
Dwellito Mini Office - uptown
https://www.dwellito.com/mini-offices
======
fpgaminer
I built a small (8x10) shed in our backyard from scratch, mostly as a stress
reliever from actual work. I realize the irony in doing more work to relax
from work ... but carpentry is so tangent to computer work that it felt like
an escape. A sort of real world Stardew Valley.

In terms of material cost it was maybe $2k at the end, but could have been
cheaper (I splurged on slightly nicer versions of some things like plywood
instead of OSB).

If you're even slightly handy it's a nice project to undertake. All the work
is light enough on a shed that size that you can one man all of it.

It's hard to describe the primal feeling I get when I'm inside this shelter I
built with my own hands. For all the back breaking work of it and all of its
mistakes the feeling of satisfaction is immense.

Photo (was still working on the doors when this pic was taken):
[https://i.imgur.com/FogNzBP.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/FogNzBP.jpg)

Ever since the shelter in place order went up I've been out there working on
little woodworking projects. Recently finished two small tables for around the
house ([https://i.imgur.com/ea67ANO.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/ea67ANO.jpg)) and
a few misc house improvements.

~~~
geophile
I was looking for a hobby that, for once, did not involve sitting at a monitor
and keyboard. So I decided to build a sailboat. Chesapeake Light Crafts sells
kits. Basically, like a wooden model except 1) it's full-size, and 2) you are
going to actually put your body in it and hopefully not drown. It's all thin
plywood, which you assemble with wire (temporarily) and then epoxy. And
sanding. Lots of sanding.

I have zero wood-working experience, so I went with the kit, providing pre-cut
pieces, as opposed to buying plans and doing everything myself.

It's been slow of late, because my work area has been too cold for epoxy. I've
been documenting my progress here:
[http://geophile.com/boat](http://geophile.com/boat). (Can you tell I'm a
backend developer?)

About that getting away from a keyboard thing: Funny how that worked out. As a
complete newbie, I am very reliant on their excellent support people (phone,
email, forum). At one point, I ran into a problem in which the parts didn't
seem to line up with the manual. As it turned out, I had the 2.1 parts with
the 2.0 manual. So they sent me the updated manual. This weird interlude was
much closer to a software experience than I could have imagined.

~~~
hadlock
That looks like a great boat to start with. I wanted to suggest another
beginner boat;

The Puddle Duck is another beginner-focused sailboat. It's more of a sailing
barge with squared off corners, but it's designed to fit standing on end
inside a normal house against the wall, possibly as a bookshelf, when not in
use. And it sails fairly well/better than expected given the design
constraints.

Puddle Ducks are sort of the epitome of "I immediately understand how this
goes together, even I can build this". It's not horribly efficient, or pretty,
but it's designed to be built by anyone in a weekend and get you out on the
water by sunday night. There is always time later to build your "dream boat".

[http://pdracer.com/](http://pdracer.com/)

I built Hull #62 back during a period of underemployment in a garage in Texas,
was hugely helpful during that period. Looks like hull #1071 was recently
completed in Germany.

~~~
lazyant
reminds me of
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimist_(dinghy)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimist_\(dinghy\))

~~~
hadlock
Puddle Duck is sort of a scaled up, plywood version of an Optimist.

Optimist is a fantastic youth one design sailboat. It is good for two 7 year
old children or one teenager up to about 140 lbs.

Puddle duck has significantly more form stability, as a result you can fit one
Fat Dad + their kid + a dog comfortably in the boat.

The other biggest difference (besides total passenger weight) is that with
mostly 90 degree angles, it can be built with a hand saw and some nails in a
weekend. Optimist requires considerably more woodworking (or preferably,
fiberglass) skills.

------
Rantenki
You read about pound dogs that are finally adopted, and they can run and
frolic outside... but they still have to sleep in a crate because otherwise
they suffer from anxiety.

Is this the same thing for cube-dwellers?

~~~
cagenut
If you look at the hero image just on its own, it looks like a joke from a
blackmirror episode:

[https://uploads-
ssl.webflow.com/5bc925f2e2b045600ce997a5/5e8...](https://uploads-
ssl.webflow.com/5bc925f2e2b045600ce997a5/5e8e4e809587ca5456c132f3_mini-office-
backyard%20\(2\).jpg)

~~~
jackewiehose
And the guy seems to be floating.

