Mini-shelters dwell in style

Modern Cabana COURTESY PHOTO As empty nesters and retirees find themselves with time to indulge interests long postponed, a space in which to explore one's passions becomes paramount. Luckily, an emerging design trend provides several stylish solutions. Handsome mini-shelters provide the option of easily adding a cool "hangout" space to a home environment (or anywhere else, for that matter) often without the hassle of permits, due to their small size. With these ingenious small buildings, no major home renovations are necessary in order to add space.

Most of these attractive, prefabricated shelters can be easily assembled in a day. And suddenly, a significant new space is available as a small art studio, music or reading room, pool cabana, quiet office or study, remote getaway spot, or even stylish storage, freeing up a beleaguered garage.

With their strong design components, these new shelters are not your father's tool shed.

Designer Caspar Mork-Ulnes, founder of Modern Cabana, offers small, high-quality buildings which incorporate his award-winning design sensibilities; his goal was to make stylish space affordable, and a quick glance at his Web site proves he has readily succeeded.

Above DWR Kithaus and right, founders Casper Mork-Ulnes and Nick Damner Modern Cabana models range in size from 10-by-20-foot to 12-by-25- foot. Standard cabanas are made of cedar plywood and come with sliding doors and an operable rear window; upgraded versions have nicer exteriors, maple walls and bamboo flooring.

Any of these shelters can allegedly be built by "two able-bodied adults in a few days." The gallery of photos on the company's Web site provides plenty of inspiration, showing wraparound decks, alternative doors, and all sorts of decorating ideas. Mork- Ulnes has lived in Norway, the United Kingdom and Italy, and his European sensibility underscores each design. His company's motto is, appropriately, "everyone needs their space."

San Francisco Bay-area visionary Edgar Blazona is a builder, furniture designer, and welder specializing in Modernism. It comes as no surprise, then, that products from his company, Modular Dwellings, pay homage to the design philosophies of legends Charles Eames and Richard Neutra. Blazona is at the forefront of California's architectural prefab movement, and his shelters are deliberately easy to transport. In fact, Modular Dwellings' MD280 "guest shelter" can be trucked anywhere in the country, intact. At 280 square feet, it features 9-foot high floor-to-ceiling windows, a kitchen and separate bedroom.

Modular Dwellings also offers a 12-by-12-foot shelter with its own sleeping loft, and a tiny 6-by-8-foot unit with glass corners and a pull-out bed (all of which can be lifted into place with a crane). The medium-sized buildings (at 10 and 12 square feet each) are custom-built with a welded-steel frame, tempered glass windows and beautiful hardwood exteriors.

Of particular interest is Blazona's first-ever mini-shelter, built on the beach and pictured on the Modular Dwellings Web site: it was constructed of translucent fiberglass. The 120-square-foot model still incorporates a translucent polycarbonate roof, eliminating all thoughts of "shed."

It is necessary to buy a separate blueprint for each Modular Dwelling. If the words blueprint and tools makes your forehead bead up with the perspiration of dread, this is not your best choice of shelters. Even the instructions warn that this one is a little tough for anyone not at home in a workshop.

The MetroShed company knows that prefab is often associated with inexpensive production, but proves that modern prefab also incorporates fantastic design.

No more need to spend $200-$400 per square foot for much needed extra space, says MetroShed, which offers a "PreCut" kit as an alternative to the "PreFab" kit. Owners willing to roll up their sleeves for one or two days can save a bundle on an already affordable shelter. The company's most popular shed is 9-by-13 feet.

When compared to the hassle of hiring a contractor, the prefab mini-shelter is a terrific option, even for the construction-challenged. No cutting or expensive tools are required, just a screw gun, hammer, ladder, gloves, and protective eyewear. MetroSheds can allegedly be assembled in just a few hours. Their foundations are meant to be placed directly on gravel or elevated on blocks, meaning no costly concrete foundation is necessary.

Primitive but functional, MetroSheds are ideal for homeowners on a budget who find their house bursting at the seams. The price for a basic 9-by-13-foot building is under $10,000, and is delivered to the east coast for only $440 within two weeks of ordering.

The company also offers the larger MetroCabin, which is capped by a curved roof, includes Andersen windows, and can be purchased with a full kitchen package. Deemed "transportable architecture," the MetroCabin can be assembled at the plant or on-site, by the buyer or a MetroCabin assembly team. Sturdy and simple, these innovative spaces are 16-by-20 feet and have ceiling heights of 9 feet 9 inches. . . quite a bit higher than most mini-shelters, which typically come with 8-foot ceilings.

If design is more a priority than price, check out the smart Kithaus by Design Within Reach. DWR's loyal customer base values designer-licensed products and is willing to pay more for them. The handsome KitHaus, designed by Martin Wehmann and Tom Sandonato, brings with it the added bonus of being extremely lightweight and also eco-friendly. Fully insulated and pre-wired, this comfy 9-by- 13-foot structure goes up in a few days of labor. The base price of $29,500 can be upgraded to include decks, canopies, louvers and even a solar package.

Light and airy looking — utterly gorgeous — the KitHaus is a dream space, addressing form and function with panache. You will be the envy of your friends, and, of course, DWR offers all sorts of mouth-watering furnishing options to accompany your new space: from pool pavilion to dining to guest room packages, DWR shoots and scores. If your budget allows, head straight to the Coconut Point showroom (the only local bricks-and-mortar source for ordering a designer mini-shelter) or just check out the online catalog.

"The 9-by-13-foot structure redefines conventional prefab," says DWR proprietor Steven Ortego, "with its proprietary construction system that makes installation quick, economic and practically waste-free. What also caught our attention about Kithaus," he says, "is how it can tuck into any area, without needing ultraheavy equipment. All of the lightweight, anodized aluminum pieces are pre-cut and drilled in Southern California and shipped to you for on-site assembly. Installation is fast, taking only a few days, and Kithaus is made of eco-friendly components."

Modern-Shed has so many happy customers it features a "shed of the month" contest, in which buyers send in photos of their completed projects. Some of these mini-shelters are simply magazine-worthy in their final settings, transom windows and French doors opening onto stunning gardens, docks, pergolas and more. Photos showing the multitude of uses a Modern-Shed offers (including a nice office) may do more to inspire potential buyers than anything else.

A tilted roof is the company's signature look. Modern-Sheds start as little as $7,440 for a 6-by- 8-foot shelter. There are also 8-by-10 and 10-by- 12-foot options; the larger comes with a deck option. Most are between $10,000 and $20,000.

Buyers have lots of options when it comes to exterior colors and there are 12 different flooring colors. The Modern-Shed interior sports a natural tongue-and-groove ceiling crowning pre-finished maple plywood walls. Exterior materials include cement board, insulated windows and galvanized metal, all of which combine for a clean, streamlined look. Buyers can amp up their shelter's "cozy" factor through exterior color, plantings, decks and more.

For more information:

>>www.dwr.com
>>www.metroshed.com
>>www.moderncabana.com
>>www.modern-shed.com
>>www.modulardwellings.com