Need Some Privacy? Get a Room

A few things I've learned after building dozens of she sheds across Southern California

For the last nine years, outbuildings have been an important part of my life. When you spend that much time with something, hopefully you learn a couple of useful lessons and maybe some good advice to pass along. After writing about them in two books (three if you count the gift edition), then actually designing them for clients from Santa Barbara to Encinitas, I now have the tools to launch Act Three of what it means to “get a room.”

If you Google “shed,” a lot of interesting things emerge. Since the word shed is both a noun and a verb I suppose that shouldn’t be surprising. Here are some of the ways the word’s diversity revealed itself to me.

Early on, when I was writing my first book about she sheds, I did searches and kept getting images of deer and elk antlers lying in the brush—I was completely mystified. Turns out these animals, along with moose, “shed” their antlers naturally every year. Furthermore, there are passionate shed hunters going after these shed(ded?) antlers and bringing them home. They proceed to make stuff like this:

(Source: Decoist)

The lesson here: refine my search. Add “garden” and “she” and other keywords to the search if I no longer wanted to contemplate antler shed. (Actually some of the decor ideas are kind of cool, especially knowing that this is a natural occurrence and no creatures are dying.)

The second set of results for “shed” is much darker, especially since it is activated by using the word “she” alongside. Here you’ll find horrible stories of women who have been abducted and held against their will inside locked rooms, basements, sheds, and other grim places. A shed is secretive and in this sense represents a place that is hostile to the well-being and happiness of the victim inside.

TOTALLY different from what a little backyard shed should be doing. I hate that this nefarious function is bringing down the shed’s reputation. Even worse, that it is even a thing.

After this the search results sprawl a little bit. The functional storage shed definitely dominates the sphere, as well it should. Everyone needs more storage. Everyone. And let’s face it, a shed does the trick. Storage sheds are cheap to build, don’t take up room in the house, can be stuffed to the ceiling, and best of all don’t charge a monthly fee.

My husband and I just built a lean-to shed in our backyard, mostly to house an ancient train his father built for him when he was little. There’s a lot of other stuff in there, too, and we are glad to have it. It’s a plain Jane lean-to, painted to match the house. I insisted on one window, which has extra-wide trim that I plan to stain a pretty shade sometime in the near future. So here is a mini revelation: your storage shed can look pretty cute, with just some potted plants, bunting, and trim.

The final results in a search for sheds are the pretty ones. These are the sheds I called “she sheds” in my books and during the past seven years when I ran She Shed Living. They are pretty because they have owners who want the structure to reflect themselves, and to enhance their backyard. A she shed is distinct from all other sheds for many reasons. It looks different, it’s built differently, and it’s used differently. Unlike a storage shed, the she shed is intended for human habitation. As such, it is taller and has working windows and (ideally) a French or Dutch door. Natural light floods the interior. Simple furnishings define the rest and work areas, punctuated with a few well-chosen pieces of art, a good light source, and a warm area rug.

What I’ve learned through all this, besides the variety of shed definitions, is that a she shed is a room that really matters. It’s completely personal and private and it is a regenerative space. You can regrow in there. And because this room matters to all humans, it is not just for her. It is for him, and they, and us. She shed has alliteration going for it, but it’s more about personal design than gender.

I know that I am burying the lede in this second-to-last paragraph but here you go: I hope that the Velvet Chaise will be a place of inspiration for you. I want to help you create and decorate your private space, whether it’s a shed, spare room, laundry room, garage, or a corner of the living room. My message is that you can achieve greatness in smallness, a well-crafted spot of your own where you will spend many hours being happy.

Just wait until you stand back and see what you have created, using simple design techniques, a little trial and error, experimentation, and maybe a few thoughtful investments. To paraphrase Paul McCartney, maybe you will be amazed.