7 | Build a She Shed from a Kit

After visiting all of these unique and wonderful she sheds, it’s no more than a small leap to appreciating the joy that one could bring to your life. This chapter outlines an actual real-time build of a kit shed and offers an inside look at what it takes for an ordinary person to purchase, build, and furnish one. It begins with a section on the general considerations you need to take into account when planning a kit shed, then moves to a how-to description of how a typical kit shed is constructed.

Finally, you’ll read a case study of how one she shed—built in California for Karin Nystrom (my sister-in-law)—went together. No she shed construction goes exactly as planned, and ours was no exception.

Preparing to Build a Kit Shed

Reading about she sheds and actually building one are two entirely different things. There are a number of factors that will directly affect the ease or difficulty of building your shed. These factors will also affect timing and cost.

Local Building Codes

In most of California, where our kit was built, a shed structure can be built without need of a permit if its foundation footprint is 120 square feet or less. This doesn’t include plumbing or electrical wiring, however, which will always require permits and inspections. This requirement varies widely from state to state, and even from community to community within a single state. Always check with your local community officials to determine if your shed requires a permit and inspections.

Some of the she shed owners in this book worked with their local permitting laws and sometimes had to modify their plans to accommodate requirements. Having to apply for a permit is not something to avoid or dread. Very often your permit will be approved quickly and affordably. Even if it isn’t, temporary rejection is a learning experience—you’ll learn exactly why your request was turned down and what to do to correct the issue. Sometimes you might be required to alter your design (making it smaller, for example), or you may be required to move your shed to a different site on the property to comply with setback regulations.

The process may also point out some important steps you need to take, such as avoiding digging around buried pipes. If you are adding electrical service to your shed, the permit will likely require an inspection before the walls are finished to ensure that the wiring is done properly and poses no fire hazard.

Ground Slope

If you have a perfectly level, well-drained plot in mind for your she shed, congratulations and move ahead two spaces. A level building site saves a lot of time. A sloped site will need to be graded to make it level if you want a slab foundation, which will affect everything about your shed construction—time, labor, and money.

Site Selection

Carefully consider exactly where on the property to construct your shed. In the example that follows, the owner had a large, beautiful backyard including a pool with a large concrete deck and pool house. Around the perimeter of the yard is gently sloping softscape with beds of shrubs and flowers. We found a patch of ground near a fun purple gazebo. It took a little time to angle the site just right so that it faced the house and also acted as a privacy element from the neighbors across the way.

The correct location is of key importance when building a shed. Pay close attention to view angles, accessibility, and proximity to other landscape features.

Selecting the site involves these important considerations:

• Soil condition. Find a place where the ground is stable and does not collect water.

• Setback requirements. There are usually rules that tell you how close you can build to the edge of your property line. This could be anywhere from 6 feet to only a couple of feet or more. You should also be considerate of your neighbors and talk to them about your plans. This is especially important if you think the shed will be in their sightline or even hamper their views.

• Sunlight. Catching the light at just the right times will enhance life in your she shed. Usually the ideal direction in which to place your wall with the most windows is southward. A southern exposure provides consistent light throughout the day without direct glare.

What Type of Foundation?

You basically have three choices for the foundation for your shed: skid, slab, or raised (also called pier and beam). There are advantages and disadvantages to each.

In the example that follows, a raised foundation was chosen because the site was on a slight hill that provided drainage into a nearby stream. A raised foundation is good for areas where soil can get saturated or may shift. We also liked the look of having a step or two coming down from the front door.

A pier-and-beam foundation rests on piers (cylindrical posts made of concrete encased in biodegradable cardboard) placed in corner holes dug about 2 feet deep. (The depth of your piers will be stipulated by your local building code.) Stone or concrete should anchor it on the bottom. Beams are placed across the floor space from pier to pier, supporting the structure.

A slab foundation has its own advantages. Slabs, usually made of concrete, are laid down on about 4 inches of gravel, followed by a 4-millimeter plastic sheet as a vapor barrier, and then the shed floor is built on top of it. (In fact, some she shed owners use the concrete for flooring, which is a further labor reduction.) Slabs are relatively easy to build and usually less expensive. But because they are resting on the ground, slabs can be affected by ground movement. Also they don’t allow for natural air circulation beneath the floor, as do raised foundations.

