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Sophie Robinson
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05 Aug 16

How to design and decorate a She Shed- Part 1

A She shed designed as a crafting DIY and upcycling creaive workspace at the end of the garden. The balck weatherboard exterior is set off by bright yellow doors and patterned fabric blinds

I recently got one of those pinch me commissions, to design a She-shed, by the lovely people at Hillary’s.  A staggering 51% of sheds are being bought by women and I’m beginning to understand why. No longer the sole domain of man, she-sheds are a place outside the home where women can have some space to themselves. Whether that’s somewhere to kick back and relax or somewhere to get creative, either way I think it presents itself with a really exciting interior design opportunity. A chance to be more experimental or to tap into your true creativity. I saw it a bit like doing up a grown up dolls house!

Derek Jarmans house Prospect Cottage in in Dungeness painted in jet black weatherboard with bright yellow window frames

Derek Jarman’s house Prospect Cottage in in Dungeoness

I started off with a traditional summer house from Waltons.  For my design and to kick off I hit Pinterest and made up a She Shed mood board of inspiration. You can check it out here. For this project I wanted to go black as that’s quite a classic colour for outside timber buildings.  I was reminded of the late Derek Jarman‘s house, Prospect Cottage in Dungeoness, which I’ve visited many times.  I love how black weatherboard blends in nicely with garden greenery but then the yellow windows really pop against the dark. ‘Quelle suprise’  I then picked out a selection of similarly bright tones to make up the interior. These were then going to be repeated throughout the fabrics and accessories. The shed was designed in my signature style which is to combine lots of eye catching brights and set them off against a dark background.

Kids bedroom designed by Sophie Robinson in her signature black with pops of bright colour which is ideal for a kids room as the brights look striking against the dark interior. photograph by Alun Callender

My son Arthur’s room inspired the interior design scheme

Just like this interior scheme my idea was to paint the interior black too and use it as a back drop for bright pops of colour. I also wanted the she shed to feel like real bolt hole, a place of escape and I felt a dark paint interior would really help to achieve that cocooning vibe.

Painting a shed in a black ash deckstain with bright yellow exterior doors make a strong colour statement

I chose a decking stain in Black Ash for the exterior and interior, and it took a couple of coats which in all was about 2 days work. The doors were primed then treated to two coats of Bonjour X69 R140C exterior wood paint from Valspar which is a really rocking yellow!

DIY painting the shed in black ash decking stain

I love it when the design team dress to co ordinate with the decorating scheme! Top marks Kate McPhee

Myself, Kate and Antonia then got busy upcycling bits of junk and getting creative with the spray paint in order to make the interior feel really special and one off. If your designing a creative space you can’t not get creative right?! For any work space, storage is key so we covered washed out food tins in colourful patterned wrapping paper, a real Blue Peter moment! But these tins are idea to store pens, brushes and haberdashery.

Making accessories from wrapping paper and recycled food tins for storage in the She Shed

I then couldn’t help but get my trusty spray can out. Its such a super easy and super fast way to add a pop of colour, well to anything really! And if there is a camera crew on set to catch you doing it, then even better. I fund some really cheap wire shelves from Tiger and sprayed them up in neon brights which look awesome against the black.

She shed Sophie spray painting

You can watch the video of the whole makeover in my next post

So drum roll….the big reveal!

A She shed designed as a crafting DIY and upcycling creaive workspace at the end of the garden. The balck weatherboard exterior is set off by bright yellow doors and patterned fabric blinds

I’m so chuffed with how she looks, a proper little piece of backyard bliss. I wanted my she shed to feel like an Aladdins cave and by painting in black throughout really has that high impact and makes all the jewel coloured accessories inside really stand out.

Next week I’m going to post more exclusive shots of the interior with more tips and ideas of what you need to think about when designing and decorating your own she-shed.

In the meantime if you’d like to WIN this shed and its contents, from picture frames to pegboards, all is included. And Hilary’s will deliver and install it in your garden, such nice people. For more details on how to enter visit the Hillary’s website here

 

Please feel free to share this blog and the competition with fellow she shed lovers…links on how to share this article are below.

 

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comments

David on 24.04.17

Very creative shed decoration 🙂

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Sophie Robinson on 24.04.17

Thank you! It was such a fun project

Reply
Cool Sheds on 19.08.19

Hi
What a sweet and charming shed. That’s actually a pretty smart idea. Thanks for sharing this great website.

