Getting Into the Zone

Erin Evans, Kevin Goodier and their son Idris, 2, love their new 10′ by 12′ Modern-Shed home office.

REDMOND — Eighteen months ago, when Kevin and his wife, Erin, moved to their new home in Redmond, 15 miles northeast of Seattle, they knew they needed more space.

Kevin had recently quit his job working at Microsoft to work as a software developer for the Seattle offices of Twitter, while Erin, a writer of fantasy novels, worked from home.

Kevin knew he wanted to start working from home part-time as well because he dreaded the commute to Seattle.

Erin works from home writing her fantasy novels, most recently the latest in the Brimstone Angels series.

“The room in our house that we used as an office is just not workable,” Erin said. “We have a 2-year-old who is always opening the door and it was too small for two people. We needed a dedicated space for the both of us.”

The straw that broke the camel’s back? Erin grew tired of having to write in coffee shops.

“The thing that finally killed me was the chairs,” she said. “Kevin was talking about buying an office chair and I realized that’s what had been killing me.”

Kevin and Erin searched for a solution online, browsing everything from garden sheds they could buy at a local hardware store to prefabricated little homes similar to Modern-Shed.

They liked what they saw at Modern-Shed, especially because the company was local.

“The quality of the sheds drew us in,” Kevin said. “I liked that we didn’t have to spend a day insulating it or adding electricity. When it’s done, it’s done.”

The 10’ by 12’ Modern-Shed went up in three to four days at the end of March and beginning of April.

Kevin and Erin share space in their 10′ by 12′ Modern-Shed home office.

The couple didn’t need a permit to build their Modern-Shed home office, but they recommend that others check local requirements and city ordinances — they didn’t realize until later in their planning that any structures in Redmond need to be at least 5 feet set back from the property line.

They both enjoy working in an office that’s at home, but outside of the home.

“It’s nice being able to just jump right into work,” Erin said. “You don’t have to get up, get ready and get into the car. You can do laundry and things, but that stuff doesn’t intrude either. You don’t get distracted. When you get into that zone as a writer, it’s hard to have to leave when you need to be somewhere else.”

Working together doesn’t bother them either.

“I’m easily distracted, but when he’s here, he keeps me on my toes,” Erin said. “If I know he’s working, I’m less inclined to goof around online.”

The couple learned that in Redmond, structures must be at least 5 feet set back from the property line.

Erin’s husband, Kevin Goodier, also works part-time from home.

Idris, 2, enjoys visiting his parents’ Modern-Shed.