This one is also great. Highlighting how you have to use the lamp even though
the sun is shining: [https://uploads-
ssl.webflow.com/5bc925f2e2b045600ce997a5/5e8...](https://uploads-
ssl.webflow.com/5bc925f2e2b045600ce997a5/5e8e7f801014dc0d6b3fb9d7_Mini-office-
Sunset.png)

------
jjice
I've been dreaming of building something like this since I read a blog post
from Mr Money Mustache [1]. I'm still in university right now, so I don't have
the means or the property to do this, but I love the idea of being able to
separate my work from my home. I'm a firm believer (at least for myself) that
doing too many diverse tasks in a single environment tampers the way we think
of that environment.

I teach students study skill and time management at my Uni, and this is one of
the most important things for a lot of them to learn, especially for students
in the dorms. A single room where you eat, sleep, hang out, and study is a bad
place to be productive. If you need to get work done, it's going to be easy to
get distracted because everything around you will have some association with
Smash Bros or anything else you do in your spare time in that room. I tell
them to find places that they only associate with work (the library is very
common).

I'd love to have a space like that that is close to my home, but has some
physical separation from the home. Not to mention how it would be a fun and
rewarding project.

These are cool, but a bit pricey for me, and I'd want to challenge of building
it, but I can see this being neat for other people.

[1]
[https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2018/06/30/tinyhouse/](https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2018/06/30/tinyhouse/)

~~~
taborj
We built a garden shed for my wife many years back. It started as a wood shed
kit from Home Depot, then we re-designed some of the walls to put in some
windows and French doors. We put a skylight in the roof, insulated it all, and
put up chipboard for walls after I wired it for electricity. Some
cupboards/counters from the local building recycling store, and the result is
a nice space.

It was fairly straightforward, a lot of fun, and extremely useful.

------
kpmcc
Am I the only one who thinks the price of this is absurd? 9k for an 8x8 box?!

~~~
dsr_
It's a shed, but it's a fairly expensive shed.

Preparing the ground isn't mentioned. If you've never tried to make a chunk of
ground perfectly level and compacted so that your shed won't sink and tilt...
you won't get it right by yourself. Not the first time, anyway.

~~~
codingdave
Is that included in the price? I was under the impression that this was going
to be assembled somewhere else, then drop-shipped. From their site:

"After the units are built in the factory, they are fork lifted into a truck
and driven to your property address. Once the truck arrives, a forklift will
take the unit out of the truck and place it in place on your property."

This does not sound to me like they are doing anything beyond just building
and finishing a box, and the price is fairly absurd for that.

~~~
dubcanada
All the rest of their modular homes don't include site prep so I assume you
are correct.

------
whalesalad
$17 grand for an outdoor office shed and the power cord is a $31 add-on? This
has got to be a joke.

~~~
yellowapple
Maybe it's a really thick and really long power cord?

------
vhodges
Similar to the md-100 (but much more expensive). ReadyMade Magazine did a
piece on it.

Plans:
[http://redcoverstudios.com/MD100/MD100-plans.pdf](http://redcoverstudios.com/MD100/MD100-plans.pdf)

~~~
0xffff2
Is there some context to who designed this and why? That framing doesn't look
like anything a carpenter would produce and I'm 99% sure it wouldn't be code
compliant in Oregon at least.

~~~
vhodges
Edgar Blazona

[https://www.truemodern.com/about-us](https://www.truemodern.com/about-us)

It was meant (I guess) as a DIY project and really it's a shed so the process
is similar and the 100 square foot print is usually the largest structure you
can build (in a lot of jurisdictions) without a permit/inspections/code.

~~~
0xffff2
I mean, just because you're technically exempt doesn't mean that building
codes don't matter. It's still generally a pretty good starting point for how
to build a safe structure that you shouldn't deviate from just for the heck of
it.