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DAY 18 of #easywininteriors and I’m getting the DAY 18 of #easywininteriors and I’m getting the paintbrush out! Giving old and unappreciated brown furniture of coat of colour is not just easy but quick too and you get ooodles of satisfaction giving something a new lease of life. Since the sun is starting to poke it’s head out it’s the perfect opportunity to fling open the windows, roll out the dust sheet, and calm your senses with the therapeutic strokes of a paint brush. I transformed these battered old Ercol chairs that I found at a car boot sale with an undercoat of Zinsser and a top coat of eggshell so they really can withstand the knocks. ( here’s a tip, use a sag brush for spindly furniture) I love how the pink legs pick up on the pink in the wallpaper. I’ve got a couple of pots of chalk paint waiting in the wings. This just might be the weekend to tackle the bedside tables at last! Have a wonderful weekend  and I hope the sun shines on you wherever you are! 

CREDITS Reclaimed terracotta tiles @ca_pietra_  Borastapeter Rubarber wallpaper @wallpaperdirect Clock @newgateclocks Doors painted in Rose Ash Light @sanderson1860 Everything else is vintage 

#easywininteriors #kitchen #countrykitchen #upcycle #upcycledfurniture #countryliving #countrylivingmodernrustic #countrykitchen #greenkitchen #greenandpink #interiorinspo #interiordesign
DAY 17 of #easywininteriors is all about making do DAY 17 of #easywininteriors is all about making do with what you’ve got and making it work. For most of us, decorating our home and choosing all the things we want to go with it is a long if not a life time journey and there are plenty of compromises along the way. One of the ways I make do with things I’m less happy about is with distraction. You can use colour to draw the eye and highlight the bits you do like and similarly blend away the areas that need to fade into the back ground. For me joinery, radiators and my unattractive windows all get painted in the same colour so they fall to the background and then the cushions and artwork can come to the fore and catch your eye. I painted these lovely old solid wood doors bright yellow on a whim with some left over paint. It was a quick and easy way to inject a burst of  colour joy. So don’t discount doors and architraves as a fun way to play with colour, but only if you have nice ones. 
On the PODCAST today @mad_about_the_house and I discuss more ways you can make do. I interview leading interior designer and queen of colour and pattern @nicolahardingandco who has amazing insights on how to go about planning your schemes, conjure mouthwatering colour palettes and work with what you’ve got. And our style surgery is from Callum who finds himself stuck with a shiny blue green sofa which he doesn’t love and doesn’t know what to put with. Obviously cover it with cushions and distract the eye with A bright yellow door Callum! 

If you have a question for our style surgery do please send it in as we are lining them up for the next series and we’d love to hear from you! Drop us an email to thegreatindoorspod@gmail.com.You can here all our ramblings and insights on today’s show The Great Indoors and thankyou to @katetaylorldn for producing the show. 

#thegreatindoors #bluesofa #yellowdoor #banthebeige #interiorspodcast #podcast #interiordesign #interiorinspo
DAY 16 of #easywininteriors and I’m extolling th DAY 16 of #easywininteriors and I’m extolling the benefits of an occasional chair. I’ve always loved occasional chairs primarily for their decorative function. I’m a patterned fabric addict and so an occasional chair I’d another opportunity to add more pattern, more colour and another cushion to boot! But during these extended periods of lock down and staying at home I’ve appreciated the quiet little corners they offer. I’m lucky enough to find a space for one here on my landing but they can also find a home in a bedroom, a home office, under the stairs or indeed #lifegoals in the bathroom. So rather than playing second fiddle to THE SOFA put your occasional chair in pride of place and grab yourself 5 minutes solitude! Most of mine are junk shop funds bought back to live with my hoarded stash of remnant fabrics. So it’s time to raid grannies attic and  create a seat that makes you smile . 🥰  use the hashtags #easywininteriors to share your favourite corners of escape.

#easywininteriors #vintagearmchair #armchair #occassionalchair #colourlover #banthebiege
DAY 15 of #easywininteriors and I’m having a re DAY 15 of #easywininteriors  and I’m having a reshuffle on the bookcase to celebrate the happy Back To School vibes! 🙌 YES! This one is a work in progress because sorting your books as to the spine colour can be really meditative! I’m excited for you guys to share your colour coded bookcases using the hashtag #easywininteriors because I’ve seen some amazing examples on here! This idea can also include colour coding your ornaments or glassware collection too. Somehow grouping them in blocks  just intensifies the colour and I love the 🌈 effect. Happy faffing! 

