She Sheds: Hot New Home and Garden Trend was written by Erika Kotite.
As popular as man caves were a few years back, "She Sheds" are even hotter today. And she sheds have yet to reach their true potential. One thing is certain: She sheds are a growing phenomenon in home and garden design. Their affordability, practicality and extraordinary visual appeal make she sheds the newest must-have in backyard landscape design.
About four months (including two months to get the design approved by the city council) and $3,500 later, Armstrong moved her paintings and supplies into the new space.
This 10 ft. x 16 ft. shed is where she paints, receives clients and visitors and holds small art classes. "I can switch off, not worry about what's happening in the house and just indulge myself in some serious 'me time,' Armstrong notes.
They provide women their own affordable, customizable private space in their own back yard.
She sheds are standalone outbuildings that require a foundation but often no building permit (depending on where you live).
The same toolshed used to store mowers and rakes can be modified into a fabulous artist's studio or meditation space.
She sheds are popping up all over the U.S., the U.K, Scandinavia, Australia and many other countries.
Because of their physical separation from the main house, she sheds offer a woman unparalleled quiet and privacy. They can be rustic or refined, modern or cottage and range in size from 6 ft. x 8 ft. to 12 ft. x 16 ft. and above. We found several options you could order and customize on Alibaba.com, here, here and here.
If you're considering adding a room to your house, consider this first: a detached she shed costs between $3,000 and $15,000 to build, while adding a basic 10 ft. x 10 ft. bedroom to the house will cost between $11,500 and $20,000. According to the book, She Sheds: A Room of Your Own, rehabbing an existing shed costs even less.
Lots of small and medium-sized companies are enthusiastic about she sheds' potential. Outdoor structure designers are expanding from children's playhouses and pool cabanas to backyard studios, designed with a woman's esthetic in mind. And, of course, owners of she sheds need to furnish them, often seeking multi-functional furniture to get the most out of their space.
Even a few larger companies such as Lowe's and TuffShed, are beginning to service the trend. Shed designs that you assemble yourself (or get delivered pre-assembled) now have slightly larger windows and pretty details like faux shutters and barn-style hardware.
Realtors and interior designers are watching the trend closely, to see how much a well-designed she shed planted in the backyard affects curb appeal and even property value.
Author bio: Erika Kotite is a lifestyle expert in the home, garden and culinary industries. She is the author of She Sheds: A Room of Your Own and the soon-to-be-released She Sheds Style (Cool Springs Press). A former editor for Entrepreneur, Romantic Homes and Victorian Homes, Kotite is also busy launching her new line of chalk-based exterior paints called She Shades.
Tamara Armstrong built her she shed to house her growing work as a visual artist. Lots of natural light and floor space are the ideal shed components for women in crafting and the arts.