She said, She shed


I first came across these marvellous things a few years ago when I became addicted to Pinterest and could spend hours pinning different pins to different boards. Still do! I was taken by the floral, vintagey feel to them. These pictures are gorgeous.


What's great with Pinterest is the thought behind it all. You can have so many creative boards that feed your imagination but perhaps only fulfil 3 out of the 90 projects you have researched. If my Pinterest boards were used on a dating game, I'd be such good marriage material. I have recipe boards (mostly for cocktails), craft boards and interior design boards (mostly Art Deco and Shabby Chic). On paper, I'm quite a catch! Problem is, I like the research side, looking at pretty pictures and reading quotes. The practical side is another thing!
I became so excited looking into these She Sheds and remembered the lovely afteenoons spent in my sister in law's Summer House, sat chatting, sipping Earl Grey and eating little nibbles as the sun shone through the glass windows. I began speaking to other women about the prospect of having your own space, designed exactly how you wanted it. I spoke to a friend who has one and I need to take her up on the offer to go see it! Hubby is fab at decorating and is so right about the use of Ivory Cream around the house. When we first moved in, our house resembled a smaller version of Yate's Wine Lodge. The stairs and landing were the busiest with patterned green carpet and two different pink and green wallpapers divided by a dado rail. Something had to change!
We went for plain painted walls and I excitedly chose peach for the study, lilac for the main bedroom (with a focus wall) and mint for the conservatory. After we'd taken a loan out for the fitted curtains, hubby, chuntering about not having normal windows, my fault I wanted bay windows, blah, blah, blah. Then the house was ready! Years later, everything is now Ivory Cream which does look good. The only little hiccup midway was when I visited my cousin's house and fell in love with her mint green hallway, stairs and landing so that was going to be our new colour. One coat on though and I came home from work, sat on the end of the bed and just burst into tears.
"It looks like a hospital ward!"
"It doesn't dear."
"I'll feel like I'm watching Holby City all the time!"
"Ivory Cream it is then."
And that was that. Ever since, there is an unwritten rule of no colour on any walls. I agree, but I just want to have a little space where my eclectic creativity can have a bit of a free reign.
Back to the wonderful She Shed! Whyever not? Men have their Mancaves in garages and basements with bars and dartboards. I remember reading something about the growth of She Sheds, or Women Caves, even She Shacks. This lady observed the turnaround in the modern woman's thinking. For generations, we've been sending the men outside, leaving us inside with the kids, pets and the mess. We've been doing it all wrongly! We need to be sending ourselves out and having proper timeout, and leaving them in domestic bliss for a hour or two! I apologise for generalising with the he/she but they are the phrases that have been coined!
These pictures I found are just lovely and I'd love anyone of these in my back garden.




Only thing, you feel your whole garden needs a facelift then so the shed doesn't look out of place! When I left at our old shed now, it does have potential, with its cute, little bird box on the side. On opening it though, I know it would take more than a lick of paint to transform it. We'd have to have a miracle bird muck cleaner too. No pigeons are hovering over my gorgeous she shed! Again, hubby points out that I'm the one who wanted to live in the leafy suburbs, on a tree lined street. In fact, the way hubby talks, I'm beginning to wonder if global warming and Brexit are perhaps my fault too?
You know what? I may have come across something here. If women of a certain age all had their own She Shack, there'd perhaps be more gin and wine bottles left on supermarket shelves and definitely not as many women doing a Shirley Valentine. Feeling frustrated? Had it up to here?(What does that mean?) Just grab a cardi and go along to your She Shed. You don't even need a suitcase! I've always loved this quote and the idea of having had a stressful day, just walking in your cupboard and going to Narnia! Except Narnia would be a wooden hut in your garden! Nicely painted, but still a hut. You need a bit of an imagination for this to work!


Once you have your shed and you've painted how the heck you want, (mint green or turquoise in my case), you have a few questions to bear in mind:
Colour of interior?
Contents?
Purpose?
How much wine can fit in a small fridge?
You also have to check it is far enough away from the domestic bliss that is going on in the house too! I love the interiors of these:





I enjoyed reading an article on Pinterest about the Nine things your She Shed needs. On recalling them, I only reached number 6 because I couldn't get my head around the fact the fridge only held Pepsi Max! Am I missing something here? I love this pink mini fridge for my wine and tonics.



Purpose is totally personal and as much as I like the idea of living the Good Life, like Tom and Barbara, I am no Green Fingered Goddess. I'm renowned for plants not surviving long under my watch!


I know my sister in law and a few friends would love a a small space dedicated to a work room with a sewing machine and a mannequin to make clothes and bags.



I think I'd like a window seat with book shelves around it so I can sit in the sun and pour over my books in delight. I'd also love an old record player or even a little juke box to play my fave records. It would have a chintzy, vintage feel and I'd have a green painted gin cabinet full to brim! Because I can! There'd be an antique tea set and a toaster for muffins and crumpets that my daughter loves. I'd sit at my old writing desk and write my poetry. It would be bliss! My doggie would have her little bed near the door and I'd read my poetry to her. My poetry is too Slyvia Plath for hubby and daughter's ears! I'd have a large board for my jigsaws to go on as, at the moment, I start one on an eve on the dining table and by the next day, we're finding pieces in books, folders, shoes, slippers. They get all over!



I'd full the walls with inspirational quotes of pictures of the East Coast and Cornwall. I spotted this wooden sign and loved the idea of this kind of shed. I love seeing the newly painted beach huts at Scarborough and keep saying we need to hire one for the day.



If I can't get a She Shed, I'll be happy with a Reading Seat with chintzy cushions I can fall into. I love these seats and can imagine reading till my heart's content in both!


There are so many things you could have, depending how the mood takes you. I love this little Hobbit house with the round windows. I can imagine Froddo Baggins coming out of the door and giving me a wave whilst I'm stood at the sink washing up. You could have a tardis. That would so be the answer to all your storage problems!



Even a hammock between two trees would be a good place to chill and read, whilst sipping a cocktail. But knowing British weather, it would need a canopy or you could just take out your umbrella to shelter from the rain! Probably be a good idea to swap the cocktail to a hot chocolate too to warm you up!


I just feel I need somewhere to be my spot. When we first moved in, our box bedroom (just a box) was a lovely peach study with my pine desk, busy bookshelf and rocking chair to read in. I loved this little sanctuary. It then became a lovely cream nursery, then a dumping ground and now a study. Gone are the rocking chair and bookshelf and I'm feeling the need to recreate that special space. I could put Jane Austen quotes and postcards of lighthouses or Tom Hardy on the wall. Back then, it was Bras Pitt. Still is!
I used to retreat to our bathroom, lighting scented candles, filling the bath to the top with Origins products, pouring myself a large glass of wine. Two problems though:
How do you read in a bath? One arm gets cold as it needs to be out of the water.
How can a bath be relaxing when the family are knocking on the door to use it? The teacher in me threatens to make a timetable for use of the bathroom! I do have a thing for Flake baths. I've always wanted a bath the lady laid in to devour her crumbly Flake. Honestly, I wanted to buy a house purely because of the Flake bath! Hubby was like, we can buy one and put it in any house!



Whatever you choose is fab because it's a reflection of you. It's your space; your escape from the chaos and hectic lifestyle of modern day living. We all deserve it. We sometimes get caught up in everyone else's lives that we forget what we might need. We sometimes need reminding to recharge our batteries. I love this quote. Makes you think.






Comments

  1. Everyone needs there own space it saves a lot of arguments. Hubby has always had his 'bat cave' and we have been married 52 years. Love your blog!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes! The Bat Cave!
      Thanks for your lovely comment!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Live the Pooh way

Slow down and soak it up!

Find your tribe