Choosing the Right Kit

The number of shed kits offered by many companies is truly exciting to see. Your choices run the gamut from very basic prepackaged kits to highly customized sheds that allow you to specify special design features and materials. The level of detail and fancy features will affect the cost, of course.

Start with the major home improvement stores when looking for shed kits, but search also for the regional shed designers who “get” the she shed movement and are offering really attractive designs; many will also do the installation and building, if you want.

We went with a kit shed called the Everton. The shed comes with most of the pieces needed for completion, with the noted exclusion of finished flooring, paint, roofing materials, and foundation materials. There were about 85 different components, some in multiples, so keep in mind that you must keep track of hundreds of pieces. In the demonstration that follows, the kit includes lumber, (studs, beams, floor panels, roof joists, rafters, trim), panels (floor, roof, shelves), doors, and hardware (nails, door opener, door hinges, screws).

Budget

As noted in previous chapters, budgets for she sheds vary widely. It’s possible to refurbish an old shed with donated materials, volunteer labor, and your own furnishings for under $100. Or you can hire a designer/builder to build a custom shed with plumbing, electrical service, and built-in cabinetry for upwards of $30,000. Only you can determine what you can afford—but part of the fun is seeing how close you can get to your dream she shed with the money you are willing to spend.

There are a few fixed costs and many, many variables to consider when building a she shed:

Stock kit vs. custom kit. Kit sheds like the one we used have many advantages, especially for novice builders. You get almost everything you need in one package and the wood is precut. The better ones aren’t cheap, though: plan on spending at least $1,000 for a very small kit shed, and then probably another $500 to $1,000 on materials that aren’t included.

Another option is to use a kit shed from a full-service shed designer and installer. This will cost you more because you are paying for materials, delivery, and labor for assembly and installation. Some of these sheds are pretty incredible, with handy features for a home office, art studio, or even a sleeping area. The companies are knowledgeable about sheds and can advise you as to site selection, weatherproofing, design, and finish details.

Custom sheds are basically built using your own design or that of a skilled builder or architect. If you can afford to spend more on your she shed, a custom design is great if you are trying to match your home or create a certain focal point on your property.

Unpack your kit carefully, and inventory and store the materials so they are easy to find when you need them during construction.

Restoring versus Building

Although this chapter is on building a new shed from a kit, we’ll also pause for a moment to let you consider rejuvenating an old shed rather than building a new one. In most cases, if you have a shed already, you are going to spend less fixing it up than building one from scratch. If possible, keep the shed in the same place (assuming it has a nice solid foundation) and use the existing framework. You’ll probably want to add windows, put in a new door, and make a lot of interior improvements.

Beware of rotting wood and old paint. Wood rot may start small but it will keep growing and the only way to stop it is by removing the affected piece altogether. Additionally, if your shed is 40 years old or more, it may have lead in the paint. Lead is very toxic if it is ingested or inhaled, especially for young children.

Materials. If free or donated materials are not an option, then you must factor in a materials budget. Building materials will include foundation materials, concrete, framing lumber, trim, hardware, paint, roof paper and shingles, windows, flooring, and whatever other materials are not included in the kit. See the Author’s Case Study for an in-depth discussion of the kinds of material choices you may want to consider.

Labor and time constraints. This is probably one of the most important factors in budgeting money for a shed. The more time you or helpful friends and relatives have, the lower your costs are going to be. Here’s why:

• Finding free or salvaged materials takes time and patience.

• You are able to work around the schedules of family and friends with day jobs who aren’t always able to drop everything to help out.

• You can avoid paying extra for mistakes made along the way. For example, if the free window you found doesn’t work, you just wait until you find another free one, instead of breaking down and purchasing a new one.

• You can stretch projects over a longer period of time and do them yourself, instead of hiring someone else.

There is a reason that humans band together to build structures: the work is difficult to do alone. Think of the traditional barn raising, when neighbors would gather at one farm to build an entire barn in a day. A shed raising will require at least a few friends and family members to help.

