The work-from-home solution

PORTLAND — When you’re two executives working in high-powered fields, finding space to work is critical.

It becomes even more so when you have two young children at home.

Sara and Greg both work from their home in Portland, though now Sara travels 80 percent of the time for her job.

Before finding Modern-Shed, they both juggled working from home with working outside the home in various offices.

“We needed an extra work space in our home because even though we had offices and were working within other offices, we’d occasionally be working in our home,” Sara says. “It became more of a heavy need to work at home since we have two small children. But working in your house is not realistic when the kids get home at 3 p.m.”

The couple balances time in their 10′ by 12′ shed and wishes they had space for another — when Sara is home working, she boots Greg out of the shed to work at the kitchen table.

“We do have a big house in the city, about 3,000 square feet, but my Mom lives on the ground floor, so we have three bedrooms and about 1,800-2,000 square feet to ourselves,” Sara says.

The main advice Sara shares for other prospective buyers is to hire a trusted contractor and to oversee the construction process yourself.

The shed, built last summer, has a two-step deck, wood floors and an overhang on the porch. The ductless heat pump keeps the shed well-insulated and comfortable.

“It’s very cute, now that it’s finished,” Sara says. “I would do it 100 times over.”