SHE SHEDS.. she said

Ancient caves of early man have inspired the man-cave for modern-day men. Kids have play houses for escapism into their own make-believe worlds. But what about the ladies? What is their special "retreat" space to hide away, play and get a break from the daily grind of life.

The conversion of an old shed or constructing a DIY pop up single room building for the special lady of the house is gaining rapid momentum and has been creatively dubbed as the "She Shed". On the rise across Britain and North America; She Sheds are essentially a private retreat space that provides an escape from your personal kingdom, conceived and created by the Princess herself - even if her crown is comprised only of craft store pipe cleaners!

Historically known as a bower; the room was a woman's private apartment in a castle or an attractive personal retreat that provided a woman with a safe place to harbour her moods and emotions. Professional women today faced with the economics of home based businesses look to the contemporary bower or She Shed to help provide some balance between work and home life.

The two key ingredients to a “She Shed” are inspiration and an empty space. Be it an old tool shed, garage or chicken coup; the ideal empty shed can morph into a creativity cocoon. This creativity space gives a mini private retreat to leave stressful issues behind and embrace your favorite activity alone - without having to actually leave your home. It can be thought of as a space for a brief "staycation" ..... of sorts.

Your special "She Shed" should be the sanctuary you've always dreamed of; be it a personal office, yoga studio, sewing room, music room, gym, art studio, craft space, reading room, photo studio, jewelry room or gardening shed. It is a safe haven where you can read, relax, catch up on sleep, drink wine or a write a book to your heart's content. The point of a “She Shed” is to have a quiet personal space that allows you to embrace a hobby that's important to the special princess in your life - also known as YOU.

The concept isn't about spending oodles of money. Let the space speak to your inner royal highness - creating the ultimate expression of pampered, relaxed and cozy. Source materials through thrift shops, estate sales, garage sales, sprinkle with family heirlooms like granny's old rocking chair. Decisions of what to include are made solely by what brings you a sense of contentment and peace within.

If transforming an existing backyard shed isn't feasible for you, the next option may be to buy a DIY shed kit and create your own She Shed space. Shed kits are fast to build and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles. From mid century modern, shabby chic, romantic, to eclectic thrift - pick a style that speaks to you. Once you've picked your “She Shed” style then use that as the benchmark for all your material selections; from shelving through to lighting.

Often the She Shed contains nothing more than a big comfy chair and an old barrel side table to park the obligatory glass of wine or cup of relaxing herbal tea.

Whatever your taste – just enjoy, she said! Gisela xox