How much collective experience does your crew have? Although a shed is much less complicated than say, a house, it still requires basic building skills that some of us simply don’t possess. In addition, you’re also going to be moving and hauling heavy items, climbing on ladders, and holding heavy wood panels in place.

You should have a solid idea of the kind of shed you want and any extras you’ll want to add (windows, special flooring, electrical, built-in furniture, front deck, etc.) and get it down on paper as a first step—a detailed sketch is always a good thing to have. Then talk to people in the building business to find out the kind of help and talent you will need.

It’s fun to get the whole family involved and there are plenty of tasks that children can be assigned to do. Digging, painting, nailing panels, and framing are all tasks that can be handled by children eight years or older. They will always remember the summer that they built Mom’s she shed.

Because our example shed was built on someone else’s property, we didn’t have the luxury of working on it a little bit here, a little bit there. We also didn’t have a circle of personal friends that we could call on to help get the job done. If you don’t have any building experience and don’t know anyone else who does, you will probably have to seek the help of a professional builder or at the very least, a very capable handyman.

A Typical Shed Kit Assembly

The demonstration example that follows shows typical installation steps for one particular kit shed, but the principles are the same for most kit sheds you might purchase. But remember that with any shed, you’re likely to want to make adaptations or variations to the standard kit. Later, in the Author’s Case Study, you’ll see the decision processes and installation adaptations we used for the windows, flooring, painting, and decorating of this she shed.

Each kit shed comes with instructions that you can download online as a PDF. Most kit manufacturers also offer telephone assistance if you need it—and don’t be surprised if you do. Even the best kits may have problems with missing or incorrect parts, so don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Your kit will come with hundreds of parts, so make sure you manage this inventory carefully, labeling and storing the parts so they are available when you need them.

Our demonstration shed required the following tools and materials:

Tools

• Air gun

• Caulk gun

• Clamps

• Hammer

• Handsaw

• Harness (for roof work)

• Jigsaw

• Ladder

• Level

• Painting tools (roller, brushes, pan, can opener, stir sticks)

• Paint sprayer

• Plumb bob with chalk line

• Power drill with bits

• Safety equipment (protective eyeglasses, gloves, hard hats, knee protectors)

• Sander

• Sawhorses

• Screwdriver, Philips

• Screwdriver, standard

• Staple gun

• Table saw

• T-square

• Utility knife

Materials

• Caulk

• Moisture-barrier plastic

• Nails

• Paint

• Primer

• Rain gutters and downspout

• Roofing shingles

• Roof paper

• Sandpaper

• Screws

• Wood glue

Building a Kit Shed: The 13 Major Steps

1 Prepare the site. Lay a base of gravel about 4 inches thick and extending a little beyond the edges of the structure. Build the foundation—skid, slab, or raised. Shown here is a raised foundation with beams resting on the piers. The raised design accommodates the slope and allows for steps coming down from the entry.

2 Build the floor frame. Start with the outer rim joists, attaching them to the 4×4 beams, then install the interim joists so they span the rim joists at the designated spacing.

3 Assemble all your plywood floor panels (there are probably four of them). Lay them in place over the floor framing, flush with the edge of the frame and fasten with screws.

4 Construct each of the four wall panels, including window and door openings, flat on the ground, and lay them out on the building site near their intended locations. The window and door openings indicate where each wall should go.

5 Starting at the rear, position the back and left side wall upright onto the floor, keeping the wall exterior flush with the floor’s edges. Attach the walls to one another at the corner with nails. Raise and join the remaining walls beginning with the right wall and moving to the front. Measure to make sure the wall frames are square, then attach them to the floor with nails. (To check for square, measure diagonals: equal measurements mean the framing is square. Install the walls’ top plates as directed in the kit instructions.

6 Construct your roof rafters, positioning them first on the floor so that the angled tops fit together with full contact. Use glue and attach gussets to the peaks. Secure the gussets with 2-inch nails. Lift the rafters into position, one at a time. Align the rafters on the top plate, directly above the studs, and secure with 3-inch screws.

7 Attach the sheathing pieces to the framing with the included nails. Install the corner trim moldings and add whatever soffit and fascia trim is included with the kit. While most kits come with these moldings, some owners substitute more decorative trim for a custom look.

