A Fresh Angle on a Backyard Studio
This home office in a tropical grove leans on lofty angular architecture to make a bright and stylish statement
Needing a place for her new design business, interior stylist Vanessa Cribb hired architects Angus Munro and Katie Hawgood of Marc&Co to design a functional and stylish stand-alone home office on her leafy property in Brisbane, Australia. She asked that it be detached from her family home and situated in an underutilized subtropical garden grove on her property. As for the design, she wanted something that would complement the site but also be bold and beautiful. “I told the architects to wow me,” Cribb says. Here she describes the process of creating this tranquil space and shares how a collaboration between creatives can produce stunning results.
What was the brief, or goal, for this studio? “Initially, I was after a humble timber shed on a deck platform with running water. I wanted somewhere to create, weave, paint and/or sew; somewhere that I could leave everything set up. As there were no spare rooms left in the house, the idea of a detached ‘shed’ was born.
“Once my IndigoJungle business was born, however, the brief changed to meet the needs of a design studio rather than an art space. But we also wanted it to be dual-purpose in the event our needs changed. Perhaps it could become a yoga studio or kids sleep-out, which meant that everything inside had to be designed to ‘fold up’ and be tucked away.”
“Once my IndigoJungle business was born, however, the brief changed to meet the needs of a design studio rather than an art space. But we also wanted it to be dual-purpose in the event our needs changed. Perhaps it could become a yoga studio or kids sleep-out, which meant that everything inside had to be designed to ‘fold up’ and be tucked away.”
How did the architects achieve this? “The architects created a tall, angular and dark [10-by-26-foot] prism but were careful to give it a light-filled and white-painted interior. As it’s a working studio environment, it needed desks, overhead lighting, storage for samples and other design and styling materials. The finishes, while clean and elegant, are robust enough for painting and dyeing and other hands-on production that we do as stylists.”
What are the materials used in construction? “The studio has a cross-braced timber frame with painted fiber cement cladding, cut to mimic shingles and profiled to form a zigzag pattern. There is plywood sheeting lining the interior walls, and a concrete slab with custom-designed glass mosaic tiles on the floor. The windows benefit from shutters, and the entry is marked by a large, swinging, metal-framed barn door.”
What are the materials used in construction? “The studio has a cross-braced timber frame with painted fiber cement cladding, cut to mimic shingles and profiled to form a zigzag pattern. There is plywood sheeting lining the interior walls, and a concrete slab with custom-designed glass mosaic tiles on the floor. The windows benefit from shutters, and the entry is marked by a large, swinging, metal-framed barn door.”
Describe the success of the project. What do you love about it? “From a high-end design point of view, it’s the most beautiful space to work from — it’s calming, practical, clean and creatively inspiring. The way the light streams in, the scale, the colors, the shape and the access give the studio an almost spiritual feeling when inside.
“It is also very cool or warm, depending on the season. In the summer, both ends can be opened up so that the breeze can flow right through. In winter, just one heater cozies it up rather quickly, thanks to quality insulation.”
“It is also very cool or warm, depending on the season. In the summer, both ends can be opened up so that the breeze can flow right through. In winter, just one heater cozies it up rather quickly, thanks to quality insulation.”
What do you love about the setting? “My family home is on a large block nestled in a low gully, and we built the studio in the front part of our property that was full of vegetation and trees. I love to meander through the lush landscaped rainforest garden to reach my office. It is a short but wonderful journey, and still manages to adjust one’s mindset to the idea of leaving home and entering the workplace. I really love it and crave secluded creative time in my ‘she-shed!’”
Any surprises? “Watching the wildlife in the garden while working away during the day or night. Blue-tongue lizards, birds, insects, toads, bush turkeys … all come to visit.”
Any surprises? “Watching the wildlife in the garden while working away during the day or night. Blue-tongue lizards, birds, insects, toads, bush turkeys … all come to visit.”
Describe other functional features that distinguish the interior? “The zigzag cladding is repeated internally, with a self-bracing zigzag exposed frame. Windows are located high and low, framing specific landscape views, each of which I love. Built-in and fold-down desks are ingeniously set into the triangular wall framing, and both these and the small storage shelves are made of timber.”
What were the challenges associated with the project? “Keeping it to budget and waiting for the external tiles to arrive from China. The builder also took a while to figure out how to cut the different angles of the frame; only one side is perfectly straight.”
Any secrets or tips discovered or used in the completion of the project? “Engage a clever architect and have a great vision.”
Any secrets or tips discovered or used in the completion of the project? “Engage a clever architect and have a great vision.”
What wasn’t working before this project was created? “I was weaving on a back deck that wasn’t sealed from the weather, and had to unpack and repack whenever I had the desire to create. All computer-generated design work was being done from a home office, accessed through a main bedroom, which was not ideal.”
How does it work now? “As a busy mother of three kids, I am able to work from home and still be there for my children in the afternoons. I am also happy that we are finally using this previously unused part of our property. It provides a space for solitude and creativity away from the buzz of family life, but is close to home. Plus, I can also leave materials out midproject without it being disturbed or packed up.”
Tell us: Does your home have a garden studio? What do you use it for? Tell us about it in the Comments below.
More
11 Nominees for the ‘She Shed’ Hall of Fame
11 Tips to Get the Creative Space You Crave
How does it work now? “As a busy mother of three kids, I am able to work from home and still be there for my children in the afternoons. I am also happy that we are finally using this previously unused part of our property. It provides a space for solitude and creativity away from the buzz of family life, but is close to home. Plus, I can also leave materials out midproject without it being disturbed or packed up.”
Tell us: Does your home have a garden studio? What do you use it for? Tell us about it in the Comments below.
More
11 Nominees for the ‘She Shed’ Hall of Fame
11 Tips to Get the Creative Space You Crave
Who works here: Vanessa Cribb of IndigoJungle Interior Styling
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Architects: Angus Munro and Katie Hawgood of Marc&Co
Feature we love: The blue-black exterior, white interior and angular design