Bob and Alan Breneman don’t need anything fancy when it comes to a farm shop. They just want a place where they can work on equipment comfortably. They kept that goal in mind as they designed, built and equipped their shop.

The Brenemans farm with Bob’s son Adam and Alan’s son Mark near Clayton, Ind. They built their current shop to replace an older shop several years ago.

They opted for a high ceiling so they would have plenty of clearance in the shop. Walls are 18 feet high. They also rely on three radiant heaters to provide heat in the winter.

“We keep it at about 50 degrees F in here in the winter,” Bob says. “When you’re wearing a jacket, it’s a comfortable place to work.”

The shop building includes a small office and a bathroom with a shower. They put plenty of lights in the ceiling to make sure the workspace would be well-lit.

“We wanted to make sure the space remained flexible,” Bob adds. “That’s why we don’t have workbenches attached to the walls. Everything in the shop is mobile. We use a worktable which is movable. We can reconfigure things however we want to make the best use of space, depending on what we’re working on at the time.”

One thing the Brenemans noticed after they began using the shop was that sound echoed sharply within the building, Bob notes. They mounted sound boards covered in burlap at various locations around the walls inside the building.

“It made a huge difference and really cut down on the echo effect,” Bob says. “If we were going to change anything, it would probably be to move the air compressor out of the actual shop, so it isn’t as loud in here when it runs. Overall, we’re happy with our facility.”

Check out the slideshow to see photos of the farm shop.