8 Attach the roof sheathing, starting with back panel, making sure it is square to the rafters. Install the rest of your roof panels, then cover the sheathing with roofing paper.

9 Paint your shed, inside and out. A pressure sprayer, like the one shown here, makes this work easier. Or, if your project is a family affair, painting is a job that younger members of the family may enjoy.

10 Hang the door as directed. Doors are another feature where you may want to customize the look with special trim or by cutting window openings, if your kit does not include them.

11 Install the windows, attaching them with nails driven through the nailing flanges and into the sheathing. Caulk liberally around the window openings to ensure the windows are airtight and your shed is usable in all weather.

12 Begin the finishing work by laying your desired flooring inside the shed and installing the desired roofing on the outside. These materials are usually not included with the shed kit, so here is your chance to give your shed a custom look. Now is also the time to add steps (if needed) and, if building on a raised foundation, to cover the space below the shed with lattice panels.

13 Now comes the real fun as you install accessories, including curtains and shelves, and create a unique design statement by decorating your shed with all the things that speak to your heart. Don’t forget the landscaping!

Author’s Case Study

Our demonstration shed was to be built on the property of my sister-in-law, Karin Nystrom, who lives almost 400 miles away from me and my husband, Tim. We were careful to plot out the time (accurately, we thought) it would take to assemble, build, paint, and furnish Karin’s shed. We didn’t have a lot of flexibility, because the great distance meant we couldn’t spend an hour here or two hours there in between times catching up.

Our original schedule looked like this:

Weekend 1: Bring up some of the required tools and materials, set the piers, and lay out the foundation (treated 4×4 lumber). We hoped to also start the flooring joists and lay down the floor panels.

Weekend 2: A four-day weekend was planned to start immediately laying out a hardwood floor, constructing the walls, getting the roof panels in place, and ideally getting the roof tar paper stapled down. The third day would be laying down roofing shingles, framing and installing two windows, painting the shed inside and out, trimming, finishing the landscaping, and building the front steps. The final day would be the second polyurethane coat on the floor, then moving in the rugs, furnishings, artwork, and shelving.

The best-laid plans rarely go as hoped, though. The moral here is not to discourage you from building your own shed but to be flexible and understand that unforeseen circumstances are the norm, not the exception. In the real world, the schedule for Karin’s shed went like this:

Weekend 1: A rainy week prior to the weekend caused some anxiety. Karin reported that the ground was very soggy and muddy. We drove up anyway and found that the soft ground actually was helpful for the digging we needed to do. The kit had been delayed in shipment; we wanted it there in order to check the pieces and measure it against the laid foundation, but we decided to go ahead without it.

Because the pier holes ended up being reset, the foundation took longer than expected. We completed the piers and beams before heading home.

Weekend 2: The kit was delivered about two days before our arrival; that was close! We began to move all of the pieces into Karin’s backyard. The shed has about 85 different components, and it took about an hour to organize. By the end of the first day we had the floor, walls, and roof beams complete.

The second day we lost Charlie, one of our neighbor helpers, to care for his sick wife. Things went a little more slowly as a result. We hoped to get all of the siding and trim in place so that Karin’s friend Gregory could start painting. A slight mishap on the roof involving nails that were a bit too long and sticking through the ceiling took us off track once again.

We spent a few weeks researching shed kits and ended up deciding on an Everton wood shed that measures 8×12 feet. The kit was delivered on a pallet, and we then needed to unpack and organize the pieces. A garage is ideal for this, but we had to make do with the back porch.

We finished the siding and trim the morning of the third day, except for the loft shelf (we chose to use sturdier wood than what was provided in the kit, so we hand-painted it later on). While Gregory and Karin painted, we started papering and shingling the roof. This part of the shed building took a long time, as it was just my husband, my thirteen-year-old son, and me.

We had to leave the shed unfinished and schedule one final weekend to get it done.

Weekend 3: While Charlie finished the windows, we laid out the vinyl flooring. This turned out to be a pleasant surprise, as it was very easy to do, took only a couple of hours, and looked great. (See “Author’s Workshop: Flooring Choices” to see why we gave up on hardwood.) Then we spent the rest of the day on landscaping. Charlie built the front steps while Tim worked on cutting lattice (already spray-painted by Gregory) to fit around the exposed piers of the foundation. We designed a simple pathway and filled it with pea gravel.

