Outdoor Office

Berger had already designed a garden for the Schmidts--with lush plantings, a fish pond and waterfall--when the couple asked for one more element: an outdoor office where Tracey could work on bookkeeping tasks. Bob liked the idea but asked that the office be designed to "disappear" when not in use so that the patio could also be used for entertaining guests.

The garden office that Berger ultimately planned features an arbor roof to shade the work area, a nearby storage cabinet for office supplies and a fold-down desk with a top layer of galvanized steel so that magnets can be used to prevent papers from blowing away. A professional would charge about $6,000 to install the office, says Berger, but he estimates that do-it-yourselfers can get away with spending only $1,600. Because of the carpentry skills needed, he rates the project a 5 on a difficulty scale of 1 (easy) to 5 (difficult).

To install the supporting posts for the arbor, first set metal post holders (available at hardware stores) in concrete. Place 4" x 6" redwood posts (figure A) in the post holders, tack them in with screws, then secure them with carriage bolts.

Next, install the arbor's long overhead rails (2" x 8" boards), placing them about eight feet off the ground. In this case, one set of supporting posts is against the existing house, so notches were cut to accept the joists (figure B). Attach overhead rails to both sides of the posts with decking screws.

Step Two: Building the Hidden Storage Shed

If you're going to work outside, you want to be able to move in and out of the house without constantly carrying items back and forth. To solve the problem, Berger creates a hidden storage closet off the arbor and close to the desk area. Inside there's room for a file cabinet, a chair, a phone, a calculator and other miscellaneous items.

• To begin, set pressure-treated fir 4x4s in the ground. In this case the back posts are just 7-1/2 feet high, making the roof of the storage shed sloped. Attach a top plate of pressure-treated 2x4s around three sides of the framing, then set 2" x 6 " rafters at an angle to meet the arbor rails (figure E); notch the rafters to fit over the top plate.
• For the walls of the shed, use coated exterior-grade plywood siding. Attach it to the framing with one-inch deck screws. The roof is made from 5/8-inch plywood with standard roof shingles attached.
• Doors for the storage cabinet are also made from plywood and painted to match the house. Hang the doors with exterior hinges, and the cabinet is complete figure F).

Landscape architect Dan Berger chooses low-maintenance plants to fill in around the garden office, selecting varieties that offer plenty of color, fragrance and texture.

Featured plants:

• Double mock orange (Philadelphus virginalis 'Snowflake'), Zones 5-8
• Cranesbill (Geranium cinerum 'Ballerina'), Zones 5-9
• Peony (Paeonia lactiflora), Zones 4-8
• Giant timber bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii), Zones 7-11

Step Three: Building the Fold-Down Desk

• To build the fold-down desk, first attach 2x4 framing, which includes a crosspiece (placed 31 inches from the ground) where the desk will be hinged, and a center brace (figure G). Use coated deck screws to attach framing to arbor posts.
• Now prepare a backing piece for the desk pocket using a 4' x 5-1/2' piece of plywood painted to match the house. To hold the backing tightly in the arbor framing, attach a half-inch nailer around the edge. That way you can easily screw through the nailer to attach the back board to the framing (figure H). Once the backing piece is attached, caulk the frame to ensure it's watertight. Attach galvanized sheet metal (you can have a sheet cut to size at any metal shop). Pre-drill holes and use wood screws to hold it in place.

Networking specialist Jeff Orr explains how cordless technology will allow the garden office to be hooked up easily to the outside world--with e-mail, fax and internet access--using a wireless modem. The cost: about $400 for two computers.

To make your outdoor office deluxe, says Berger, you can also wire up a phone line, stereo speakers, electricity and cable! You may never want to go inside again...