DIY videos and tv shows have taken over the mainstream media that we all know today and the video below is no exception.
Many of us have turned to these DIY projects for multiple things around the house with hopes of saving a few extra bucks. Not to mention with us doing the jobs ourselves we can do it the way we would like it and if we mess it up we have no one else to blame! Whether it’s building a table, building a patio, hanging lights, new shelves, stitching a blanket, or really basically making or building anything the do-it-yourself method has become our way of living.
Talk about a busy guy!
One man saw this DIY market raising and decided to use his degree and passion to create his business. Meet Ben Uyeda who is the founder of Home Made Modern which is an online design source that distributes “easy-to-follow”, DIY methods for creating a modern home. Not only is he the founder of Home Made Modern but he is also a designer and an entrepreneur who focuses on affordable and sustainable designs, as well as, the co-founder and design director of FreeGreen.com. On top of all that he also is a visiting lecturer at Northeastern University and writes for the Huffington Post in his free time. Talk about a busy guy!
One of his most viral builds that he has completed is an off-the-grid solar powered workshop that he built for his sister so she can have a headquarters for all of her builds. Talk about a great brother!
But first some research.
At first, Ben wanted to build this workshop from scratch but decided to do some research on the internet first and discovered just how affordable it was for him. While doing his research Ben found the Tuff Shed offered by The Home Depot and once he read how quickly they could install the shed he decided to go with this prefabricated option. He mentions that the website is quite easy to use as you design your own shed which as you go through the different options and ideas the pricing information is updated.
Time to prep the field.
Once Ben created his ideal Tuff Shed and checked the local building code he chose a spot in the yard and began to pack down dirt. Then he spread two inches of sand and about three inches of gravel in preparation for the shed to be built on top. Even the chickens were helping in preparation!
Tough workers building the Tuff Shed.
Once that was finished the Tuff Shed crew was sent out ready to build this new workshop. Ben takes notice that these two workers were incredibly efficient as they set up the whole shed in about three hours. Ben notes his realization while watching the two men work stating,
“I definitely could have built this myself but I don’t think I would have saved that much money and it probably would have taken me about a week.”
Ben expresses his gratitude for the workers in the video noting that not only were they efficient in constructing this sturdy workshop but that they also took the time to touch up all the paint and clean up the construction site being sure to leave it spotless when they left. They even went over a detailed checklist with Ben to make sure all the features were in order.
Time to get to work inside.
Once the exterior was finished it was time for Ben to move inside to paint everything white. This time enlisting his friend Rob and picked up power sprayers to make sure they don’t miss any cracks, corners, or edges while painting.
All hands on deck!
Once the paint dried Ben moved on to installing the solar panels on the roof. This time Ben brought in his friends Mike and Jason to help build the enclosures for the batteries and set up the electric system.
Always do a test run.
Once set up was completed and looked nice it was time to test to see if the inverter could handle running multiple benchtop tools at the same time. Once it passed the test to the two friends gave each other a much-deserved fist bump.
Time to make it shine.
The next step was to add lighting to the workshop. For this design, Ben not only added pendant lights but wanted the whole workshop to glow. In order to get this effect, Ben decided to cut the lengths of a rain gutter to use as lighting coves.
Adding the finishing touches.
Then he moved on to shelving and storage. After going through different modular storage solutions he chose the gladiator system due to its strength and overall look. We would say from the picture below he made a great choice!
Almost complete!
Once that was complete Ben added a countertop and more shelves to finish this workshop.
Finally finished!
This DIY solar-powered workshop is only ten feet by 12 but looks fairly large! Having parallel double doors allows in plenty of light and air to move through the center. We would say this DIY project was an absolute success and we hope his sister enjoys her new space!
So what was the total cost?
The total cost of this project ended up coming out to $7,500 and took Ben and his team about 20 hours to build in total.
See the video below to watch the full detailed build of the beautiful solar-powered workshop or click here for Ben’s full post on his website with product specifications.
To keep up with Ben be sure to check out his social media links below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
