A Modern Garden Potting She Shed

Hi friends! This has been one busy (and wet!!) summer here in Colorado. One of our biggest projects this summer has been building me A Modern Garden Potting She Shed and I am so excited to share it with you today!

She Sheds have, happily, become quite the rage. Once my husband wrapped up the construction of my own she shed, I had so much fun setting it up to reflect my style and how I plan to utilize it. If you know me well, you know I will, most certainly, also use it for entertaining my peeps (not shocking, right?!?!).

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And, boy, has it been useful! It is so nice to have a place to put together my outdoor pots but it has been really great to have a place to repot so many of my indoor plants in the great outdoors.

Here is a little shout-out to my favorite garden center, O’Toole’s Garden Center (not sponsored) where I purchase most of my indoor and outdoor plants!

I also simply enjoy just hanging out in this area of my yard, especially in my new black chairs (only $117-$149 for the set!!). Our herb garden sits right next to the shed and I grow our tomatoes in the same area. Next year, we are going to add a few more matching raised garden beds to supplement my other growing spaces.

The best time of the day for me to shoot the photos of my new She Shed is very late in the day but it seemed like it has rained almost every afternoon for so long that I just gave up after a while. Unfortunately, that is what has taken me so long to bring you this post.

Now that it is cooling off outside, I am spending a lot more time out there. I have been known to sit out there in front of my She Shed with a cocktail while I am watering and putzing around, etc.!

A Modern Garden Potting She Shed

Part of what precipitated this project is the fact that our existing (old) shed is located on the other side (the east side) of our yard but most of the gardening work that I do is on the west side of our very large yard.

It is also bursting at the seams! I wanted to relocate all of the tools that I use to the area where I work in the most.

Plus, the area where we placed the She Shed was in great need of being spiffed up. A Modern Garden Potting She Shed was the perfect solution/addition to the blah landscape on this side of our home/yard!

Also, my husband plans to tear down our existing shed and build a new one (that matches mine) that is 24′ x 10′ to hold more of our outdoor equipment and lots of the gear that he is presently storing in his main 3-car garage (I have my own 2-car garage that I have for my own storage and cars).

He agreed to build me my shed first only so he could “experiment” with how to properly build the structure and practice on a much smaller shed. I was totally good with being his “guinea pig” and he learned A LOT!!

Design Considerations

For the design of the She Shed, I wanted to create a modern look that coordinated with the exterior colors of our home (white with black accents). Since it sits so close to our house, I think it was important to tie the looks/colors together.

Building a simple structure like this absolutely allows for maximum creativity in terms of being able to implement a variety of styles and uses. It was so exciting to have an open palette to create the look and functionality I desired. I look forward to enhancing the design and how I use it in the future!

Most of the selections of the materials were based on cost. Nothing crazy here! My shed is approximately 8′ x 7’…the perfect size for how I planned to use it. I just needed floor space to work and hanging space (for my tools).

The hubby’s shed will be more focused on maximum storage. And, since his shed will be so large, we wanted to keep costs down on mine to help keep the costs down on his because of the larger size.

The wood for the framing and the siding comes in standard 8-foot pieces so that is part of what dictated the overall size. Sticking with standard sizes really helps keep the costs down and provides efficiencies with regard to the materials.

Construction details of a Modern Garden Potting She Shed

I know some of this may be boring for some of you but I wanted to share all of the details of the DIY construction in case you or someone you know wanted to build one for yourself. I am sharing all of the materials we used, etc.

All of the design details and how decorated my new She Shed are below. Stay tuned for that….that was the really fun part!

The first and main comment that I have is that my husband SUBSTANTIALLY over-engineered the She Shed, but that is how he rolls. We do get high winds and large amounts of snow in the winter so he wanted to make sure it would withstand the elements. He used a standard 16″ on-center framing template as you would for the interior of a home.

The foundation…

For the foundation, he used 10-3/4 in. x 10-3/4 in. x 7-3/4 in. Concrete Deck Blocks on the corners to support the foundation. This saved a lot of money (they were only $10 each!) since we could avoid having a concrete slab poured. Leveling them was a challenge, but it really simplified building the foundation.

Building the foundation was the most time-consuming part of the build because of the leveling required. Once that was completed, the framing, etc. went relatively quickly.

For the foundation, he built it with 2″ x 8″ pressure-treated lumber boards and then secured them to the frame with these Galvanized Face-Mount Joist Hangers for 2×8 Nominal Lumber. Please don’t miss the adorable photo bomber below! She was very much a part of this project!

The framing…

As I mentioned, the framing of the walls was constructed with standard 8-foot 2″x4″ studs and was installed 16″ on-center. This provided extra strength and support for the siding (4 ft. x 8 ft. Cedar Texture OC Panel Engineered Treated Wood Siding) we used for the exterior. Most “kit” sheds are not built with 2″x4″ studs and are only built with a 24″ on-center construction so our shed is extremely well-built.

