The title of Sally Coulthard’s Shed Decor: How to Decorate and Furnish Your Favorite Garden Room
(Lark Crafts, 2015) is somewhat misleading. What sounds like a primer
for a few lucky hobbyists is in fact a volume full of inspiration and
ideas for anyone interested in making the most of a small space.
Shed Decor is a follow-up to Coulthard’s 2009 Shed Chic: Outdoor Buildings for Work, Rest, and Play, which concentrated on shed design and function. In Shed Decor, the focus is on interiors.
Through photographs, broad guidelines, and specific tips, Coulthard demonstrates how to maximize space
without sacrificing personality or utility in a shed – a term which is
used loosely here and could just as well apply to a treehouse, yurt,
camper, cabin, beach cottage, studio space, or even a run-of-the-mill
house or apartment.
The first section lays out six popular
decorating styles: Rustic (log cabin-like), Vintage (romantic and
whimsical), Plain and Simple (white walls and clean lines), Recycled
(resourceful and playful), Retro (mid-century modern), and Country
(traditional potting shed with a twist.) Envy-inspiring photos and “case
studies” of real huts and summer houses around the world are paired
with tips on the design elements that go into creating each style, e.g.,
stick to minimal accessories in a Rustic shed and use upcycled
industrial fittings in a Recycled one.
The second section deals with the more practical aspects of
furnishing tiny spaces, from how to heat your shed to how to choose
furniture that doesn’t overwhelm the room. Some of these tips are
specific to outdoor structures, but others are universal. Sheds by their
nature encourage cutting clutter,
using recycled and salvaged materials, and getting creative with
storage and organization - all principles that are just as helpful in a
four-bedroom house as a backyard hut.
A directory at the back of
the book lists online retailers specializing in each of the six styles
to help you furnish (or just daydream about) your future shed.
Shed Décor
is essentially a coffee table book packed with Pinterest-pretty images
combined with a collection of tips that are meant to spark ideas rather
than educate. You won’t learn how to re-cover a drop-in chair seat here,
but you might suddenly realize you want to.
But though the lives
and spaces depicted in this soft-cover volume could be dismissed as
fantasy - not everyone will be able to have what Coulthard calls a
“space that’s completely and utterly your own [to] lock yourself away
for hours pursuing your favorite pastime” – the book is lovely to look
at and more practical than it first appears. You don’t have to live in a
Victorian railway car by the seaside or an adorably renovated former
pig barn to be inspired to build shelves high above a tiny desk, or to
appreciate how a minimalist space
can incorporate art and humor. And though this book does not attempt to
cover all possible decorating styles, by showcasing a few currently
popular ones, it could help anyone contemplating a renovation or new
build to define their personal preferences.
In a shed, Shed Decor
declares, “you don’t have to play by the rules.” That reminder, along
with the book’s focus on the importance of creating a cozy, expressive,
and organized space for yourself, goes not only for trendy “Gypsy
wagons” and hunting huts, but for any place you live or work.
By Johnna Kaplan
