Shop Tour: The Tiny Shop Under 100 Square Feet
A 100-square-foot workshop is the size of a large bathroom. Working in one requires a completely different approach to layout, machine selection, and workflow than any larger space. Everything folds, rolls, or mounts to the wall. There are no permanent floor machines – everything that touches the floor must be able to move. This shop belongs to an urban woodworker who rents a 200-square-foot studio space, uses half of it for living and half for making. The shop half is exactly 95 square feet, and it produces real furniture.
The Machine Philosophy
No stationary floor machines at all. The entire “machine” lineup in this shop: a track saw with two connected guide rails, a router with a compact edge-guide system, a jigsaw, a random orbital sander, and a Dremel for detail work. These tools represent a complete cutting and shaping toolkit in a package that stores on two shelves. The track saw rips. The router shapes edges and cuts grooves. The jigsaw cuts curves. The sander finishes surfaces. Joinery is mortise-and-tenon (hand-cut), dowels, pocket screws, and biscuits.
The Work Surface
The work surface is a 2-by-5-foot folding table with a metal frame and a replaceable top – the kind sold for catering events. It folds flat in 30 seconds and stores against the wall. On top of the table for woodworking sessions goes a piece of 3/4-inch MDF with a grid of bench dog holes – this becomes the actual work surface, with holdfasts in the dog holes providing clamping. When not in use, the MDF panel leans against the wall and the folding table folds flat.
Storage
One wall is entirely storage. A 4-by-8-foot French cleat panel occupies the full wall. Every tool has a dedicated position on the cleats. Hardware is in labeled bins on small shelves. Finish supplies are in a dedicated upper cabinet. Lumber is the one item that can’t be stored compactly – short pieces go in a bundle in the corner, full-length pieces are bought to project length and arrive cut to size from the supplier.
Key Lessons
- The fold-flat work surface is the entire shop. When it’s folded, there’s no shop – just living space. When it’s deployed, the shop opens up. This mental switch between modes is actually useful: the shop is “open for business” when the table is up and “closed” when it’s folded. No lingering half-finished work sessions.
- Track saw is the one non-negotiable tool. Everything else could be substituted. Without the track saw, sheet goods can’t be processed in this space.
FAQ
What kind of projects are realistic in 100 square feet?
Boxes, small cabinets, stools, floating shelves, side tables, and small chairs. Dining tables and case pieces require more assembly space than this shop provides. The owner focuses on small furniture and interior accessories that can be assembled in 50 square feet of clear floor space.
How do you handle lumber delivery to a studio apartment?
Short pieces (under 4 feet) come via online lumber supplier in UPS-shipped boxes. Full-length lumber arrives cut to dimension from a local hardwood dealer who delivers. Sheet goods are bought at the home center and cut to panel size on-site before transport.