5 minute read
that’s what she shed
THAT'S WHAT
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By Brooke Reynolds | Photos by Chris Whonsetler
Step aside man cave, the She Shed is having a muchdeserved moment. We went inside the carefully designed spaces of three women who transformed outdoor storage sheds into the refuge they needed. Feeling inspired yet?
Wine shack
Rachel Rae and her husband transformed a basic shed into what they now affectionately call the Wine Shack. “To build a sunroom or an area for entertaining onto a home, you’re looking at $20,000-$30,000, and we built this one for under $3,000,” Rachel said. The couple entertains in the Wine Shack from March through October. In the summer months, Rachel says she cannot be pulled away from this cozy space: She may drink her coffee there, read or watch the sunset. “It’s definitely a quiet retreat from work, stress and kids; we all need a break sometimes!” Rachel used a spray machine to paint the inside walls and ceiling white and then hand-rolled the outside of the structure. They installed a wood pine plank flooring topped with clear polyurethane to show the texture and knots of the wood.
Rachel purchased two faux white leather futonlike sofas, two rattan chairs and a beautiful bronze wall fireplace that adds ambience and heat on colder nights. The slipcovers are a crisp white with a tropical leaf pattern to match tropical faux leaves in clear vases. The walls are decorated with rattan woven placemats, small woven baskets and tropical leaf accents. “I think 10 years ago, my friends would have laughed if I said, ‘Well, I just finished a wall using my miter saw, and I finished roofing the She Shed yesterday,’ but here I am, using tools, wearing a tool belt and work boots."
Rachel and her husband, Chris, have three youngadult kids. They bought a farm north of Noblesville and are looking forward to building their dream home and adding a barn and a few She Sheds that will overlook a one-acre pond on the property.
Kara and her husband, Wes, have triplet 5-year-old girls and one 3-year-old boy. They live in Noblesville during the school year, and at Lake Tippecanoe in northern Indiana during the summer. Besides home DIY projects, Kara says she loves planning over-the-top birthday parties for her kids.
Kara Whisler wanted a place where her four kids could experience imaginative play while being outdoors, so she created a little playhouse, complete with all the bells and whistles inside and out. There is a small kitchen inside the structure, as well as a well-stocked art area with cushions and a chalkboard. But the real fun happens in the area around the playhouse. Along the pebbled pathway, Kara and her kids created an intricate fairy village with an array of pixies, pirates and pint-sized plants. “It's in these shady spaces where teddy bear picnics are planned, high teas are hosted and lavish ladies have lunch,” Kara said. It’s the great landscaping around the playhouse that sets it apart. The wow factor comes in the form of scaleappropriate plants, bushes, flowers, stone walkway, paver stepping stones and a little accent bridge. The black and white playhouse blends in well with the exterior of the Whisler home, and the little shade-loving plants complement the varieties in the rest of the yard, so the playhouse is really an extension of its larger, real-life counterpart. “There is something extra gratifying when you are working within a small space,” Kara shared. “Everything is cuter when it's little!” Playhouse
Photo studio
McKenna and Stacey, enjoy taking photos of people and animals. They like working together on shoots because they can bounce ideas off each other. Follow McKenna's Instagram: @kcorleyphotography
McKenna and her mom, Stacey, transformed a storage barn into a photography studio shed after McKenna got her first indoor photography studio kit. They both love photography and thought it would be just the space they needed to go into business together. “We didn’t have the space available in our house and knew the photo studio needed to be about the size of a small bedroom,” McKenna said. A She Shed was the answer. The space is decked out with a couch, desk, refrigerator, hanging shelf and, of course, plenty of backgrounds and props for indoor photoshoots. Soon they hope to raise Pygmy goats at the shed and add to the outdoor landscaping to offer a variety of photography backdrops. “Be creative and have fun with the decor! It’s an opportunity to do something maybe a little different or more edgy than you might do in your home,” Stacey suggested.
JP Parker Peony Fields
jpparkerco.com
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