Perched on a leafy great deal in a Toronto backyard, a shipping container provides a growing household the additional square footage they need. lacking a home office as well as outside entertaining area, the household turned to Sarah Keenleyside as well as Brian McCourt of HGTV’s backyard Builds. We chatted with the skilled pair to get the scoop on exactly how they created a space that’s extremely functional, budget-friendly, environmentally friendly as well as many of all really, truly cool. get their suggestions below and look for the slider symbol to see the amazing before as well as afters!
With a $55,000 budget, the household was in determined requirement of a work area — as well as they likewise wished to renovate their backyard. “The shipping container was just a truly cost-effective response to our budgetary restrictions,” states Brian. “This backyard is based in the Junction in Toronto as well as since it’s a long, skinny backyard, the positioning was ideal for a long, skinny structure like a shipping container,” Sarah adds.
The shipping container functions as an office from nine to five and a household living area after hours. “A essential thing was installing that glass moving door. When you’re doing a shipping container you want to maximize daylight, which Sarah chosen up on best away, so we selected the side of the lawn that maximizes the southern light,” states Brian.
“We did a built-in desk that prolonged wall-to-wall, which maximizes the space, as well as we produced a feature wall that goes all the method as much as the ceiling to make whatever seem larger,” states Sarah.
“The objective was to do a awesome wallpaper, however since we got hit with a $1,000 deficiency in the budget, Brian came up with this idea,” states Sarah. “I kept walking by a sheet of plywood as well as I had the concept to try cutting it up into strips as well as then doing a full wall. I will tell you though, it takes a long time to do, however it’s a truly distinct feature that expense us $40,” Brian adds.
White walls, saturated colors as well as faux-wood flooring warm up the industrial look. “When you’re working with an exterior area like this, you requirement something that’s totally inert to temperature modification as well as humidity change, so we went with a high-end vinyl wood-look floor. vinyl flooring has come such a long way,” states Sarah.
Slim built-in cupboards up top save floor space. “The depth of the cupboards is about 12 inches, so it’s fantastic since you don’t want anything less than that for an office,” states Sarah.
In addition to an office, Sarah as well as Brian produced a storage cabinet in the shipping container. “If you want to invest in quality outdoor furniture that truly makes your outside living luxe, then you requirement to figure out where you’re storing it in the winter,” states Sarah. “You will double the life of your outside furniture since it’s not being subjected to any type of of the aspects for half the year,” states Brian.
“We did the shipping container in a semi-gloss black as well as since it has such an industrial look to it, we truly needed to soften that with pops of color that might hold their own. So that’s why we went with bold, main colors,” states Sarah. “This is going to be the parent’s work area however in the evenings when he’s not working there, it’s transformed into a bit of a cabana for the entire family. So we truly wished to play up that fun.”“The backyard was gorgeous — this long, linear area with birch trees, so we were truly celebrating the nature as well as wildness of that. When it concerned the landscaping we kept it much much more contemporary as well as contemporary with long, linear grasses,” states Sarah.
The family’s small deck was as well little to home all five of them, so one of their asks was a larger entertaining area.
“They have three young kids, work from house as well as are very hectic professionals, so it was essential that we weren’t creating much more work for them. That’s why we went with the composite decking that they’ll never have to discolor or take care of — it’s going to last for 25 years. It was about selecting materials that were low-maintenance as well as would wear well,” explains Brian.
“To keep on budget, for the outside dining furniture we really purchased a table base in a fun orange color as well as made the top out of rough-cut yearn as well as discolored it ourselves. It’s a good clean, contemporary look that’s low-maintenance,” states Sarah.
Sarah discovered these carts at a flea market, spray painted them black as well as transformed them into bar carts for the outside dining area.
“We truly blur the lines; the shipping container’s interior flows best into the exterior. All the colors are making sense as well as it practically feels like there is no wall there,” states Brian. Sarah adds, “Brian as well as I both truly bonded on the truth that it’s environmentally friendly — it’s reusing a prefab structure that otherwise would ultimately go to landfill.”