“Built out a new R&D lab” is on my resume, and it isn’t some theoretical symbol of leadership.
I legitimately used a drill, saw, hammer, etc. and physically built an R&D lab…3-ish times now.
The first time I had some help and a little bit bigger team, but still spent what felt like endless nights ordering pizza at 11pm while painting walls, assembling furniture, and installing new appliances. It was a teeny tight budget and I really wanted to make it feel like the lab that I knew the company and my team should have…so if I could use my construction background and sheer grit to save money, that could otherwise be spent on better materials and equipment for the team, I did.
I also vividly remember telling myself that I would NEVER do this again unless it was for my own company.
Enter the progression of labs that Sprinkk has had so far:
Condo kitchen lab
Church basement kitchen lab
Apartment 2nd bedroom lab
Commercial legit lab
For the sake of brevity…the first two weren’t really labs. They were 1-2 Rubbermaid tubs that held my scale, some molds, a refractometer and some ingredients. They were easy to travel with between my condo in Chicago and the small-town church basement in Nebraska. If anyone needs a DIY travel candy lab…let me know and I’ll give you the deets.
The apartment second bedroom lab is probably the lab that I am most proud of. It started as a 9’x10” room and transformed into what became my lake view office, ingredient storage, analytical lab, development lab, and demo studio.
Before:
I don’t have a great bare “before” photo because I started planning the lab out the day that I moved in. I used masking tape to tape out the dimensions of the counters and tables that I planned to build or buy in order to maximize the space. I wanted a separate office space from the lab space…and also needed to figure out how to protect the carpet from splashes and additional move out fees!
This post should probably be sponsored by Home Depot (but it isn’t). I went there multiple times a day for a few weeks. This closet, which would normally house clothes, became my ingredient warehouse thanks to these shelves!
And I will forever sing praise for this table. It’s a Husky workbench that adjusts in height, has the smooooothest drawers, and a REAL hardwood top. It was under $200 when I purchased it…but with inflation/supply chain, etc. it now looks to be $275. I firmly believe that it is still worth that price and more! It also weighs a LOT and I had to move it from my car, up to the 3rd floor…in pieces.
I don’t know what you need a table for, but I guarantee you need THIS table for something. It’s magic.
I wish I had some progress photos of this custom counter, or a video of the install because it was a riot. Or a disaster. But it worked. I pinned and bracketed together these smooth pine boards to make a narrow counter that is supported by some Target cube storage units that are mounted onto some $4 Lowes furniture legs. The right end is supported by a shelf bracket. I really tried to minimize anything securing into the wall given that it was temporary. I sealed it up with polyurethane to make it easy to clean and super smooth.
I still love this rug that I used to protect the carpet. It definitely zhuzhed the place up a bit. And yes, it is totally weird to have carpet in a lab. It’s not ideal at all…but nothing about an apartment bedroom lab really is, other than the cost.
The mini fridge came in clutch for holding natural colors and juices!
I drove to Kansas City to Ikea specifically for this unit once it was (mostly) in stock. Still not sure how I got it to fit in my car! It was worth it for the compliments it received via video calls…and the much-needed storage for my technical library, utensils, and more ingredients!
After:
That’s it for the bedroom lab! I used this lab for a year of development, Zoom calls and live demos. The corner “desk” area eventually became used for analytical equipment such as water activity and a texture analyzer. It was TINY, but man did this room get the job done! …and I still owe it all to that Husky table…
The commute wasn’t too bad either.
It is tough to feel legit in a bedroom lab…so once Sprinkk grew enough, I moved it into commercial space!
I wish it was already a commercial food lab, but my scrappy nature tends to seek a cheaper route. So, I found this beaut of a unit:
Before:
This is just the front office. Check the next post for more before photos, the progress, and final (current) results!
(Truthfully, it just wouldn’t all fit in one post with so many photos)
Sweet fact:
One of the most polarizing candies on the earth is the Circus Peanut. I personally love them every now and then. The texture is…unique…and I kind of dig it. It is technically a marshmallow, but it is also partially grained (crystallized) which gives it almost a nougat-like texture. But what the heck is that flavor? It isn’t peanut butter, and it isn’t orange flavored. Those would make too much sense.
…It is BANANA!