A stylish shed – all your own
10 design tips for creating the backyard shed of your dreams.
By Debra Prinzing | Photography by William Wright
Do you dream about a place of escape? In merely one-hundred-square feet or so, you can design and create a private garden retreat, a tranquil space to pursue your heart’s desire.
Working with Seattle photographer William Wright to create Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways, I have visited close to 100 sheds occupying city gardens, suburban backyards, and quiet country fields. Each of these highly personal destinations provided design inspiration, revealing many possibilities for creating a tiny building with big impact. There are infinite ideas to explore, depending upon your space and ambition. Here are my top design tips:
1. Check local building codes for zoning guidelines. Sheds usually categorized as an “accessory building” or “temporary building.” There may be a maximum size (often 100- to 200- square feet) under which you can build a backyard shed without a permit. Adding electricity, water or other utilities will likely require a building permit. And be sure to ask how close to the property line or main residence you are allowed to build.
2. Identify the activities that draw you outdoors: Are you creating art, making music, writing poetry, growing flowers, playing with children, stargazing, entertaining friends, or meditating? Virtually any personal passion can find a home in a small, but distinct garden shed.
3. Consider the shed’s architectural role in the landscape. Is it a design focal point or intentionally hidden from view? Will its outer walls support vines and climbing roses? Or will the shed be a backdrop for displaying flowerpots, artwork or sculpture? Will it camouflage an unsightly view? Is it for pure function or pure folly – or a little bit of both? Continue reading »