{"id":330,"date":"2025-03-28T15:44:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T16:44:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.camperscorner.net\/?p=330"},"modified":"2025-03-28T18:07:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T18:07:59","slug":"budget-breakdown-they-turned-a-backyard-shed-into-an-aging-in-place-guest-suite-for-140k","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.camperscorner.net\/index.php\/2025\/03\/28\/budget-breakdown-they-turned-a-backyard-shed-into-an-aging-in-place-guest-suite-for-140k\/","title":{"rendered":"Budget Breakdown: They Turned a Backyard Shed Into an Aging-in-Place Guest Suite for $140K"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An architect couple made updates to accommodate their elderly parents, like Tasmanian oak handrails and a curbless floor plan.<\/p>\n

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Jane McDougall and David Beynon didn\u2019t quite know what to expect of life <\/b>when they moved from their apartment in Melbourne to a standalone in Launceston, Tasmania. David\u2019s new teaching position at the University of Tasmania, the reason for their move, meant that Jane, a generational Melbournite, would become the sole practitioner of the couple\u2019s architecture practice, alsoCAN<\/a>. It also meant that their new home would need space to host family, <\/b>particularly their elderly parents, and friends coming from Australia and as far as the U.S.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Jane<\/a>
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Wanting to accommodate their aging parents during visits, Jane McDougall and David Beynon of architecture firm alsoCAN transformed their 600-square-foot backyard shed in Tasmania into a wheelchair-accessible guest suite.<\/p>\n

Photo by Anjie Blair<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The couple bought a 1920s California-style bungalow with apricot trees and an ample garden\u2014a refreshing change from their inner-city apartment\u2014that had a 600-square-foot shed in the back. It was previously used as a sleep-out, an outbuilding used to escape the heat before air conditioning became commonplace in Australia, but also held a garage\/workshop, a derelict bathroom, and an outhouse (or a “dunny,” as they say in Australia). It presented the perfect renovation opportunity to create a guest suite; it also felt right given the couple\u2019s architectural ethos, <\/i>which emphasizes using space more effectively instead of expanding unnecessarily.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The couple were living in an apartment in Melbourne, but now have a backyard with mature fruit trees and room for their dogs to play.<\/p>\n

Photo: Anjie Blair<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Beyond<\/a>
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Beyond lending the suite its crisp appearance, the aluminum cladding, a product called FormFlow, also protects it against bushfires.<\/p>\n

Photo by Anjie Blair<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

See the full story on Dwell.com: Budget Breakdown: They Turned a Backyard Shed Into an Aging-in-Place Guest Suite for $140K<\/a><\/b>
Related stories:<\/span><\/p>\n