Tiny block, big rethink

A backyard rethink

With very little space to start with, the decision to create more of it wasn’t really up for debate for James and Liz. Both worked from home, and their two kids were growing fast. Even Shadow, the family dog, was struggling to find a quiet spot for his afternoon naps.

It was their son’s 13th birthday that was the turning point. Until then, his bedroom doubled as the couple’s home office while he was at school. But teenage boys need privacy and a space to call their own, and with both already in short supply, something had to change.

Their only option was to rethink their tiny backyard. Although space was limited out there too, there was already an old tin shed in the corner. It was too small and dilapidated to be useful, and the rest of the garden barely served a purpose either. So, James and Liz saw an opportunity to get their backyard working harder for them.

They needed a home office, and they needed to replace this old shed. But why build both when one building could do two jobs?

A custom fit

With the decision made to replace their shed with a new backyard building, James and Liz started exploring their options.

But it wasn’t going to be quite as simple as they first thought. The space they had available was very specific, yet most of the suppliers they looked at offered standard designs and sizes that simply didn’t work for their site. They were quickly ruled out.

But Greenspan was also in the mix. And we’re different.

“Greenspan were most flexible, and could customise to our space,” says James.

This is something that became even clearer when they visited the Strathfield Display Centre.

“Visiting your demonstration buildings really brought to life our vision for what we wanted,” James recalls.

It was a chance to see the different designs in person and experience the quality up close, but just as importantly, it gave James and Liz the opportunity to talk through their very specific requirements with a Design Solutioneer.

Because behind every Greenspan building is a person – someone there to listen, guide and support you through the process, help work through the possibilities, and bring all the different elements together to create a building that works for you, your site and the way you want to use it.

A design reimagined

A standard build was never going to work for James and Liz. And this meant some extensive customisation was needed – with their Melwood designed around the space they actually had to work with and what they wanted to use it for… not the other way around.

The dimensions of their chosen design were adapted to fit into the narrow section of garden where the old shed once stood. But the customisation went beyond simply getting the size right.

Their starting point was a Melwood Mod, with its overhanging eaves and highlight windows among the design’s defining features. But neither worked for the space James and Liz had available, or the look they wanted to achieve. Instead, both were removed, and the design was reworked for them.

And best of all, they didn’t have to imagine what all those changes would look like. Their Design Solutioneer could bring the evolving design to life through drawings and 3D visuals, allowing James and Liz to see how their ideas were coming together before they committed to the build.

“Our Design Solutioneer was very responsive and flexible, even as we made a few changes to our design,” James recalls. “He took us through everything and provided several drawings which made us comfortable to go ahead with the build.”

By rethinking the design, James and Liz ended up with a building that wasn’t just made to fit their space to perfection, but was designed to make the most of it, and look just as they wanted it to from the start.

A space for two

The result is something truly unique yet perfect for their backyard. With board and batten cladding – boards painted a soft grey, battens contrasting in white – black aluminium windows and sliding door, and the Mod’s sleek skillion roof, the exterior is all clean lines and visual cohesion. Meanwhile, a painted yellow half glass timber door echoes the front door of the house and adds a sunny burst of colour to the otherwise monochromatic palette.

But not only is its outside appearance unlike any Mod we’ve seen, inside it’s a building that’s doing double duty. And James and Liz can take credit for all of it.

“We did the interior ourselves and are very happy with the space,” James tells us with pride.

In need of both a home office and replacement shed storage, the Melwood has been cleverly divided into two very separate and distinctly different spaces. On the left-hand side, set behind the sliding door is the home office. Sleek and modern, the walls are lined with VJ panelling painted a soft grey to match the exterior boards. Stretching from one end to the other is a fitted timber desk, its warm tones matching the flooring. Beneath it sits a bar fridge, on top, a kettle, while the workstation is set underneath a large double-hung window that overlooks the adjacent garden. The little details that make working from here as comfortable as any office.

The remainder of the building lies behind the partition wall and the yellow painted door.

“The other two thirds of the building are for tools, bikes, shed stuff,” James tells us. It even doubles as a workshop, giving James somewhere to tackle the many projects he gets stuck into.

“We have a small workbench in there which means we have space for DIY and those jobs that always need doing.”

It’s simple, but clever. One compact building doing the work of two – and both roles clearly defined.

A small backyard with big possibilities

When James and Liz set about rethinking their outdoor space, it triggered more than a replacement shed and home office.

Today, their tiny block has been transformed into a backyard oasis with a pool running down one side, the Melwood at its end set beside a small patch of lawn. Tropical plants line the fence at the edge of the pool’s coping, softening the boundaries and bringing a lush, resort-like feel to what was once an underused backyard that had so much more to give.

What started as a need for more space became a rethink of how the entire – albeit tiny – garden worked, demonstrating that even the smallest spaces can be reimagined into something with huge possibilities.

Their unique, custom Mod fits beautifully into both the garden and family life. Their son has his bedroom back. James and Liz have a home office that gets used every day. The bikes and tools have an upgraded home.

And Shadow can finally enjoy his afternoon nap in peace.

All measurements are approximate.