BAY AREA — For Devan and Anne-Marie, finding the time to go to the gym when they had a new baby on the way and both worked unconventional hours beyond the typical workday proved to be a challenge.
The couple looked into Modern-Shed earlier this year after briefly debating whether to buy a shed at the hardware store.
“We wanted something more design-y and interesting, not just a Tuff Shed,” said Devan, who works as a certified public accountant. “We wanted a fitness center, a gym. We’re too lazy to get out of the house and go to the gym after work. We wanted something on site and easily accessible.”
The couple lives in a three-bedroom home with a detached garage that they planned to turn into a guest cottage, but the expenses ended up being too cost-prohibitive.
With a new baby on the way (a girl, born in early November), they needed to make room in their home for a nursery, eliminating the guest bedroom they already had.
Modern-Shed provides them with the option of one day turning their Modern-Shed gym into a hybrid gym and office, freeing up the third room in the house for guests.
“With a kid, it’s important to have a guest room for all of the family who want to come to visit, which is what we gave up for the nursery,” Devan said. “We have a third bedroom, an office, that we want to eventually move to the shed. That’s an attractive option for us.”
Both Devan and Anne-Marie, a graphic designer who works in Silicon Valley, have the option of working from home, and with their hectic schedules, sometimes they get home “at all hours of the night,” Devan added.
“Modern-Shed provides a really convenient space,” he said. “Both of us work careers that aren’t 9 to 5. Time to go to the gym is very limiting. We may also work from home a couple days a week moving forward now that we have a baby. It’s extremely convenient to just go to our backyard.”
The 10’ by 12’ studio is now equipped with a power rack, a barbell with a bench and some free weights.
Both Devan and Anne-Marie love the freedom of going outside to work out, especially in such a beautiful space, Devan said.
“Clearly the shed is a luxury item,” he said. “You can get a Tuff Shed for a lot cheaper but the Modern-Shed is just glorious. It’s a much lighter atmosphere and we thought it represented a good value for the the price. It’s clean and modern and beautiful.”