A few years ago, when ”she sheds“ were all the rage, 87 year old Wilma Renshaw decided she wanted a backyard shed… or something close. She already had a darling little “cottage” with a loft, but it wasn’t quite big enough for her to have a place to do her art projects and restorations.
“I wanted a quiet place to be alone when I do my morning devotions, and also where I can paint, restore old things, do art and just hang out.”
“A place to retreat and enjoy the fruit of our labor.”
“My mother in law used to say that she would sleep in a different room so she felt like she had been on a vacation. So maybe I’ll just go to my studio to feel I’m on vacation!”
Backyard Shed Plans
Wilma wanted a new shed in her backyard, so she sat down and drew up a floor plan for a shed! However, “shed” didn’t really sound like what she had in mind, so her backyard she shed soon morphed into a studio!
Planning Construction
There …that’s better: a studio!
“But have you ever heard of a champagne taste on a beer budget? That’s me. I guess I’m like the lady on a series called Keeping Up Appearances on PBS!” ??
Previously, a friend helped Wilma build a “cottage”. So I called him over to discuss her she-shed studio plan and together, they worked it all out.
“If your going to Dream …DREAM BIG!”
They started the project in March 2017, but since her carpenter friend works full time, we decided to work on it Saturday afternoons.
Backyard She Shed Floor Plan on Notebook Paper
Destruction First
Of course there is always destruction before construction. Soon, my gardener began to clear the “back forty”, as I call it. Then came the foundation. Building is a process. Like life, it begins with a solid foundation.
Backyard Shed-Turned-Studio
Has a project every grown on you…? You know… it starts out to be a small then but then just keeps growing and growing…? Never happened to you, right?! ?
That’s what happened to Wilma. You get an artist involved in creating something and she’s in her element. So Wilma’s “little she shed” turned into what she called a BIG STUDIO!
Get an artist busy creating something and she’s in her element!
A Backyard Cottage for a Lady
Going back about 20 Years, Wilma wanted a cottage, so she called her friend who is now my carpenter, and they decided on the plan.
“I was younger then and had more stamina, but I knew what I wanted. The outcome was wonderful and I have enjoyed every minute of my cottage.”
“My carpenter’s name is Ronnie Shepherd. I have known him since he was a child, and my gardener is David, who’s been with me for 15 years.”
“I’m grateful to them for helping me all these years.”
Old Historic Windows
I had been given some windows out of a historic old house, and they got my creative juices flowing. This was back before “she sheds” were popular. The cottage is 8×10, fully insulated with a loft in each end ,mainly for storage.
When we first started, all my neighbors wanted to know what I was building. I said, “Well have you ever heard of an outdoor turlet?” This is an outdoor closet, and we all had a good laugh.
Now I live in a Victorian house, five rooms and bath, 150 years old, and very few closets; two to be exact, so I needed a walk in. My House is pink, so all my little buildings are pink.
Back when the cottage was built, I didn’t document anything or take pictures, mainly because I didn’t have a camera. Several years later I’m blessed to have an iPad, thanks to my family. I wish I had pics of the interior to show you at this time, but I’ll share those another time. Right now I use it for storing things like patio rugs and clothes. I have had so much pleasure doing this, nothing ever stays the same… time changes things.
The cottage is close to the rose arbor and in the spring the rose arbor is covered with roses and between that and the wisteria, it’s my heaven on earth.
She Shed Kits – Buy or Build
You can find shed kits on Amazon, some with free shipping through Amazon Prime, or at your local home store, such as Lowe’s or Home Depot.
Here’s an awesome video by Lowe’s Home Store on how to build your own She Shed. We enjoyed seeing the simplicity of this DIY shed that covers basic how-tos as well as some of the many options for customizing and personalizing she shed kits or customize shed designs.
Every Gardener Needs a Shed
Gardeners love their gardens… and their sheds! For more on this, you may also enjoy this storage shed article, and this one on geodesic dome greenhouses.
And Wilma..? She’s patiently getting her backyard shed studio done, one Saturday at a time, while enjoying it at each stage.
We’re betting that Wilma will soon be restoring something old to make it new again, or painting a wall mural in her new studio like she did in her living room!
Keep creating and planting beauty!
I’m LeAura Alderson, a garden, herb and plant enthusiast with a passion for discovering the many edible and medicinal benefits of the plants all around us, including the weeds! I’m a writer, editor and media publisher for our family of websites.
While I was certified in fitness and life coaching, I am NOT a health practitioner. However, I’m a lifelong health enthusiast, with a keen interest in healthy, organic foods and making home remedies and the content we share is from our own experience and usage as well as that extracted from scientific research so that you can explore further on your own.
Always seek the advice and guidance of your health practitioners first and foremost.
As a family we’re steadily expanding our gardening, experimentation and knowledge around all things gardening, edible landscaping, fresh organic foods and self sustainability with farming in our future. I also own and manage iCreateDaily.com, a site all about transformation through creation, and the power of positivity, optimism and mindset.