A New Book Offers Ideas for a Garden ‘Room of One’s Own’
Practical advice and enviable inspiration sheds are all you need to start planning your own backyard getaway
It has been almost two years since our inaugural story on “she sheds” — backyard escapes women have created for themselves where they can work, make art, putter, daydream and whatever else they feel like doing. Author Erika Kotite has a new book, She Sheds: A Room of Your Own (Cool Springs Press, $25), that’s full of practical information, tips, advice and dreamy inspiration for setting up one’s own special getaway right at home.
Photo by Sarah Greenman
Get inspired by far-flung places. Tymmera Whitnah loved the look of the homes on Bali that perch atop poles. While she wanted her “spirit house” to feel open, she decided that this would require windows because of Oregon’s wet climate.
She scored the windows by stopping by construction sites and asking after old windows that were being replaced. With lots of careful planning and help from a carpenter friend, the 10-by-10-foot structure was done in two years, where it serves as a favorite meditation spot.
Read more about this shed
Get inspired by far-flung places. Tymmera Whitnah loved the look of the homes on Bali that perch atop poles. While she wanted her “spirit house” to feel open, she decided that this would require windows because of Oregon’s wet climate.
She scored the windows by stopping by construction sites and asking after old windows that were being replaced. With lots of careful planning and help from a carpenter friend, the 10-by-10-foot structure was done in two years, where it serves as a favorite meditation spot.
Read more about this shed
Photo by Judy Weiss
Embellish with a trellis. Although Judy Weiss already had a dilapidated shed on her property, all that remained of its porch was a footprint. She and her husband decided to fix up the outbuilding by upcycling leftover, salvaged and donated materials. The small porch holds vintage garden items, while the trellis provides structure for climbing plants.
Embellish with a trellis. Although Judy Weiss already had a dilapidated shed on her property, all that remained of its porch was a footprint. She and her husband decided to fix up the outbuilding by upcycling leftover, salvaged and donated materials. The small porch holds vintage garden items, while the trellis provides structure for climbing plants.
Photo by Shirlie Kemp
Keep the spirit of your childhood playhouse alive. Shirlie Kemp’s adult-size playhouse in the English county of Hertfordshire was built with a Wendy house in mind (the British term for playhouse comes from Peter Pan). The stylist, photographer and former Wham singer needed a spot where she could do whatever she wanted without anyone else’s input. Its creation included setting up a romantic fireplace surround without a fireplace, hanging a chandelier and making room for a photography studio. Her father, a builder, built this custom mini cottage for her.
Keep the spirit of your childhood playhouse alive. Shirlie Kemp’s adult-size playhouse in the English county of Hertfordshire was built with a Wendy house in mind (the British term for playhouse comes from Peter Pan). The stylist, photographer and former Wham singer needed a spot where she could do whatever she wanted without anyone else’s input. Its creation included setting up a romantic fireplace surround without a fireplace, hanging a chandelier and making room for a photography studio. Her father, a builder, built this custom mini cottage for her.
Photo by Pamela Groppe
Play off your home’s architecture. Homeowner and avid gardener Pamela Groppe lives in a charming yellow farmhouse-style cottage with a front porch and two gabled dormers on the second story. So when she and her husband designed this 12-by-12-foot studio, they kept their home’s style in mind. The pediment and front porch mimic elements on the main house, and the color and overall style of the shed match it too.
Play off your home’s architecture. Homeowner and avid gardener Pamela Groppe lives in a charming yellow farmhouse-style cottage with a front porch and two gabled dormers on the second story. So when she and her husband designed this 12-by-12-foot studio, they kept their home’s style in mind. The pediment and front porch mimic elements on the main house, and the color and overall style of the shed match it too.
Photo by Jeff Doubet
Customize a simple tool shed kit. Lori Doubet used an off-the-shelf 10-by-12-foot tool shed kit for her she shed in Santa Barbara, California, but added custom touches like board-and-batten siding, extra windows and a fire engine-red paned glass door. A cupola topped with a rooster weather vane adds personality.
Customize a simple tool shed kit. Lori Doubet used an off-the-shelf 10-by-12-foot tool shed kit for her she shed in Santa Barbara, California, but added custom touches like board-and-batten siding, extra windows and a fire engine-red paned glass door. A cupola topped with a rooster weather vane adds personality.