The second day was move-in day. Tim built a handsome worktop out of a pine slab and metal brackets, as well as a few display shelves from scrap wood. Karin and I moved in all of the furnishings, artwork, and decorative elements we had stored in her dining room for the past month.

We had just enough time to photograph the end result in the late-afternoon sun before packing up our tools and heading home one final time.

TIP

Do a trial run first, using stakes and 2×4s to make sure the position of the shed on the building site will work—avoid our mistake. We forged ahead and dug all the holes for the piers (the posts at each corner of the shed that support it) and installed the piers before Karin realized the angle of the shed was not quite right, which required us to dig and install new piers.

The wall frames are built flat on the ground then brought to the shed for installation.

Tim oversees Dana as he drives screws into the wall base.

Lessons Learned

Here are some important things you can learn from our own experience (and yes, a few mistakes):

• Stay grounded in reality. The images you see of finished sheds are often highly stylized and edited. They show a conceptual idea of the shed in ideal conditions, not the shed that will be in your kit. That’s fine as long as you don’t have unrealistic expectations and know that you have to put a lot of your own materials into the project to make it look the way you want.

• Consider size. To use your shed as an actual studio or room, it will need to be at least 6×8 feet. Even that is on the small side. Look for shed designs with good ceiling height and front porches for livability.

• Shed kits aren’t perfect. We were very happy with the style and features of our shed, but there were pieces that were warped and unusable. Be prepared to buy replacement pieces as you go.

• It takes a village. At least for us, it did. Our team of family and friends included my husband, who is a very accomplished hobbyist builder, me and my two children (few skills), and Karin. We encountered our share of glitches, delays, and frustrations. Luckily, two of Karin’s friends pitched in. It took us six full days to build the shed.

• Just because it’s a DIY project doesn’t mean a she shed can be built effortlessly in a day. Any structure that is going to be “lived in” by a human will take time, skill, and patience. There are going to be steps in the instruction booklet that will seem incomprehensible. There will be do-overs. There will be paint, sawdust, and dirt.

• Keep gas in the car. You’re going to be taking lots of trips to the local home improvement store during the build.

• Planning to paint your shed? A paint sprayer will be your best friend. We loved having both the exterior and interior completely painted in maybe two hours. Make sure you have someone on your crew who knows how to use and care for the sprayer.

Customizing Your Windows

Kit sheds are still designed with storage in mind rather than for a human being who is actually using it for an extra room—that means windows will either not be part of the plan at all or that the provided windows may be of lesser quality than you would find in an actual home.

You are without a doubt going to want windows added to your shed. Windows and glass doors are probably the single most transformational design element for a she shed—they make the space feel larger and provide natural light that is important especially if you choose not to add electricity.

For Karin’s shed, we found two large windows of extraordinarily high quality. These matching windows came from a construction project where the client ended up choosing a different style and could not return them. They were on for sale on Craigslist and became ours for $150. The windows came complete with a nailing flange (or nail fin), ideal for new construction.

The windows we found came ready to install with a frame and a nailing flange. They were on the large side for a shed this size, so we had to be careful about positioning them just right and had to alter the wall framing to accommodate them.

When the right and left walls were framed out and mounted to the floor, we determined the space where the windows would go. The tops of the windows needed to be close to the base of the roof; otherwise, Karin would have to stoop to see out of them. We set them as high as we could but then found we had introduced a problem: the windows, which are casement and swing outward on hinges, couldn’t clear the rafter ends overhanging on the outside of the shed.

We had to adjust the rough opening by moving it down a few inches so that the window could swing out and let in the fresh air. Bonus: the windows had screens too!

Seen from the interior, the windows open out using a handle and look great with the rest of the shed. We faced the top edge with a stained pine board and used that as a base for the curtain rod.

Flooring Choices

Choosing your flooring is fun because you have so many great options. To narrow it down, consider your overall style, the use (or abuse) your floor likely will endure, the level of difficulty to install, and, of course, your budget. The good news regarding budget is that because most shed floors are not very large, you don’t have to buy a lot of product.