The siding…

Next, the siding (4 ft. x 8 ft. Cedar Texture OC Panel Engineered Treated Wood Siding) we used for the exterior was installed with a simple siding nailer. And, again, he used 8-foot-tall materials to simplify the installation.

The roof…

For the roof, he used these H2.5A 18-gauge ZMAX Galvanized Hurricane Ties to secure the rafters to the framing.

We decided to use a CLEAR corrugated Polycarbonate Roofing Panel so that the natural sunlight would illuminate the shed without electricity. It is lightweight and inexpensive so it is very easy to work with. BONUS!

By installing it at an angle, he did not have to build a full-on roof. Super simple and this saved a LOT of time and money!

In the evenings, I use solar lights to light up both the interior and exterior of the shed (linked below).

The front porch…

Since we didn’t want to have to pour a slab, we opted to use these 24″ x 24″ wide concrete Pavestone pavers for the front porch. You can buy them individually. The only challenge is getting them leveled.

Otherwise, they are a perfect, cost-effective solution. My husband’s back may tell you otherwise…they are quite heavy! 😉

Decorating a Modern Garden Potting She Shed

This is where I really had fun! Even though my shed has an overall “modern” feel, I know that the materials inside and outside the shed will “age” due to the weather (extreme heat and cold) throughout the year.

With this in mind, I chose to use some “aged” looking pieces inside the shed so that the environment can do its thing without any worry about the elements damaging my things.

If the wood on my tables splits…no big deal. If it fades from the sun…no problem. Sourcing items from antique stores is a great way to find pieces for the inside (or even for the outside) that have already stood the test of time.

We used extra OSB board to install a large shelf for me to store pots, etc. Plus, I just had to include a few cute accessories! Well, duh!! 😉

I also had the hubby add some shelves (from leftover framing wood) in between the studs. It really utilized the space in such an efficient and inexpensive way. Click on the video below to see the shelving.

Painting the entire interior really spiffed things up in there. I actually intend to also use this space for entertaining (excited to share those plans soon!), so painting it really made sense.

We had our painter spray it prior to installing the roof so it was a really quick and inexpensive process. FYI…the paint color is Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White.

Next the the trim and door were painted black. I just love how the front door turned out!

Adding an area rug really cozied up the space (and covered up the OSB floor!). I chose this neutral indoor/outdoor rug to make it feel “homey”, yet modern, inside the shed.

The distressed console table came from another area in our yard and provided a perfect workspace with great storage!

I filled the space with live plants and faux plants (so it still looks cute inside during the winter). It will be nice to change this up every year. I will bring the live plants into my sunroom in the winter to keep them alive. The plant on the top shelf is faux and will look great in here through the winter.

I also used my tools as a part of the interior “decor” since it is a gardening/potting She Shed. What do you think?!

Decorative pieces, objects, and accessories really set the tone for the space. It really helps define a style and personalize the space. Details matter!

I do plan to keep some areas open and available so that I can mix things up with seasonal decorations. Already planning for my fall decor and, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be decorating it all for the holidays!! But, that is how I roll…

I have linked a few of my favorite books about She Sheds that provide so many beautiful and thoughtful inspirations. There are so many different uses for outdoor sheds that can reflect not only your hobbies but also your personality and personal style.

Checklist:

Here is a checklist of the items to include in a gardening/potting She Shed…

• garden gloves
• rake/rakes
• shovels
• weed pullers
• gardening knee pads
• watering cans
• scissors/knife
• clippers
• potting soil
• specialty fertilizers (I use True Organics)
• a variety of pots and potting containers
• pruners (large and small)
• garden themed artwork
• live and/or faux plants
• area rug
• broom
• hand towels
• solar lighting for night
• trash can
• compost bin (for inside or outside)

Shop my She Shed here…

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Shop my favorite gardening tools and books here…

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You can see some of my gardening posts here. Click on the links below…

Fall Patio Decorating Ideas with Warm Tones

My Top Twelve Perennials for Sun and Shade

Cozy Ideas for Decorating Your Outdoor Spaces for Fall

Our New Cozy Firepit Area for Fall

10 Ways to Give Your Patio a Makeover

Simple Herb Garden Centerpieces

Pruning and Enjoying Lilacs

Simple Summer Planter Pot Ideas for Shade

I hope you enjoyed seeing how to create a Modern Garden Potting She Shed for yourself! Since my husband did all of the work (except for the painting), the cost for the She Shed ended up being only a little less than $1000. That is about 1/4 the cost of buying one (or a kit) through another source. Good stuff! If you have any questions about how we built it, please feel free to ask them below and we will respond promptly. I want everyone to have their own She Shed!!