One of the things I'm most passionate about in design and in my own reading and writing is sharing spaces and items. A great summary and update of the sharing "movement" can be found here (warning, it's a PDF, but well worth opening), from the online magazine Shareable: Sharing by Design.
Redesign without the Remodel has been about thinking of your space in a different way and utilizing it the way that works best for you, not just how the rooms are labeled on a floor plan. Simplifying your home to include only what you need can open up space and possibilities.
One room with so much possibility for sharing is a garage. Unless you live in place with very harsh winters, do your cars really need a bigger room than your bedroom? The area of a two car garage can be 25% of the average home.
Along with ear plugs and headphones, one of the cheapest ways to "remodel" your house is to purchase a remote keyless entry
, which you can do for under $50, to start your car from inside the house on a cold day. For under $200, you can purchase a storage shed
for the backyard to hold outdoor and sports gear.
, which you can do for under $50, to start your car from inside the house on a cold day. For under $200, you can purchase a storage shed for the backyard to hold outdoor and sports gear. A garage is an ideal place for a shared community office. It's private and separated from the rest of the house, usually with its own entry. The ideal situation would be to have a powder room close by in the house. No one can agree on the temperature in an office anyway, so personal fans and space heaters can be used in lieu of central heat and air.
Getting a garage in shape for an office will take some work, but not a full on remodel-some insulation in the walls, drywall and paint. Add sweat equity from those who will be sharing the office, and you can do it in a weekend (and as soon as a phone line can be hooked up).
More and more people are working from home, and having a shared community office offers many of the advantages of working from home without many of the disadvantages, the main one (in my opinion) being isolation. Internet connection, phone lines (a business line can be a huge expense for small businesses), printers, scanner, fax machine and office supplies (ordering in bulk cheaply), and conference table can all be shared. Also, very small businesses can share an admin person that they may not otherwise be able to afford. The advantages of working from home are in tact: no commute (except a walk to the neighbor's house), casual working environment, flexibility, saving money on commercial rent.
As with most sharing solutions, there are many possibilities of how to handle the financial aspect. This could be a great way for the homeowner to earn some extra income from rent, and it would still be more affordable than standard office space for the other participants. A co-op could be formed among members, and one person could offer their garage as neighborhood storage for shared items such as tools, or as a neighborhood workshop.
These ideas can of course be applied to other rooms besides the garage, the most ideal being a rarely-used formal living or dining space, usually ideally located at the front of the house by the entry way.
More ideas for sharing space next week.
Further Reading:
- Superbia! 31 Ways to Create Sustainable Neighborhoods
, by Dan Chiras and Dave Wann. You can read my review of this book here.
- The Sharing Solution
, by Janelle Orsi and Emily Doskow, both lawyers. This book gives practical advice on sharing everything from cars to houses.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment