Sheds need not be mere storage space for garden tools and bicycles. They can be an extension of the homeowner’s living space. In the right hands, 120 square feet will never look so good or add so much.
“A shed is that vacant space outside your house that can be used for pretty much anything, if you are creative,” says Daniel Glick, owner of Glick Woodworks in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania.
There are hundreds of ways to make a shed work for you. A few innovative ideas include:
The backyard pub
Creating a backyard pub makes your backyard an entertainment space. Open those shed doors wide and invite guests to belly up to the bar with some new funky stools. Add twinkly lights and an iPod station with speakers to finish a perfect party shed.
Library in a shed
For the house that’s run out of bookshelves, insulate a shed to protect the books and add floor to ceiling built-in bookshelves. Fill the shelves with your favorite books or all the new ones you’ve been meaning to read. Add a chair or two and some plants for good air. Now you’ve got a cozy reading getaway that doesn’t take long to get to.
A game room
Are you sick of hearing your teenagers say there’s nothing to do? Fill a shed with a bumper pool table, plenty of board games including the newest card games like Munchkin and Fluxx. Add a small refrigerator filled with sodas, water and snacks to feed hungry teenagers and it’s likely they’ll stay right in your own backyard where you can keep an eye on them from a respectful distance.
Memorabilia
Keeping treasured items in the attic serves no purpose. Pull them out and set up a shed that showcases the years you’ve put into collecting them. Make the shed an old-music haunt with a turntable and built-in album cases on the walls. Frame old posters and albums, add a couple of comfortable chairs and invite your parents and friends for a walk down memory lane. If motorcycles are your thing, make the shed into a cycle showcase. Add posters and old motorcycle calendars to highlight the ambiance.
The music room
Always wanted to bring out your old trumpet or drums from back in the good old days? Want your kids or spouse to have a private place to practice their instruments? Insulate your shed and waterproof it, then add a soft rug and bean bags. Frame favorite music scores to hang on the walls. Build shelves for instruments and music books.
Art studio
Artists have it rough. Their craft often requires lots of accoutrements but few people have the kind of artist’s studio needed to inspire creativity. Your backyard shed is the place to organize your paints or yarn or woodworking supplies. Build bookshelves to hold everything you need. Then add a long table for creating and be sure to leave some wall space for inspirational art.
Your backyard shed can bring new life to your house and joy for your family. And if the space isn’t working for you any longer, you can take everything out and turn it back into a blank slate.
One last thing. Review your homeowner’s and liability insurance with your agent, particularly if you are putting valuable electronic equipment, musical instruments or family treasures in your new shed.
