Tips from local homeowners and designers on how to build your best tea shed, potting shed, and more.

Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for a woman to want a place she can call her own. Blame it on novelist Virginia Woolf. Ninety-one years ago, she declared that a woman must have her own space—a sanctuary—where she can think and create. Behold, the she shed! Here are four modern takes on an old concept that would make the famous author proud.

The Green Acres Shed

“I wanted a quiet, peaceful place to sit and read, and watch my horses play,” says Sheila Holmberg. Her 8-by-10 open shed overlooks a pasture on her 80-acre property. The shed’s walls are made from antique doors and windows purchased at Copperwood Company in Cartersville. The floor is comprised of old railroad ties. The shed features one lone bench. “I bought it and then had my husband build my she shed around it!”

The Potting Shed

The mixture of a worn brick floor, a standing pot brimming with flowers, wicker and wood elements, and sun-washed olive-colored walls gives this potting shed a Mediterranean feel. This small attached potting shed is the perfect place to escape to the therapeutic pleasures of gardening and relaxing amid greenery. The generous mix of open shelving, baskets, and drawers make good use of a tight space, allowing the homeowner to store everything she needs to garden.

The Tea Shed

This 12-by-12 sanctuary-themed shed sits on the back upper-level terrace of HGTV host Egypt Sherrod’s home. “I wanted a space to relax and create. No husband, no kids allowed.” The interior includes Native American elements like dream catchers, a nod to Sherrod’s Narragansett Indian heritage. “I thought it would be fun to incorporate my favorite iced tea, Gold Peak^® Real Brewed Tea,into the theme, so I opted to call it a tea shed.” 

The Vintage Shed

Laura Garrett wanted a she shed with character, so she started perusing estate sales for vintage and salvage items. Garrett’s husband and son began constructing her 8-by-12 shed, which overlooks a backyard pond on her property, based solely on a vague idea and photos of other sheds. “I intend to use it as my quiet getaway—and to host mimosa parties! I haven’t decided yet, but I’m leaning toward naming her Mimosa Cottage.”

For the Chicks

Peep this darling design. “It’s named the Bailey Coop, after my late grandfather,” says Christy Tarver. The coop houses 13 silkie chickens, a breed with atypically soft and fluffy feathers, and sits on her five-acre property. “I wanted their house to be as special and pretty as they are.” 
The structure has electricity “for their comfort,” a swing, roosting post, and stairs.