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By candace kramer, October 12, 2011 5:36 pm

Hello friends! I’m back! Summer was busy, busy and my time spent with family and friends was top priority! Now that Fall has come and everyone is getting settled back into their schedules, I have found time to work on my blog once more. As I mentioned in a past post, my son and I worked on rejuvenating the garden of my rental home and we were also in the process of building a storage shed. Both projects turned out brilliantly and here are some of the pics to show our fabulous results!

First up, the garden. It was so long neglected, full of weeds and completely overgrown but we brought it back to life!

And yes, that is my “new old shed” back there! Cute right?

Even though our summer was extremely mild, Peter managed to pick a ripe tomato from the vine before heading back to school!

Okay, now for my shed! As you know, I researched sheds online, in stores and just about everywhere! I wanted just the right design. Simple, funky and constructed using some of the salvaged materials from the garage remodel (soon to be granny flat) I’m working on.

Finally, I found a shed builder – Justin Marical – that had great ideas and would build to my specs. Check out his great company here. He was very open to using my salvaged materials and helped me design a 12 ft long and 3 ft deep, lean-to style shed that fit perfectly with the scale of the backyard garden.

This old window was from the main house which I had replaced with a new vinyl double hung.

Peter washed down the old door from the garage, which is now the front door to my shed.

The shed threshold was created with bricks that we found on site. Peter did a fantastic job laying these in.

The beautiful red stained cedar siding was left over from an old condo project I worked on! This siding is usually very expensive but I got a great deal on it and Justin was drooling! ha ha! I added an old flower box that had previously been installed on the main house and the lovely trellis was installed by my very talented Russian carpenter – Eli! He has done some gorgeous work on my beach house too. Even the roof was done with left over composite material. Isn’t it cute!? I’m so happy with the result and it felt good to use materials that most likely would have ended up in a landfill.

What projects did you complete over the summer?

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By candace kramer, August 24, 2011 10:20 pm

Just recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Leah Hersey of Jersey Girl Weaving. She’s a client of mine and when she told me about her home studio, I wanted to know more! Over tea and snacks, she told me the story of how her newly built studio was born.

Leah has always had a passion for textiles and inevitably fell in love with the art of weaving. Not quite as portable as knitting or as compact as cross-stitch, Leah soon realized that she would need space – a lot of space – to fully devote her self to this craft. After all, a real loom takes up a whole lotta floor. Enter the idea of constructing an out building and making it her full time studio!

Aptly named Jersey Girl Weaving – a throwback to her time living on the east coast – this new building has provided the space, natural light and artistic solitude that Leah was seeking.

I couldn’t resist capturing all the beautiful details of Leah’s space…

I just love all the colors and textures! The groupings of sheep create a sense of whimsy and honor Leah’s love of wool.

I know that having this new space makes Leah’s art a central focus in her life and brings her much joy.

By thinking creatively, she maximized her property and utilized her space with care and purpose.

Do you ever dream of having your own home office or studio? Where could you create this space?

Thanks to Leah for inspiring us!

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By candace kramer, July 22, 2011 4:57 pm

Hello! Hope your week has been going well! Right now, I’ve got sheds on the brain. You see, after much thought we have decided to renovate the detached garage of our rental home. Inspired by the many garage remodels that I have seen recently, I’ve taken the leap and started my own! Don’t worry, I will be documenting and sharing the process with you too! Turning this rather dilapidated garage into a fabulous living space will be quite the adventure but now that the picture is becoming clearer, I believe a shed will be in order.  A quaint little outbuilding with character, style and of course, functionality.

Thankfully, sheds have come a long way. They are not longer the forgotten shack in the corner of the property where you keep the lawn mower and rake. These days sheds have taken on a new importance and aesthetic, often mirroring the style and architecture  of the home. Some use them as a retreat, an office space or dining room. Check out these magical little sheds I’ve come across…via Houzz…

traditional landscape design by other metros general contractor Jo-Anne Peck

traditional patio design by seattle landscape architect Lisa Port, APLD

modern landscape design by sllasf.com

eclectic exterior design by san francisco general contractor BMF CONSTRUCTION

traditional patio design by seattle architect Bosworth Hoedemaker

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