------
syntaxing
Costco actually sells a couple of these with a very similar idea [1].
Surprisingly very expensive too (9K+). But they sell sheds too that are 2K- so
I'm not sure what the benefits are? Maybe better built quality and finishes?

[1] [https://www.costco.com/installed-sheds-by-yardline---
flatiro...](https://www.costco.com/installed-sheds-by-yardline---flatiron-
shed.product.100536694.html)

~~~
gregmac
The Costco one is "installed". I can't tell if it's insulated, but it looks
like it -- and that along with properly sealed doors/windows (like you'd have
in your house), finished interior walls, electrical/lights (?) are a big
difference from what you get with a $2000 shed intended for storing your
lawnmower.

Another good distinction is Dwellito says "delivered to your front door". I
don't know about you, but for me that would be.. quite inconvenient. Getting
an assembled 10x10 (? not sure exterior size) shed into my backyard would
involve either disassembling a large part of a shared fence (which is 50% my
neighbour's), or using a fairly large crane to lift it completely over the
house.

~~~
HeyLaughingBoy
It's surprisingly inexpensive to rent a crane and operator for what they would
consider a pretty light load. $200 might do it if they are nearby.

[http://duffycrane.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Combined-
Du...](http://duffycrane.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Combined-Duffy-Price-
List_7-16-2014.pdf)

------
evaneykelen
I've placed a converted sea container in our backyard (photo:
[https://www.msgtrail.com/about/](https://www.msgtrail.com/about/)) a few
years ago. Insululation, floors, walls, windows, wiring, and transport (75 km
by truck) cost approx EUR 12k. I had to install AC after the first summer
because, although well-ventilated, it simply became too hot inside during warm
days even though the studio is surrounded by trees. Using a sea container is a
great start for this kind of object because it's sturdy and easy to adapt e.g.
by cutting out sections for windows and doors. Cell phone reception is not
stellar but adequate (2 to 3 out of 5 bars).

~~~
hnmonkey
This is so cool! Erik, would you mind posting some more pictures of your
container office? It looks very Ex Machina like from the picture and I'd love
to see more and maybe even learn how you did what you did with it if possible.

------
rsync
I note the small power station listed in their accessories ...

Anyone interested in such a device should really consider the Dewalt Flexvolt
power station (DCB1800B) because it lets you use your tool batteries as the
modular, replaceable source of the power:

[https://toolguyd.com/dewalt-portable-power-station-review-
dc...](https://toolguyd.com/dewalt-portable-power-station-review-dcb1800/)

... which is a nice intersection of utility. Output is a very strong 15 amps
(although non-perfect-sine-wav) which I have used to _start and power_ air
compressors and other motors.

... and then you can use the batteries in your tools.

If you get the 9ah batteries you can run a fridge for a few hours. I find this
setup to be much more utilitarian than a dedicated battery station

~~~
fpgaminer
I have that thing and it's got a few nitpicks.

The non-perfect sine wave means I'm afraid to plug anything important into it
(say, a laptop). It drains faster than I thought it would (I think its
efficiency isn't very good). I've got the 6ah batteries on it and can only
work with my small table saw for about two hours (not running continuously,
just the normal off-and-on of working). Charging is very slow, the individual
charger works faster. You can't charge and use it at the same time. It's
HEAVY; I think it weighs more than the four huge batteries I put on it.

That said, it has its uses. Wait for it to go on sale; it frequently sells for
half or less of its MSRP.

~~~
rsync
All valid points. I personally use the 9ah batteries and am fairly happy with
the capacity. It is, indeed, known to be (relatively) slow at charging the
batteries as opposed to the individual charger.

Motor start/stop is fairly energy intensive so it doesn't surprise me that you
can only run the table saw for two hours...

~~~
fpgaminer
Yeah I've been meaning to throw a kill-a-watt on the saw and see how much it's
using exactly. But I've also run, for example, fans off the power station and
they seemed to die faster than I thought they would.

------
pkaye
In the bay area, I used this company to build a unfinished shed for storage.
But they can also finish it with drywall, insulation, etc. They have the
pricing all on their brochure. And you can visit them and experience the sheds
at your leisure. They are familiar with permitting requirements of bay area
cities.

