So, you want to convert an existing shed to a work studio. Or play space for children. Or a guest cottage. How does one begin such an onerous task? How to transform a cluttered, messy shed to a cute living space?
We originally built our sixteen-by-twelve Tuff Shed to collect rainwater, intending to eventually use it for storage. However, realizing that I was going to do violence to someone if the three of us had to live in a travel trailer for longer than a couple of weeks, I convinced J to finish the shed out so that we could live in it until our permanent home was built. The video below illustrates how.
The shed then served as a tiny house for us for almost 2 yrs. Then, after we had our earth-sheltered house built, it reverted back into being a shed.
A messy, junky shed.
Until I decided I wanted to turn it back into a tiny house. In the first video at the top of the page, I share the five steps it takes to get such a large project accomplished. Those steps are:
- Determine the purpose for the space.
- Declutter. Which means, you need to have somewhere to take all the things that you want to keep, but that you no longer want in the shed. We had another shed for that purpose. I had to declutter it first, to make room for the items from the Tuff Shed.
- Plan the space. Where which piece of furniture will go, etc.
- Rearrange and/or add the furniture and accessories that you need and want so that the shed can fulfill its new purpose.
- Finally, to the largest extent possible, save money by using what you already have. An extra night stand or bookcase not being well-utilized in your home. Extra wall decor. And so on.
To convert a shed into a living space can take a lot of time and effort. But, in my experience, it's well-worth it!
