DIY Dream She Shed

Jul 16

Written By

This post has been on top of mind for so long and I've planned, designed and redesigned this space in my head so many times over the last 2 years. I'm SO SO excited to finally see it come to life and actually write this post from my little work desk in my own she-shed!

Scroll half way for the shopping list!

For several of you that have caught the She-Shed wave that's taken Pinterest by storm, you already are bought into the wonderful phenomenon that put man-caves to shame :) Some of us who live in places like the San Francisco Bay-area and don't have the luxury of a "shed" in their backyards that they can remodel into a true she-shed. Don't lose heart!I converted our Garage into my dream space and I couldn't be happier!

Why you need a she-shed:

Well firstly, LOOK!!! Its everything I've ever wanted in a room - white walls, gold accents, pink accessories and faux fur! We have a 2-bedroom town home (which we absolutely adore btw) and have absolutely no plans to leave! We love the limited space and make the most of it.

You can catch my DIY Boho - Backyard post to see how I converted that tiny space into our Summer Escape!Anyhoo, my hubby took over the second bedroom coz he's an avid musician and needed a space for his creativity and also house all his zillion guitars, keyboards, amps etcI was left with no choice but to stuff all my clothes, shoes, accessories, jewelry in boxes and hide them away in our closets or under the bed!

I didn't even know what we had stored in there until the seasonal "spring cleaning" followed by Goodwill runs!Hence, the only available space for me to consider was our 2-car garage!

Plan:

So I looked into seeing what I can do with our garage... which was a hideous space honestly. Greece stained cement flooring, exposed water heater, exposed washer & dryer pipes and electrical wires took up most of the space. Our 3 huge trash cans, bikes, suitcases and all the recyclable brown boxes took up the rest of the space making it completely unusable.

Here's what it looked like (brace yourselves):

While I thought about converting this into my study, I had to find an optimal way to hide all the pipes and heaters, space for storing all my things (like an attic) and yet not build any "walls" that would take away from the square footage of the Garage. So I had to think up the plan first and run it by our HOA to get the permits.

My plan essentially had 3 parts:

1. EPOXY FLOORS: Acid wash the floor and lay on Epoxy paint : this is to ensure the garage can still be used as a garage i.e. you can still park 2 cars in and it won't damage the floor. Epoxy is a great alternative for this purpose. Read more: here

2. DOORS: Since I can't build any walls that takes away "car park" space or cover any ventilation, I had to get creative. I worked with a contractor to see if we could build custom hinge-doors that can cover up the trash cans and heaters.

3. CEILING: This was the hardest to envision. In order to cover the exposed pipes without moving any waterlines or electrical points, building an attic such that the ceiling goes all the way to the doors. I also needed lighting installed in the ceiling and have it insulated so I can use it through winters. This was key and I got my contractor to fully understand what I had in mind - and he implemented it EXACTLY as I wanted :) Once the "doors" and "ceiling" were up and the "hideous things" were hidden, here's what it looked like:

If you live in a community that has an HOA, make sure to get their approvals (their requirement is - you don't build any walls that change the garage space or "convert" the garage by adding kitchen / bathrooms etc, all was good!

Designing the Space:

Now the exciting part! While the construction took over 3 weeks, I had the time to think of how I wanted to design the interiors.So if you're looking to create your she-shed, here are some key pieces (I feel) you need to create the look:

1. Oversized floor standing mirror

2. Writing desk - white gloss

3. Accent Book shelf - to hold shoes & bags

4. Large Tufted Ottoman in a Popping color - as a Bold Accent piece that ties the space together :)

5. Bar Cart - coz what she shed is without a bar cart? :)

Btw if you want to make your own bar cart without spending a bomb,

here's a cute DIY Bar Cart tutorial I'd put together :)

6. (Optional) Crystal Drop Chandelier :) - just coz!

BLUE PRINT:

Here was the mood board I created to visualize my thoughts, and I think it materialized just like I had envisioned (almost)!I replaced the Teepee tent with my Bar Cart, but I think I'll get a teepee too for my pups! They love it in my she shed coz the garage is sooo cool through the summer!

I loved ZOLA to furnish some of the key things in my she-shed:-

Satin gold bookshelf : Shop here-

Satin gold console table: Shop here-

Moroccan Rug : Shop here-

White Gloss Table: Shop here

Shopping list:

Every single item in my she shed is linked here! If you think I've missed something, just shoot me a DM on Instagram or email and I'll add it here or send you the link to it.FYI, nothing I bought was overly expensive.

My biggest expense was the ottoman, everything else was within $100 - $200 even for the bigger pieces!

I have used Zola a ton for sending gifts through their amazing Wedding Registry to my married friends. This was the first time I used it to pick our furniture and home accents, and I was blown away! Amazing prices and so many options!

Back to furnishing the shed, I'm linking shoppable links to all the things here for you to grab.I wanted hints of pink everywhere so don't freak out if you're not a pink lover (like my hubby), the shed is really more white with hints of pink and gold :)

Decorating the shed was such a dream job. I changed the pieces around a few times, brought in things from my living room and switched things around. This is easily my dream job, to just pretty up a space :)I know I'm going to be spending years of quality time, dreaming, creating and enjoying every minunte I spend here - with my pups and my hubby!

My hubby got me a lil Google Home mini for the she-shed so I can play music and tell her to do turn the lights on or off and silly things I'll prob never ask her to do - love how he is so supportive of it all :)

The clothing racks hold all the clothes & shoes I want wear that season, so you'll mostly see summer colors and prints on the racks. This way I don't need to ruffle through my entire closet and fight through piles of sweaters and scarves to pick out what I want.

With the fall transition coming up, I'll switch up the racks to bring in Fall appropriate wear ! Here's a few more pics ! Hope you have a wonderful day :) Please feel free to share your thoughts on the makeover!

xoxo