We are probably all familiar with the concept of the man cave – the shed at the bottom of the garden or perhaps a room in the house that the male of the species disappears to, often for hours at a time, and often just when he is needed to carry out some task. Well recently we have seen the emergence of the female equivalent – the she shed. According to the consumer organisation Which?® there has been a 12 fold increase in the number of such sheds in the last three years.
Figures show that sales of sheds have gone up 50% so far this year. So what is the she shed all about? There seem to be two reasons why women are buying into this concept. One reason is having somewhere to escape to. We lead increasingly busy lives and find it difficult to switch off, a shed is a place where you can go if you want to just have a bit of time to yourself and this is true equally for men and women. It may also be linked to the tendency for open plan living such as the kitchen/ diner. These are great family spaces but this perhaps comes at the cost of fewer rooms that give us privacy.
The second reason is the growth of the home office. 4.2 million people work from home, one third of whom are women. Women are increasingly working at home whether that is to have a better work/ life balance or because they are running their own businesses. We tend to struggle with space in our homes and simply may not have enough room to have a separate office or even workable office space. Having a she shed that works or doubles as a home office could be a much cheaper alternative than moving house.
In each case having that separation between the home and the relaxation/ work space that a shed provides, even if that only involves walking a few steps, can make a big difference to how it feels and how successfully it works whatever its function.
So what does the she shed need to have/ be? The short answer is whatever you want it to. On a practical note, double glazing and underfloor heating mean that your shed will be usable all year round. For me, I would say it should feel like a home rather than a shed so give free rein to your feminine side. I love the examples below which all have a soft and possibly vintage style. It definitely needs to have comfortable seating, preferably a sofa or daybed but if the space is small a couple of cane chairs and side table are really all you need for an bolt hole. It should have facilities for you to make tea and coffee, maybe a little fridge. You want a desk if it is intended to function as an office or a small writing table. Furnish with lots of cushions and throws and pretty curtains at the windows. The essence of the shed is that it is a personal space so fill it with the things that give you pleasure.
If you would like help creating your very own she shed call now on 07745 876182 e mail to info@homestyle4u.com or complete the enquiry form below. We help people across Cheshire and the North West.
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