[https://www.shedshop.com/models-
prices/studio/](https://www.shedshop.com/models-prices/studio/)

------
dpeck
Feels like an easy pivot to quarantariums where you can keep family and
friends safely contained for 2 weeks before allowing them into your home while
being able to keep an eye on them.

~~~
itronitron
Tucson has lots of tiny 'TB' homes that were built in the early 20th Century.

[edit] pg 130 identifies the boundaries of 'Tentville' which is/was just north
of the UA campus

[https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/preservation/TucsonHealthSeek...](https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/preservation/TucsonHealthSeekersMPDFtext_AZ_PimaCounty.pdf)

------
megraf
$128.65 per square foot in a shed. Let that sink in.

~~~
Rantenki
Price per square foot is less useful for a smaller size structure. consider
the surface area of a box relative to it's volume: that's the materials.

But yeah, that's still expensive for a box.

------
crispyporkbites
I have one of these [http://garden2office.co.uk/](http://garden2office.co.uk/)
\- it is excellent. Cost about £15k all in (about 10sqm) and is better
insulated than my home.

For WFH it completely isolates me from my family, and gives us a completely
new room in our house for far less than a "real" extension.

I'll definitely build another one in the garden of the next house I buy.

------
erikig
I'm not sold on the Mini Office but I'm loving their catalog of Modular Homes:
[https://www.dwellito.com/modular-homes](https://www.dwellito.com/modular-
homes)

~~~
driverdan
Their prices are absurd. You can get a local builder to build something like
these for significantly less.

~~~
fumar
Would they architect the home or does one need to provide that? Genuinely
curious as some of these seemed reasonable to me.

~~~
driverdan
These are pretty simple sheds. Anyone with experience building sheds should be
able to build one.

~~~
mynameisvlad
The modular homes are far from "pretty simple sheds".

~~~
driverdan
Sorry you're right, I mixed up who I was replying to.

You'd talk to a regular home builder. Some may not want to do a project that
small but many would be happy to. If you really want plans there are many
places on the internet that sell them.

------
vondur
I just had a shed installed for my wife as a place for her to sew and other
stuff. I luckily was able to get an electrician out to wire it up for power.
All together, I spent like 6K for everything, although I need to get drywall
put in. It was a 20th anniversary gift for the wife. Now it's her office while
she has to work from home.

~~~
vijaybritto
You're a good man

------
crazygringo
It's an intriguing concept, price aside. I can see people paying for a space
where they just can't hear the kids yelling and screaming.

I guess I'm just wondering how it would work in the northeast, when you've got
0°F days and 98°F days. I get that it has an AC/heat pump (for $3,000 extra),
but the fact that every morning you're going to need to heat/cool the thing
from scratch feels like it could get real expensive real quick. Does this
thing have decent insulation? (Judging from how thin the walls look from the
photos, it seems no.) Are the window/door double-paned?

I suppose this is really intended for more moderate climates, no?

------
dsalzman
Half the price plus Sauna = winning

[https://www.costco.com/almost-heaven-fayette-6-person-
steam-...](https://www.costco.com/almost-heaven-fayette-6-person-steam-
sauna.product.100493472.html)

------
kazinator
Seems fairly pricey. When more players get into this niche, it will come down.

------
Niccizero
Laughable. $9k for a tiny ass garden shed?

------
notkaiho
"workout area" because nothing inspires productivity more than the lack of
fresh air and the stench of post-workout body as you sit back down at your
desk in your shed.

~~~
mplewis
You underestimate how many folks like to take a break from work with a quick
workout.

~~~
chrisseaton
Presumably you still need to go and shower afterward, so back into your house,
so why have it right next to your desk?

~~~
function_seven
Depending on your house, treadmills can be very loud. Either second floor or
the ground floor over a crawlspace or basement can be annoying to others.

Or you might not have the space in your house to dedicate to exercise
equipment.

Having the outbuilding serve as both an exercise room and a separate office
solves both these problems.

~~~
chrisseaton
I guess the 'office' might work well as a mini gym by itself - forgetting
about using it as an office at all.

