for a similar project
- ZONING AND LAYOUT
Always start by checking your local
zoning ordinances, as setbacks,
height and size, and foundation
requirements vary by state, city, and even
neighborhood. If you’ve collected odd
windows to use in shed walls, create a
layout to determine the best placement
for each. Filler shims and caulk can
bridge a gap of an inch or two between
frames. Consider size and placement of
a door. You could scrape and repaint, or
upgrade the hardware, but keeping the
mismatched bits creates interest.
2.CONSTRUCTION
Good drainage is essential, even for a
small structure. This shed on patio stone
has an underlayment of several layers
of crushed gravel over a 6 mil Visqueen
polyethylene vapor barrier, which prevents
ground moisture from wicking into the
fl oor and walls.
Framing: Hefty 6" x 6" treated corner
posts help keep the frame solid. Drop
them into the ground by boring holes 4'
feet deep with a post-hole digger (a fence
installation company can do this for you).When family and newborn photographer Erin Tole [erintolephotography.
com] purchased a 19th-century house in Vancouver, Washington, its big corner
lot was a main attraction. Beyond her vegetable and fl ower gardens, the edges of the
yard were leveled with a stone retaining wall and a stone patio laid over well-drained
gravel and sand. For years, Erin had been collecting vintage windows with leaded,
clear, stained, and colored glass.
(Her recommended source is
Aurora Mills Architectural
Salvage, auroramills.com.) This
collection was incorporated
into a “she shed” at the edge
of the patio. Favorite stained
glass pieces were placed in
front and centered on the back
wall; two sets of hinged French
doors open wide or provide
ventilation. The polycarbonate
roof is translucent.
RIGHT Whose she-shed is it? Darby
(a Sapsali rescued from the South
Korean dog-meat trade) enjoys re-
laxing on the Asian daybed filled with
a rotating assortment of Moroccan
textiles and thrift-store finds.
A She Shed of Sashes
Made up of mismatched vintage windows, this shed is
a sunny retreat. By Brian D. Coleman / Photos by William Wright