Wish your home had the square footage for an office, a craft space or a gym? With a little creativity, you can turn a simple shed into an extra room. Get ideas from these stylish, functional backyard spaces.
Artist’s Shed
Sure, sheds can hold shovels and rakes, but why should garden tools have all the fun? Start with an existing shed, kit or pre-fab, and transform it into a teahouse, library or secret nook for afternoon naps.
This artist’s retreat began as a simple garden shed. Custom touches like skylights and French doors let in lots of natural light, while slat-wall panels hold paints and pails of small tools. Need a work table? Put a board on hinged brackets, so you can fold it down and out of the way when you hang up your smock.
Yoga Shed
The same storage shed, available from Lowe’s, says “om” when it becomes a yoga studio. Keep the look serene with rugs made of natural materials and rice paper shades on space-saving lamps. Accessorize one wall with meditation bells. If you can’t find the real deal, separate bell-shaped wind chimes and let them sub while you practice your downward dog.
Yoga Shed: Interior
Now it’s time to meditate. Tuck a softly burbling fountain into a corner of your yoga studio (have a pro wire it for power), or opt for a wireless speaker and your favorite playlist. A freestanding wooden storage unit corrals fresh towels and bottles of spring water.
Coastal She Shed
You don’t actually have to do anything in your shed; it can simply be the escape you’ve always dreamed about. Danielle Driscoll, who blogs at Finding Silver Pennies, brought the beach to her backyard with a cottage-style retreat topped with a nautical weathervane. Screened windows and double doors on the side let cool breezes blow through.
Coastal She Shed: Interior
Everything’s just “beachy” inside Driscoll’s shed, too, from the palm tree waving in the corner to the sun-loving succulents in a faux clamshell. White shiplap walls reflect the light, while oceanic colors like blue and aqua keep the theme going. Extra headroom makes the space feel open and airy.