A backyard writing studio | Dencity Design

Tucked at the back of a suburban lot in Decatur, Georgia, is a small modern structure with a shed roof and a mini “tower” at the back. It was designed by Dencity Design to be a writing studio and to give family members an easily accessible retreat from the clamor of daily life. Although not a house, we think the unique design would make for a tranquil tiny home.

The studio has roughly 220 ft² (20 m²) of floor space. There are two doors, on opposite sides, both of which lead in to an entry area that doubles as a library with a wall of maple shelving and cabinets.

The main room serves as both a home office and a hang-out space. One side of the room is very open to the outdoors with windows that wrap around the sitting area, the glass meeting at two corners. Even when a room has large windows, people tend to perceive the corner posts as defining the boundaries of the room. However if you eliminate a corner post, you also help eliminate that perceived boundary and the room feels much larger as a result. By contrast, the office workspace side is closed and private with small windows at desk level.

The shed roof has wide overhangs on three sides, sheltering a wrap-around deck. A ladder against the back wall leads up to a roof-top observation deck, which has a solid railing at the front for privacy. The Cypress siding was given an unconventional treatment. It was lightly burned, leaving a rich dark finish. Charring the surface of wood is an age-old method of preserving it, making it resistant to rot and insects as well as more fire-proof.

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Photographs by Fredrik Brauer, Ann Packwood and Eric Fier.

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