Don’t move, improve!

Photographs Christoph Hoffmann | Styling Mary Jane Harris

With three boisterous kids in the house, Harold Verster found that online meetings and working from home presented a few challenges. He urgently needed to come up with another plan. An old corrugated iron shed in the garden that served as storage space for tools and building materials presented the ideal solution. "Years ago, we bought the panels from Builders and erected it ourselves. After eight years, it had become dilapidated and nobody wanted to set foot in it anymore," says Ron . "But when we started clearing it, we realised that the 3 x 3m space would make the perfect home office." Thanks to Harold's qualification as a quantity surveyor and experience as a project manager with a developer, he was able to tackle the project himself.

WHO LIVES HERE? Ron and Harold Verster

WHERE Bloemfontein SIZE 9m²

THE GROUNDWORK

A foundation and floor were laid first, after which five workers helped to lift the garden shed and move it about 4m to its new spot. Pavers with greenery in-between and a new lawn transformed the former eyesore into a modern asset.

The tranquil atmosphere of the home office has a positive effect on Harold's work. - Ron

FLOORING

Parquet tiles that had been purchased on Facebook Marketplace a few months earlier came in handy in the new home office. Harold and Ron laid the floor themselves, sanded it down and sealed it with Woodoc 25 Water-Borne Floor. The skirtings were then installed and painted white.

A LICK OF PAINT

The exterior of the garden shed as well as the boundary walls boast a fresh coat of Plascon Tradepro Roof in a trendy dark grey. Inside, the walls were painted white to reflect as much natural light as possible, but with a striking dark grey strip behind the desk and on the ceiling.

ELECTRICITY AND INSULATION

The wiring was done by an electrician; the office has its own distribution board and circuit breakers. With fibre installed in the house, a WiFi repeater ensures that there are no internet problems. Ecofriendly Isotherm polyester panels were fitted on the walls and ceiling to provide the necessary insulation and then clad with RhinoBoard; Rhinolite ensures a seamless join between the boards. "The office sits under deciduous trees, so it gets enough sun in winter and shade in summer," says Ron . "In winter, the office is kept warm with a small fan heater, while a small desk fan is sufficient in summer."WINDOWS A dark home office is never a good idea, so a contemporary A-shaped opening was cut in a side panel and a new custom-made window installed. The smaller window at the entrance was replaced with a more elegant version. "We installed the wooden frames for the windows ourselves, after which Glasfit fitted the aluminium-framed windows," explains Ron . "They initially struggled with the A-shaped window as it wasn't entirely symmetrical, but now it is definitely my favourite design element of the office."

WINDOWS

A dark home office is never a good idea, so a contemporary A-shaped opening was cut in a side panel and a new custom-made window installed. The smaller window at the entrance was replaced witha more elegant version."We installed the wooden frames for the windows ourselves, after which Glasfit fitted the aluminium-framed windows," explains Ron . "They initially struggled with the A-shaped window as it wasn't entirely symmetrical, but now it is definitely my favourite design element of the office."

EXPERT ADVICE

Frikkie Greeff, managing director of Woodoc, offers advice for laying recycled parquet floor tiles:

1 Beforehand: clean the parquet tiles one by one so that they fit snugly against each other when they are laid, otherwise your floor will be uneven. Also make sure that the base on which they are laid is level, dry and dust-free.

2 Choose good-quality glue, either with a bitumen- or water base (latex), for laying the parquet.

3 Start in one corner of the room*. Remember, the first tile you lay is the most important one as all the others are laid according to that one. Smear the glue on or dip the bottom of a tile in the glue and position it flush with and perpendicular to the wall.

4 Now repeat with the rest of the tiles. Tap the tiles lightly with a wooden hammer to maintain the correct orientation and don't walk on the new floor until the glue has dried completely.

5 Sand the wood thoroughly with an industrial floor sander, then wipe the floor with a cloth dipped in mineral turpentine. Wipe with a cloth dipped in methylated spirits if a water-borne sealer is going to be used. This will remove the dust and any oils that may have emerged from the wood during sanding. Also check whether any tiles have loosened, and glue them down.

6 Using a wide brush, apply Woodoc 25 Polyurethane Floor Sealer or Woodoc Water-Borne Floor until the wood is saturated. Allow the first coat to dry completely, with as much air circulation over it as possible.

7 Apply two more coats for a long-lasting and even finish. * For a herringbone pattern, start in the middle and work outwards. However, I wouldn't recommend that DIYers tackle this as it's a huge challenge to work out the lines perfectly and to get a neat finish next to the walls and skirtings, while also allowing for expansion and contraction of the parquet.

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