Here are some of the common types of flooring to consider:

Wood. True wood floors feel good on the feet and are deeply attractive to most people. They are also the most expensive, unless you use salvage or get them donated. Hardwood needs to be installed over a plywood subfloor; it cannot be installed directly over concrete. If you’re planning to use your shed for gardening, you probably want to choose flooring that doesn’t mind water, such as concrete or even fine gravel.

Carpet. Wall-to-wall carpet that you see in a house is a rarity in she sheds; there is just too much risk of dampness and rot. However, natural fiber carpeting such as sisal or seagrass are options to consider. Another idea is to paint your plywood subfloor with floor paint, then use colorful throw rugs. Rugs are nice because they can be pulled up, washed, and aired out.

Vinyl. Vinyl has come a long way in the last ten years, offering designs and textures that closely resemble natural materials such as wood, brick, and stone. Vinyl can be installed over plywood or concrete, as long as the surface is smooth and dry. You can use self-adhesive vinyl squares or large sheets, which are cut to fit and set with adhesive. A newer option is floating vinyl planks, which you simply “click” into place using interlocking tongues and grooves.

Laminate. Laminate flooring is plank or tile product in which a decorative plastic surface finish is bonded to a particleboard or manufactured wood backing. Just like vinyl, laminates are very easy to install and can convincingly mimic the look of wood, tile, stone, and other materials. They are a cost effective and very popular choice for flooring. Some products are glued down, but most use a “floating” installation method in which interlocking tongues and grooves are clicked into place.

The vinyl plank flooring we used was very easy to cut and install. All of the instructions were listed on the box.

Brick. Bricks are actually used as a material for both foundations and floors, and they are a warm, extremely attractive material to consider for your shed. Lay your brick with the broad side up or on edge, using sand as the base and between the bricks to keep them in place. While they are sturdy, bricks are still porous, so use a sealer on them.

Cement. If you’re building your shed on a concrete slab, then the slab can do double duty as your floor too! Consider staining it for an ultra-modern, loft-in-the-city effect; you can also finish it with an epoxy coating—a resin product used for garage and shop floors that is extremely durable and also comes in many colors and textures.

Tile. Nothing beats tile for its toughness against water and moisture—that’s why it’s in all of our bathrooms. Tile is a beautiful, classic floor surface that is a bit labor intensive to install. It is also a bit pricier. Again, consider that you have a small area to cover and if the installation is done well, your tile will last a very long time.

When we first began planning Karin’s shed, the flooring was going to be hardwood. My husband and I had a stack of beautiful Rose River Gum flooring that we’ve had for years after remodeling a previous home. We had almost enough for the 96 square feet, and just purchased a few lengths of remnant wood for about $20 that we would use on the outer edges. All of it would be stained and varnished to look the same.

As time went on, however, two things reshaped our plan. First, our window of time shrank. Prepping wood for a floor installation must be done piece by piece, very carefully. You also should season the wood in the room for at least a week so that the moisture within the wood balances with the air moisture. We worried about how we could fit it into our schedule and we were still down one helper.

Secondly, Karin began to worry about how the hardwood floor would fare in her rainy climate. We took time to treat the plywood subfloor with a liquid concrete paint and a plastic moisture barrier. We even rented a hardwood floor nailer but had to finish up walls, roof, and painting first and never got around to using it. We went home that second weekend with the floor still not finished.

The end result looks (almost) like hardwood floors. We finished off the edges with scrap wood baseboards.

The experience taught us an important lesson: know when to let go. We gave up on the idea of hardwoods and discussed alternative flooring that would have the same look but was easier to install. The answer was a floating vinyl plank flooring system. One of Karin’s neighbors uses it in all of the apartment buildings he owns and was impressed by its durability and decent resemblance to true wood. After buying a few packs on his contractor’s discount, we set to work.

The floor was astonishingly easy to install, and very quick. This was a smart decision and allowed us to catch up to where we needed to be on that final weekend. To finish off the edges, we made a quick baseboard/shoe molding out of scrap wood.

