There are many ways to finish the interior of a studio shed or office shed. Most shed plans do not describe the interior finishes for a office shed. This post will talk about the most common ways to add wall finishes and lighting to your office shed or studio shed.
Wall Finishes: There are two ways to finish the walls in your office shed, drywall and wood paneling.
- Drywall: The most basic, and cost effective, interior wall finish for your office shed. If you decide to install drywall there is a great how to install drywall article.
- Wood Paneling: This is not the wood paneling that you remember from your parents basement. There are wood panels that are basically thin plywood with the outer surface finished in a hardwood like oak or maple. These panels are available at most home stores. The way you finish the joints between panels is to nail on a piece of 1/4″ x 1″ wood, usually of the same wood type. These wood panels can be stained to any color available.
Lighting: The hardest part of lighting most office sheds and studio sheds is getting electricity to the shed. After the power is at the shed you will use normal home wiring tools and materials to get the power to the lighting fixtures. If you are using desk lamps or plug in light fixtures you will need to install wall plugs around the room. Common types of lighting for studio sheds are:
- Track Lighting: Track lighting is installed over a regular electrical handy box in the ceiling. If you already have a light fixture and want track lighting you will simply remove the old light fixture and put some part of the new track light over the box and install the light connection part from the track light to the track and the power supply wires. Track lighting fixtures come with a cover that will cover the handy box.
- Regular Light Fixtures: A normal light fixture simply attaches to the wires in the ceiling light handy box. There is a tutorial on how to install a light fixture here.
- Recessed Lighting: Recessed lighting works well for office shed lighting but may be hard if you don’t have a lot of ceiling space above the ceiling joists. Recessed lighting cans need about 12 inches of room to be installed unless you use low clearance fixtures but those cost more to purchase. Recessed lighting functions well with studio sheds or office sheds because they are flush with the ceiling and don’t stick out into the room, which is nice if you have a low shed ceiling.
Shed Doors: If you are planning on having expensive equipment in our office shed you will most likely want to have a regular residential house door and lock set to keep things safe and insulated well. If you contact a local door shop you can ask them about the different door options. Most solid doors can be cut down and hung on a pre-hung door jamb to fit your existing shed door opening.
Floor Finishes: Floorings are as varied as your imagination. You can do anything from sanding and sealing the plywood or O.S.B. floor sheeting to installing carpet, tile or hardwood. Whatever you do make sure to verify that the existing sub floor is strong enough to support your flooring choice. If it is not you can simply put another layer of sub-floor over the existing floor, Just make sure that your door threshold is taken into account.
Painting: If you installed drywall you will need to paint. If you installed wood paneling you will need to stain and seal.
Hopefully your shed plans have some insight as to what your finished shed will look like or you can simply get ideas from the internet and tailor them to fit your decorating tastes.