------
cordite
Seems a rush job on copy.

Do I need a permit?

In most municipalities, you do not need a permit for under 100 square feet.
That said, it varies city-by-city so the best (....?????)

~~~
justrudd
As my neighbors have found out, you don't need a permit till you try to sell
:)

------
navd
How is the security? Can someone just bust the window to grab my computer /
equipment?

~~~
bradlys
Is that not possible in your current home?

------
muttled
For 9 grand you could buy a used RV and have a bathroom, shower, break room
with kitchenette, battery, generator (engine), rest area, and the ability to
move your office wherever you need to work.

------
petepete
Looks like you're missing some copy in the 'Do I need a permit?' FAQ section.

Interesting idea though, they look quite nice providing you've got the space
outside.

~~~
stronglikedan
I'm sure they know more about permitting than I do, but there's been a
monetary factor to consider in the places I've lived. E.g., any home
improvement greater than X dollars requires a permit, even indoors.

------
kratom_sandwich
Not judging whether this is useful or economic in anyway, but I love the
concept. Some time ago, I found a different site offering larger modular
homes. [1]

[1] [http://www.loftcube.net/](http://www.loftcube.net/)

------
jp57
Although their shed is quite nice looking, the idea is definitely not new:

[https://shedsunlimited.net/collection/home-office-
sheds](https://shedsunlimited.net/collection/home-office-sheds)

------
tohnjitor
These are similar in concept. Available with wood stove. Wish my desk at work
had a wood stove!

[https://www.cubistengineering.com/available-
now](https://www.cubistengineering.com/available-now)

------
makkesk8
$31 for a c13 power cable, what?

~~~
lallysingh
How long?

------
megavolcano
Just when I thought a "tiny house" was ridiculous - suprised again!

------
dutchrapley
Can you imagine the echo in one of those things? Plus, for the price of one of
those, I'd be tempted to pick up a used storage container and renovate that.

------
WorldPeas
>$31 power cord That cord better be """"audiophile quality"""" with golden
prongs for that ridiculous price.

------
coliveira
My first observation here is: the person is supposed to work independently of
outside temperature? Apparently there is no AC/heating in this thing.

~~~
dpeck
it's basically a green house, it is going to get uncomfortably hot and humid
during 5 or so months of the year in most of North America.

The single room air conditioners by mitsubishi would be a great option for a
space like this though.

~~~
coliveira
At least in the summer you can use a fan, my worry is with the winter!

~~~
dpeck
I don't know, if its reasonably insulated a person and a laptop can get a
space comfortable fairly quickly and a little space heater has no problem with
something that small in all but the coldest weather.

------
uk_programmer
For the amount you could rent a small office out for the whole year or buy a
shed or if you are renting you could just move to a bigger place.

------
g8oz
[https://amishsheds.ca/](https://amishsheds.ca/)

------
nogabebop23
I can buy a really big aquarium tank for less than ten grand, with the added
bonus it's water-tight.

------
mmphosis
[https://www.auxbox.ca/](https://www.auxbox.ca/)

------
airstrike
What a terrible chair to sit on from 9 to 5. With a tiny desk to boot for only
$9k? Hard pass.

------
colinrand
Omg, I would love this. I just need to be able to afford the land it would be
on first!

------
ilaksh
How does it cost $3000 for an air conditioner and a hole or a duct or
whatever?

------
mceoin
Damn. Dwellito have done a really good job here. I was trying to figure out
how anyone "wins" in this space and it looks like they've aggregated all the
supply to create a comprehensive marketplace for the built environment. Nice
work to whomever made this.

------
whytaka
What is that type of workout machine called?

~~~
chrisseaton
Looks like a stair climber.

~~~
whytaka
Thanks!

------
lostmsu
How well is this ventilated and insulated?

------
addajones
This reminds me of Animal Crossing.

------
sitzkrieg
lmfao at the overpriced power cord

------
skummetmaelk
Is this a joke?

~~~
andrewflnr
My gut response as well. Reading that page was surreal, especially as the
punch line failed to materialize.