Painting Tips

Painting is one of the most satisfying parts of customizing a she shed. It’s also a little bit scary. Do you go safe or crazy? Pastel or bright? Playful or edgy? It may be just a shed but it’s also going to be an important part of your life . . . and your yard.

Karin spent many hours looking at paint swatches and deciding whether or not she wanted the shed color to match the color of her home. In the end, Pinterest pointed her in the right direction. She spotted a chocolate brown shed with a contrasting door in a deep purple and fell in love with the look. Her friend and paint consultant, Gregory LeBaron of Transformational Color, helped out by pointing out subtle differences in color and how colors will change at different times of the day.

One of the biggest timesavers we used was the paint sprayer. Gregory waited until all of the wall panels, trim pieces, and caulking were complete before starting. Then, he and Karin worked together starting with the interior. Primer went on first, followed by a cream color. Gregory sprayed using quick, even strokes; Karin followed behind with a paint roller to take care of any uneven applications.

The sprayer was cleaned out, and then we painted the exterior. Karin handled the sprayer this time and got the hang of it quickly. Since the paint is being pushed out with so much force, it provides great coverage and we only needed one coat of brown to finish the job.

A few practical matters regarding the paint job:

1. You should always use a primer before painting bare wood and particleboard. Primer will even out the surface and make the wood less porous. In addition, the paint will bond well to the primer and last longer.

2. If you are painting the floor, use a paint formulated for flooring. These paints are more durable to resist chipping and scuff marks from foot traffic.

3. Renovating an old shed? Remember that old paint applied before 1970 could contain lead. Do not let children sand or remove paint and it is best to have a professional come in to remove it safely.

The paint sprayer really helped us save time, especially since we had a smaller crew than we expected, and the resulting paint job was beautiful.

Primer was applied first to the bare wood inside the shed. Gregory handled the paint sprayer and Karin used a roller where necessary to even out the paint.

The Fun Stuff

We were delighted with how this basic kit shed turned out. Customizing with windows, paint, and decorative details make such a big difference in the final outcome.

After laying the vinyl plank flooring, it was time for Karin and I to fill the shed with her furnishings. While we mapped out a design, Tim worked on the worktop and the display shelves.

The first thing to go in the shed was a large, soft, green area rug that was a new purchase. As to furniture, Karin had two large pieces that she really liked: a wooden day bed and a large futon chair that was the first piece of furniture she ever bought as a college student. We discovered that both of them made the shed too crowded. We opted for the futon and fit it diagonally into the back left corner. Slipcovered in cream matelasse and punctuated with accent pillows, the futon could do double duty as a small guest bed.

A tall, round table went on the other side, covered with a piece of bright cloth. A forgotten IKEA side table became a companion piece for the futon. Window treatments were two hand-woven textiles that were given to Karin while she taught in Indonesia. They were simply swagged over two small curtain rods.

Everything chosen for the shed was a treasured piece or something that she had been hanging onto in hopes of finding just the right place for. The futon had been at her mother’s home for thirty years. Many of the art pieces and accessories reflect Karin’s love of Indonesia and her many travels.

Near the doorway, the worktop was installed along with two matching shelves above it. We used metal brackets from a home improvement store. The chair is an extra dining room chair that Karin didn’t need in the house. The finishing touch is a small chandelier set high in the rafters, which was in one of my daughter’s rooms when she was little.

Finished at last! As we cleaned up our tools and the sawdust, Karin’s shed glowed in the late afternoon sunlight. It was a lot of work and filled with unexpected challenges, but as we gazed at the she shed that we built ourselves, we felt the deep satisfaction of a job well done.

A large futon chair is the primary piece of furniture in Karin’s shed. There is enough room for it to extend out as a bed. The handy loft shelf provides space for storage.

No-sew swags are pieces of fabric draped over small curtain rods.

Karin will use her worktop for journaling and she also brought out some of her art and travel reference books.

Simple display shelves were made with scrap wood stained the same as the work table. Karin places antique bottles that belonged to her late husband.

By late afternoon of our final shed-building weekend, the final result exceeded our expectations. Spacious and sturdy, Karin’s she shed will serve her well as a retreat, mini guest house, and adjunct home office.