Move over, man caves! She sheds are the latest trend sweeping across Pinterest and DIY websites. Sheds don’t have to just be about storage; the she shed trend demonstrates that you can convert yours into an indoor-outdoor oasis.
A she shed is practically a DIY wonderland! You can use your she shed as a space for gardening, crafting, reading, painting, yoga, or simply relaxing––anything that helps you escape the stressors of daily life and practice self-care. A she-sped is a space that’s all your own! It should be a place to wind down and replenish your energy.
Treat it like you would a room in your house. Features like trimmed exterior windows will give it extra charm, taking it from a standard garden shed to a personalized she shed. To further add to the homey feeling, add special touches with art, plants (inside and outside), and curtains to match the rest of the decor.
Rather than creating a uniquely decorated interior, another great idea is to decorate the inside and outside of your shed to complement the decor of your home. If you want to go one step further, what if your she shed had a garden of its own?
The theme here is that there is a ton of freedom in choosing which path to take with your she shed because the whole point is that it’s completely your own!
If you don’t have a shed to convert into a she shed, there are two different approaches to building a she-shed: going the DIY route or buying a kit. The kit will often be marked up in price for the convenience of having everything in one place. Someone with know-how could buy the materials or a kit and build it themselves, or you could hire a contractor to build it out for you. We would especially recommend going this route if you plan on creating a she shed with an HVAC system that is more advanced than a simple window air conditioner unit.
Once you make your plans and set to decorating, you have to consider what kind of flooring to install. If you’re planning to install wide plank flooring in your she-shed to give it an extra homey touch, note that you should only go this route if your she shed is equipped with some form of temperature control such as air conditioning and heating. Otherwise, the floors will not perform well. We do not recommend installing hardwood floors in cases where there is little to no climate control.
With that in mind, we have the following tips for those who have insulated, climate controlled she sheds and wish to install hardwood floors:
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- Be careful with weather fluctuations. Less insulation and more potential exposure to the elements means that you have to be wary of fluctuations in temperature and humidity which can impact the floors. Engineered wide plank floors are a good choice in a she shed because engineered wood doesn’t fluctuate as much in response to temperature and humidity changes as solid floors do. We highly recommend having a contractor install them for you.
- Use wood floor stains to further customize the look of your shed. With all of the color products and technology on the market, it’s possible to have a contractor create a completely custom color for your wood floors that will match the rest of your she shed decor.
- Choose the finish wisely. Due to its proximity to the outdoors and the frequency of which you’ll likely be going outside and coming back into the shed, there’s an increased chance that you’ll bring dirt and grit along with you that has the potential to scratch up the finish. Make sure your contractor selects a finish with extra durability, or go for a distressed wide plank floor to hide any damage and add to the homey charm of your she shed.
There are a lot of ideas and sources for inspiration you can draw from to construct your she shed. The only requirement is that it’s a space that you can make completely your own!