’s Modern-Shed office in the 3form Seattle studio and quickly agreed to purchase a 10’ by 12’ shed.
She wanted more space at home for her and her artist boyfriend’s work and creative projects.
“We definitely just needed more space,” Kristie said. “My father is a builder, so I knew how expensive additions can be. Seeing the quality of the construction was also really important to me. You don’t want something that will fall apart in five years.”
Kristie also liked that Modern-Shed used “top-notch” materials and was impressed with how efficient the team worked to put up her shed in less than four days.
“The ease with which it all happened was also important to me,” she said. “It was fast. I didn’t want a full-on summer project. I manage two other properties and we’re really busy, like everyone else. It was great to have someone come in and do everything.”
Kristie selected a light, “fun” green color, with a white trim, for her Modern-Shed home office, which blends in beautifully with the greenery in her backyard. She also built a Zometek bamboo composite deck surrounding the shed.
Over the summer, guests have stayed in the shed, and in the coming weeks, she plans to fully move in and use the Modern-Shed as a home office. In the future, she’s also planning to add a bathroom to the shed.
The shed feels like it belongs in her backyard, Kristie added. In fact, there are even concrete stairs that lead from the house to the shed; previously the stairs led to nowhere.
“I look out here sometimes and I feel like it’s fit into our lives so well,” she said. “I think, ‘How have we not had it before?’ It’s been a cool experience.”