Photo by Jeff Doubet
Incorporate materials that come your way. Once you spread the word that you’re looking for leftover tile, siding, windows, doors, bricks and so forth, it’s amazing what will come your way; people tend to save these things for projects that are never going to happen or hoard them after remodels. Often they’ll jump at the chance to have someone come take them off their hands. Lori and her husband, Jeff, had some windows left over from another home project, so they designed around them. They scored a salvaged door for free. By the way, this is Lori. She and Jeff did all the work on the shed themselves.
Incorporate materials that come your way. Once you spread the word that you’re looking for leftover tile, siding, windows, doors, bricks and so forth, it’s amazing what will come your way; people tend to save these things for projects that are never going to happen or hoard them after remodels. Often they’ll jump at the chance to have someone come take them off their hands. Lori and her husband, Jeff, had some windows left over from another home project, so they designed around them. They scored a salvaged door for free. By the way, this is Lori. She and Jeff did all the work on the shed themselves.
Photo by Jeff Doubet
Embrace happy accidents and experimentation. After putting one coat of primer on the interior walls, Lori liked the way the wood showed through and left it. The result is a warm whitewashed look.
Embrace happy accidents and experimentation. After putting one coat of primer on the interior walls, Lori liked the way the wood showed through and left it. The result is a warm whitewashed look.
Photo by Kim Snyder
Look to greenhouse roofs. The semitransparent polycarbonate panels on artist Jenny Karp’s shed roof let in loads of natural light. Since electrifying a she shed isn’t an option for all (read more about this issue in the book), this is a great way to take as much advantage of the sun as possible.
Karp’s shed serves as a studio for her to shoot tutorial videos and create her mixed-media artwork. As with many of the other sheds, the pieces she needed came to her. When she put out the word that she needed windows and doors to meet her budget, one friend gave her some 50-year-old windows that she had sitting around her barn, another gave her the French doors, and Karp was able to use wood from a demolished pergola in her yard as lumber.
Look to greenhouse roofs. The semitransparent polycarbonate panels on artist Jenny Karp’s shed roof let in loads of natural light. Since electrifying a she shed isn’t an option for all (read more about this issue in the book), this is a great way to take as much advantage of the sun as possible.
Karp’s shed serves as a studio for her to shoot tutorial videos and create her mixed-media artwork. As with many of the other sheds, the pieces she needed came to her. When she put out the word that she needed windows and doors to meet her budget, one friend gave her some 50-year-old windows that she had sitting around her barn, another gave her the French doors, and Karp was able to use wood from a demolished pergola in her yard as lumber.
Photo by Kelly Bracken
Are you ready for a backyard shed of your own? Here are some important things author Kotite, shown here, recommends discussing with shed designers and installers before you begin.
1. What’s included in the package. For example, does it include painting and indoor finishing? Be sure to get a complete list.
2. Whether or not your site is accessible. If your shed is assembled off-site, proper access is needed for delivery.
3. The installer’s credentials. Ask the installer to describe his or her experience and to provide client referrals.
4. An estimated cost per square foot. This will vary depending on the materials you use and the extras you want. For example, adding more windows will add to the bottom line. But Kotite writes that you should be able to get an estimated range.
Tell us: If any of you have put up a she shed since the last time we chatted about them, please share it in the Comments.
More
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Creative Houzz Users Share Their She Sheds
Are you ready for a backyard shed of your own? Here are some important things author Kotite, shown here, recommends discussing with shed designers and installers before you begin.
1. What’s included in the package. For example, does it include painting and indoor finishing? Be sure to get a complete list.
2. Whether or not your site is accessible. If your shed is assembled off-site, proper access is needed for delivery.
3. The installer’s credentials. Ask the installer to describe his or her experience and to provide client referrals.
4. An estimated cost per square foot. This will vary depending on the materials you use and the extras you want. For example, adding more windows will add to the bottom line. But Kotite writes that you should be able to get an estimated range.
Tell us: If any of you have put up a she shed since the last time we chatted about them, please share it in the Comments.
More
11 Nominees for the She Shed Hall of Fame
Creative Houzz Users Share Their She Sheds
However, what’s even better is the wide variety of structures Kotite shares. Each one includes information about its owner and highlights choices she made in the design. Learning how each woman spends time in her shed is inspirational. So is learning how and where a handful of them managed to score free windows.
Kotite did her own case study, joining a team of friends to help her sister-in-law construct a shed from a kit. Here are some tips and ideas she gleaned along the way.