Home Studio Tour

This post is sponsored all opinions are my own. If you’ve ever considered a backyard studio shed, I highly recommend it. Here’s our story of how we brought our art studio building plans to life. 

I think dream come true might be an understatement.

When The Hubs and I were looking for homes in Oakland, we found ourselves up against quite a few challenges.

Beyond the fact that the bidding wars on every single property we saw were outrageous (homes selling for up to 200K over asking price) we quickly learned that our two main asks; 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, was something we could not afford in the Bay Area.

For me, two bathrooms is a necessity (and very rare in Oakland), so when we found this house with 2 bathrooms, but only 2 bedrooms, we decided to pull the trigger with plans to build a backyard studio for me down the line.

Fast forward a year and a half later, and I finally have the studio, and the backyard space of my dreams.

After quite a bit of research and planning, we opted to go with Studio Shed, a company out of Colorado. Their online tools and helpful staff allowed us to design a custom building that worked within our space perfectly.

We were able to choose everything from the window placement to the interior finishes, and we were able to see the different pricing all along the way so staying within budget was a breeze.

A local bay area company came out to install everything, and within a few weeks of delivery, I had my dream workspace.

Once the actual construction was complete, the fun part began……designing and furnishing the interior.

As both a home office, and photo/painting studio for me, I was looking for pieces that were practical yet pretty since I was going to be spending a lot of time here. This had to be a space that fostered creativity, so I turned to my friends at Cost Plus World Market to help me get set up.

I divided the space into several sections beginning with my office area. I don’t need a lot of desk space, so this compact secretary desk and space saving desk chair are the perfect fit next to my shelf of props. Of course I had to pick up a few of World Market’s cute desk accessories like these gold foil printed file folders, because details matter.

I was unable to contain all the props in one area, so I used this metal bar outfitted with tons of storage baskets to house the rest of my goods.

A few storage boxes on the side perfectly contain my tripods, lighting equipment, tether cables and paper backdrops, while all my linens, seasonal props and glassware are tucked away, yet perfectly accessible on the lower shelves.

I also use the top of this bar as my prep station when setting up for a photo shoot.

A colorful rug adds a bit of warmth, and a nice place for the doggies to lay while i’m working.

Okay, mostly Summer. Olive likes to cram herself under my desk at my feet.

On the other side of the studio is my painting space. Fun fact: my college degree is actually in painting, and I still love to paint. I’ve been missing it quite a bit over the last year or so while all my supplies have been packed away.

Now that they’re out and perfectly organized in this storage cart, I can finally get to work on all the ideas that have been building up in my head.

My Grandma’s easel is the foundation of this corner. My paints and brushes live in the top drawers, and craft supplies in the lower drawers.

No space is complete without a few special details like scented candles, a festive pineapple tray to showcase some of my personal items, and even a beautiful Moroccan inspired glass jar filled with dog treats for the pups.

Dream come true am I right? I could not be happier with the way my studio space turned out. These days you can barely tear me out of there. It’s such an inspiring and functional space, and I’m already thrilled with the work I’ve been producing since it’s been set up.

With our two bathrooms, and now a functional workspace for me, the only thing stopping our house from literally being the house of my dreams was a beautiful outdoor living space.

The Hubs to the rescue!

He built us a fabulous deck with plenty of room for our patio furniture, grill and lounge chairs. Now we spend all our time outside just like we did in San Diego. If the sun is shining just right, and the wind isn’t too strong, it almost feels as warm as San Diego too!

Just add some friends, dogs and a few drinks and Oakland is finally starting to feel like home.

Photography by Roxana Lopez Photography 

Shop all of my Cost Plus World Market Items

patio cushions, umbrella

pineapple tray, rug, glass storage jars, candles

bar, wire storage baskets, plastic baskets, wooden crate, rolling cart

secretary desk, desk chair, file folders, bud vase, dustpan

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