Before & After: Cool & Eclectic Garden Shed Reveal

Eeek, it’s time for the reveal! If you are as she shed obsessed as I am you are going to love this Before & After: Cool & Eclectic Garden Shed Reveal.

A few years back my husband built me an amazing new garden shed out of salvaged windows and repurposed cedar decking.  But before I really got to finish it we welcomed our daughter into the world. Needless to say, I spent the last couple years with her and the garden shed became a junk shed for old pots and broken garden tools.

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But this year I vowed to finish the garden shed and get it styled the way I had always imagined it. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you know I’ve been working on this all summer, so thanks for following along on this project. It took a ton of work but I’m really happy with the result and I can’t wait to share it with all of you!

So, let’s have a look at my Garden Shed and have a little chat about why we designed and built it the way we did. And let’s take a closer look at some of those essential items that I think every garden shed should have.

Garden Shed Design:

When going into the design process for my shed I knew that it had to meet a few aesthetic design criteria, it had to be modern in style, it had to look unique and it had to face south in order to be bright and sunny.

It also had to serve some key utility functions as well, it had to have ample room for seed starting and it had to be insulated in order to work well over our 3 distinct seasons.

The Best DIY Seed Starting Mix

Shop Seed Starting Gear for your Garden Shed:

She Shed Construction Overview :

My amazing husband built this modern garden shed for me and I and thrilled with the result.  It’s standard 2×6 construction, built on a non-permanent paver foundation, the framing is all new wood but the exterior sheeting is cedar decking left-over from another project and the interior sheeting is reclaimed cedar from some fencing we removed on our own site(which is why the interior is a bit more weathered).  I am in love with the cedar sheeting, it’s hardy, non-toxic and smells amazing in the spring.

The windows and door were all salvaged from friends and were nicer than the windows in our house when we put them in! – We have since redone the windows in the house. But they were all miss-matched and had chipping paint, so I spend hours repainting them all black to match my finished vision. See my Pinterest inspiration board.

The flooring is salvaged patio brick that we rescued from a garden renovation project. We extend the brick out past the front of the shed to create a bit of a patio for relaxing after all my hard work 😉

If you would like to learn more about the construction of the shed or you would love one just like it, let me know and I can do up a detailed article. If enough of you reach out, I could even do up a set of plans so you can build your own. 🙂

If you are inspired you can Shop My Garden Shed Style Here:

My She Shed Must-Have Features: 

So I’ve compiled a list of my favourite features in my garden shed, honestly I would call them my Must-Haves for any garden shed. I think number 3 is the most important 😉

1: Every Garden Shed Needs a Potting Bench

Every garden shed needs a workspace and I’m in love with my potting bench. It used to be the kitchen island in our suite, but as the basement transitioned out of a rental and into our office, the island migrated out to the garden shed. It works so well because it’s sturdy, has drawers, shelves and a cabinet for storage. It’s great because it’s compact and fits into my space well, but wait there’s more – the top flips open to double the working space when I need more countertop.

I recently gave it a little makeover by painting it and adding new drawer pulls and I love the result!

2: Every Garden Shed Needs a Grow Light Shelf

Grow lights are essential in my cool climate to get seedlings off to a strong start. I add heat to my shed the first week in March. That’s when I begin seeding out perennials, hardy greens, annual flowers and culinary herbs.  While this setup is compact I can easily fit 6 trays of seedlings on it, in fact I’ve been known to balance over 12 trays on it at once.

To learn more about seed starting read my article on the topic. Or if you’re interested in learning how I built this DIY Grow Light Shelf, comment below and I will do up a DIY post for you!

3: Every Garden Shed Needs a Bottle opener?

The final essential item that every garden shed should have is … a bottle opener 😉

Kidding aside, the garden shed is a great place to hang out in the evening. It’s not far from the house and is within the range of our baby monitor, so my husband and I often work out there in the evenings after we put our daughter to bed. So I’ll admit sometimes we share a glass of wine or a craft brew while we work.

Creature comforts For Decking Out your She Shed

Over the last couple of years of working in this shed, I’ve come up with a few creature comforts that make getting work done a lot more efficient.  These items aren’t on my essentials list but they sure do make life a little more comfortable.

Add a Kid Zone to your Garden Shed

Number one best creature comfort in my potting shed is a kid zone! My daughter is 3 now and we love gardening together, but sometimes seeding out tiny seeds goes smoother when she is working on her own project.

So, I have brought in a small folding table and a mini chair just for her, this is her place to garden, play, and paint. She feels special because she has her own workspace and I can get my work done while still spending quality time with her. I’ve linked to a few ideas below.

Organization bins, shelves and tool racks

This is a really tight space and organization is essential, so I try really hard to have a place for everything while keeping the space beautiful to be in.

So I have employed a series of labeled galvanized buckets to help keep things organized. I store my potting soil, compost and soil amendments in these buckets and so far, it’s working great!

My tool rack was a gift from my husband and it suits the space perfectly. While it’s reserved for hand tools and herb drying, I also have a tool rack behind the shed for the big tools and my wheelbarrow.

I’m in love with my craft paper roll, I made it out of gas fitter’s pipe.  I use the craft paper to write garden tasks, inspirational quotes and as an art station for my daughter. I repurpose the used craft paper on my potting bench to help protect my new paint job, an unexpected benefit!

Bar Height Chair

As I’m sure you’ve gathered I spend a lot of time in the garden shed. Which is why I’ve brought in a bar height chair to sit at while I work. The space is small and most items are within reach so I prefer to gather the tools and supplies I’ll be using to one place before I get started. That way I can sit comfortably while I work, so I don’t have to spend a lot of time standing on the concrete bricks, which can be hard on my feet & back.

The adorable owl pillow was made for me by my sister who is hands-down the best seamstress I know! The fabric is an indoor-outdoor canvas material and has held up well for years.

While I wouldn’t say my garden shed is finished, it sure is a vast improvement from the dumping ground that it was when I locked it up last fall. I am absolutely looking forward to working out there for another month at least. And who knows, I might just get my final wish and have it hardwired for heat before the snow flies if so get ready for more garden shed updates in the weeks to come.

Anyway, I welcome your feedback and I’d love to see what your garden shed oasis looks like. Comment below or find me on Facebook.

Thanks for hanging out!

Jana

Save this to your Garden Shed Pinterest Board 🙂

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