John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum

Thought I'd post an updated version of my design as I've made some changes. I'm hoping to add a doorway on the side that faces our house. This would enter directly into the tracking room.

Man - its so easy to come up with awesome ideas in Sketchup. Then the reality of financial viability sets in

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'We're just amateur lovers with amateur friends' - Switchfoot

Just a quick note: You seem to be missing a leaf on the front wall of your control room: The speaker soffits should not used as a leaf.

- Stuart -

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I want this studio to amaze people. "That'll do" doesn't amaze people.

If my eyes don't decieve me, he has his speakers placed on the console. He doesn't use speaker soffits. That's a two leaf wall.

John

Ah! I see what you mean. My bad!

(That'll teach me to open my eyes better before I open my mouth... )

- Stuart -

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I want this studio to amaze people. "That'll do" doesn't amaze people.

I might mount some speakers on the angled walls but not in them. I'm not sure. I currently own Totem Dreamcatcher reference monitors and Yamaha ns-10s that are in reasonably good condition. I have been planning to buy a new set to serve as my mains but will probably wait to see whats actually required when the rooms built - its going to be fairly small and I don't want to overdo it.

Thanks for posting the concern Stuart!

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'We're just amateur lovers with amateur friends' - Switchfoot

Come to a decision on the breezeway yet? Are they going to make you put a door in the house to enter the breezeway? It wouldn't be surprising if the local PTB made the "suggestion".

W

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Wayne D

Hey Wayne - you're not far off. I've been dealing with the senior planner for our town - it's been a slow process (to put it nicely ). He doesn't really seem willing to make a decision for me, or provide much in the way of suggestions.

I found out through one of the inspectors in the building department that one concern he had with my previous designs was that they didn't connect doorway to doorway. The inspector actually came out to see how the garage and house sit next to one another and suggested that I should move the breezeway up to the front of the garage so that it covered the new entrance I plan to put on the garage. Then if I had a walkway from the front of the house to that door on the garage then the breezeway would be providing its traditional purpose. (see pics) The inspector is helping me plan because I haven't got anywhere with the planner.

The new walkway would mean my wife would lose her garden, and I'm not thrilled about how the breezeway would be awkwardly positioned. I really fail to see why the structure that I build has to serve some purpose determined by the planning department. This is my home, right? As long as I'm not adding something that looks ridiculous or inappropriate shouldn't I be able to use the space however I see fit? With my original fully enclosed option I was going to use it to store things that might have been stored in the garage and/or use the space as a small workshop.

Yeah - I'm a wee bit frustrated.

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'We're just amateur lovers with amateur friends' - Switchfoot

I've been trying to figure out what PTB stands for?

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'We're just amateur lovers with amateur friends' - Switchfoot

PTB= Powers That Be..

Sucks you couldn't continue the roof across the front of the house. I see why you aren't thrilled with it.
Cool that you are getting some help from someone in what's called here Community Development.

W

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Wayne D

I just found out that in weighing all the variables for my situation the building department and planning department decided together that they will not require me to build a breezeway at all. I can move ahead with a permit application as usual for the work inside the garage!!!

Apparently the previous owner had to apply for a variance to get the garage built in the first place. They feel that fact in combination with the fact that I will be leaving the garage door in place (meaning someone could potentially gut it and use it as a garage again in the future) is enough to satisfy the planning department.

It took two months to get that decision but.......

So I now feel confident enough to remove the garage door opener and hardware. I'm calling a few installers to see if they'll remove it free of charge in exchange for the opener/hardware/accessories. I'm not sure I want to tackle that torsion bar myself.

I am giddy

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'We're just amateur lovers with amateur friends' - Switchfoot

Wooooohoooo!!!

Good news!

So now we get to see some progress pics?


- Stuart -

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I want this studio to amaze people. "That'll do" doesn't amaze people.

As soon as I get some progress! I've been so itching to go that I had to keep myself busy this past weekend by tiling our front entrance (we've got lots of updating plans in the house and they had carpet going right to the front door, which just wasn't going to work).

It was my first time laying tile and I'm pretty pleased with the results. Maybe I'll take a pic later and post it just for fun.

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'We're just amateur lovers with amateur friends' - Switchfoot

Very cool, you got love from the man! Can't beat that.

Time to move forward, exciting indeed. Good luck and have fun.

W

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Wayne D

And the door hardware was no more........

I had a pro out to remove all the hardware. Cost me $120 but I didn't want to release the torsion bar myself and he made quick work of attaching the door to the outside framing. And hopefully I can sell the opener itself and make back some of that.

I like it a lot! The door is really snug against the framing and it looks unchanged from the outside!

So now I'm going to remove those exterior lights from the cavity on either side and work and filling those voids with studs.

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'We're just amateur lovers with amateur friends' - Switchfoot

After the hardware came down I removed the two exterior lights from the front of the garage and filled the cavities on either side of the door with 2x4s. I also added 2x4s and OSB above the door (working towards eventually getting it flush with the door right up to the ceiling). I did my best to fill every nook and cranny with wood mass - sometimes using drywall cut to fit on smaller gaps.

Its well on its way to being all 'massed up'!

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'We're just amateur lovers with amateur friends' - Switchfoot