#interiorinspo #interiorstyling #colourlover #banthebeige #faffthegaff #bookshelf #shelfie #shelfiestyling #rainbow #rainbowstyle #mycolourfulinterior #colourfulhomevibe
DAY 13 of #easywininteriors and Sundays here are o DAY 13 of #easywininteriors and Sundays here are often the day I get the house in order before the week starts again. It’s laundry day, the on-line shop gets done and if I can be bothered I might do some batch cooking. 💪 But the garden is also pulling our attention at this time of year and I spent yesterday picking up twigs that have littered the garden after the high winds and piled it all up for kindling. Satisfying! I’m not a naturally tidy or organised person  but I do feel like I’m winning at life once chores have been done and everything is in it’s place. And here lies the easy win. If you have systems in place it makes it so much easier! This shoe storage was game changing. Before the hall was littered with shoes and bags that I was always tripping over. So planning your storage and then using it is key to creating order and an element of calm. And once the storage is fit to bursting, it’s time to have a declutter. How do you keep the house feeling orderly and calm and do you use Sunday as a Sort It day too? #sortitsunday 

CREDITS walls in Lazuli and woodwork in Perfect white @zoffanyfw . Havana Bauta cement Tiles @claybrookstudio . Fabrics are vintage and @thestripescompany . Stair runner @roger_oates 

#easywininteriors #colourlover #banthebeige #hallwaydecor #hallway #interiorinspo #declutter #storageideas #shoestorage
DAY 12 of #easywininteriors and I’m back in the DAY 12 of #easywininteriors and I’m back in the bedroom and enjoying a well earned lie in this morning! My morning routine has been really important to me during lock down. In  his brilliant book ‘think like a monk’ @jayshetty talks about how a positive morning ritual sets you up for the day. Similarly a good night time ritual sets you up for a good nights sleep. Styling up your bedroom  to support these ideas really helps! I’ve taken to setting my wake up alarm an hour before the rest of the house so I can enjoy some quiet solitude before the day gets going. I make my coffee in my favourite mug and spend a while reading or exercising. But no phone scrolling! My bedside is laid out with everything I need including a big pile of books and a dish for my watch and specs. I charge my phone in the kitchen to keep it away from temptation! Admittedly I’ve never had a problem sleeping but I was hardly what you’d call a morning person. Now it’s my favourite time of the day! Have a gorgeous lazy weekend folks x

CREDITS wallpaper @mollymahonblockprinting bedside table is vintage. Lamp @pookylights Vases and dishes all vintage. Pillows and duvet @cocoandwolf Flat sheet and bedthrow @societyofwanderers 

#easywininteriors #bedroomdecor #countrybedroom #colourfiedhomes #colourstylehome #colourlover #banthebeige #patternclash #interiorstyling #interiordesign #interiorinspo #faffthegaff
DAY 11 of #easywininteriors and we are over half w DAY 11 of #easywininteriors and we are over half way there! Whoop whoop, March is  just nine short days away! And I can feel the Spring vibes! It’s getting lighter, the bluebells are coming and the birds are singing! But back to it, we’ve got work to do! Today I’m sharing how I switch my home from working day to home time, without leaving the house. It’s so important for our mental health that we can make that transition. I’ve worked from home for years so I’ve always done this, but I find it essential to tidy my desk/kitchen table at the end of everyday and get it out of sight. This often means piling up all my paper work, laptop, pen pot and putting it all into a tray. And if you don’t have a deep tray a cardboard box does the job. Then hide it in the cupboard, pop it on a shelf or slide it under the table. The key is that you can’t see it and it doesn’t encroach on your non-work life. Out of sight out of mind kind of thing. 
And you might notice in the back of this shot is my 2021 vision board. I keep this in my view everyday as it helps keep me focused, uplifted and motivated. Im hosting a live webinar next Tuesday on how and why I create vision boards for every aspect of my life, including my interiors. If you’d like to join me it’s 7pm 23/02/21 and I can promise a fun, creative and enlightening evening! Link to book is up in my bio if you fancy getting a boost of inspiration towards creating your dream home. 

Happy Friday and have a lovely weekend 😍

#workingfromhome #myhomeoffice #interiorstyling #visionboard #interiorinspo #interiorinspiration #homeoffice #creativeworkspace #colourlover #colourcolorlovers #banthebeige
DAY 9 of #easywininteriors and I’m going to make DAY 9 of #easywininteriors and I’m going to make it super easy after yesterday’s kitchen cupboard love, which I’ll be honest, felt a bit strenuous! So today is all about creating as simple but effective styling moment; a trio of vases. Three seems to be the magic number when it comes to styling your objects and I have a few tips . I like to make sure there is a mixture of sizes, colour and textures but all held together with a theme. These three work because they’re  all vintage, Picked up from various car boot sales over the years! You can create little trios all over your home from the sideboards, book shelves, worktops, bathrooms and side tables. Push the tall one to the back and bring the small one to the fore but it’s the lack of symmetry that makes it pleasing. And you don’t have to stop with just vases, a trio of objects works with picture frames, ornaments and candle sticks too. 

#easywininteriors #vintagestyle #howivintage #myvintagehome #interiorstyling #interiorstyle #interiorinspo #colourlover #banthebeige
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