Necessity forced a change in my concept of "studio." I used to think of a studio the way I'd think of EMI or Decca or the Record Plant or whatever. Then one day I went into one, where my friend was making an album and it was a basement flat. The producer got me to do some backing vocals and as we were chatting after, he said to me that a studio was just a room.
That was in 1992~ish. Up until that point, I'd never really thought of it that way. I'd jammed in bedrooms before and indeed, used to set up in my front room and jam with a friend and record it on my stereo. Drums, congas and all. Guitars, bass, mandolin, whatever.
And then I bought a 4 track portastudio and once I worked out how to use it, life would never be the same because it was the portability that became the crucial element, not the where. Since then in '92, my "studio" has been a variety of places, wherever I can set up the instruments that are going to be used at that particular moment.
I used to marvel at those artists that said that particular studios housed a very identifiable sound and marveled even more at people that would listen to a record and say "oh yes, that was recorded at such and such a place." I could never tell and I wouldn't even attempt to. It was of no importance to me, really.
So I record where and whenever. Bedrooms, front rooms, bathrooms, corridors, sheds, toilets, with all kinds of mics. I enjoy creating a finished result and I've come to thoroughly enjoy not having a studio as such. It might sound a bit tree-huggy but the world at large really is my studio.
As long as there's an electric socket that works !
Noooooice!