hen you think ‘wood shop,’ you normally think of a fairly big space with
lots of tools on the walls, machines on the floor, and wood everywhere.
This is just one type of shop but it’s the one we see all the time in books and
magazines. My shop used to look like that until I started to go the Minimalist route.
There are plenty of us out there who don’t install the table saw first and then
try to cram everything else in around it, especially when space is a premium.
What if I suggested starting with enough space for a 20" x 60" workbench and
some hand tools? Would you have enough room then? My first shop space was
40 square feet located under the basement stairs. I wasn’t able to stand erect in
the first third of the shop but I had a pegboard wall and tool storage under the
bench. I wasn’t making large things but I was making something. Now when I
look at my 170 square foot shop, in comparison, I feel like I have tons of space.
So what am I trying to say here? You don’t need a big space to make things
out of wood. The truth is you can woodwork almost anywhere. Whether that is a
basement, garage, pantry, or spare room, embrace the space you have and work
within it. You may have only a stout kitchen table and an understanding spouse.
That will work fine. The point is that a lack of square footage should not stop
you from woodworking. There are always two things a woodworker wants: more
clamps and more space. However, if all you’ve got is 100 square feet, use it.
We’ll talk about tools in more depth and why I chose what I did in the next
chapter. For now, let’s take a look at a few different minimalist shop layouts. If your
space doesn’t match one of these, you can likely draw from these ideas to create
your own home workshop.
MY HUMBLE GARAGE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH
I’m fortunate to have 170 square feet of space to house my shop. When I started in this
garage space, I had all the power tools and machines I thought I needed. Things are a lot
different now, after I’ve realized that most of those machines are unnecessary to the kind
of work I enjoy. The few machines I still have fit easily in the space and do come in handy.
But the truth is that the power tools I do have don’t see nearly as much work as my hand
tools. The layout of my own shop is pretty straightforward, which helps keep work efficient.
SPACE UNDER THE STAIRS IS ALL YOU NEED
Many multi-floor homes—be they traditional houses, downtown condos, or rented rooms—
feature little alcoves under the stairs. Jeff lives in a loft-style downtown apartment. Under
the stairs to the top floor is an area that was free so he put a workspace there. Jeff
works with hand tools so this space is perfect. Hand planes and saws make fairly coarse
shavings so he doesn’t have to worry too much about dust getting flung into the other
areas of his apartment.
SIMPLY WORK IN THE LIVING ROOM
Whether in a cramped studio or the corner of any living room,
adding a place to work requires little space. Evan’s small bachelor
apartment doesn’t have a ton of room in it but when you’re resolved
to work with your hands, you make room. The small bench is up
against the wall and tools get stored in nearby drawers and on
the shelf under the bench. Evan is a timber framer and a heritage
carpenter by training. But in his urban apartment workspace he
makes spoons with hand tools. In this space, a large window by the
bench provides the natural light any woodworker craves. The same
spare concept would work well in almost any home.
A bench stop and simple body weight stabilize
a panel when handplaning an edge.
Spoons and other utensils are frequent projects in Evan’s apartment workspace,
but boxes or other small projects are possible as well.
A simple hole in the benchtop is outfitted with
a stop that helps secure work in place.
UTILIZE YOUR UTILITY ROOM
When all you have in a finished basement is the utility room, then that’s
where you go. Ken has managed to make a functional shop in about 100
square feet that includes even a table saw. You have to be fastidious about
organization in a space this small. The old adage ‘a place for everything and
everything in its place’ takes on a whole new meaning here. Ken turns out
smaller projects like occasional tables, bookcases, and boxes with ease. In
a similar setup, simple hanging shelves or pegboards are an easy solution.
With enough planning, a small space transforms into a
well-equipped shop that even includes basic power tools.
In tight quarters it’s even more
important to have a place for every-
thing. A tool cabinet and chest
