The Shedista

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.
Albert Einstein


It was the Velveteen Rabbit of sheds. Loved, worn, and tattered: the stuffing falling out. That was before Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways triggered my imagination out of hibernation.
The shed was built by my husband and our sons at the beginning of what turned out to be an uncertain decade. There was a lot of tumult in my husband’s industry: we really weren’t certain we would be able to stay in the home where we raised our family. The tentativeness of that time was left behind in the form of half-done or never started pieces for projects. By the time I read Debra Prinzing’s Stylish Sheds, the brick floor could not be seen because of all the boxes stacked upon it.

Einstein was wrong about imagination being everything. Without action it is nothing. So I set about clearing the space so there would be room for the imagination to spread out. Spoiled paints took up valuable space with no value in saving- gone. Duplicate supplies were consolidated. Emptied of evidence of how much indecision I had allowed, this jewel box sized building stood ready to be scrubbed, repainted and reborn.

The shed project isn’t quite finished. But enough is done to share how much FUN it can be to put the past behind and look into the future. I am now and forever more a Shedista.

The inspiration piece turned out to be an old pine double bed set to be piled in to a dumpster. With a little elbow grease, leftover plywood, a minimum of tools and four cans of spray paint- we now have a colonial day bed for our doggies to snuggle in.

The chest at the foot of the bed was a close out at a discount store. It set the color-way for accessories as the project evolved. It lacked a latch- which I selected from the stock at our local hardware store. Instead of storing blankets- this under $25 bargain holds micro- tubing for repairs and additions to our drip watering system.
The mattress was a cushion bought end of season. The bed skirt and pillow cases were cut from a rectangular tablecloth. The pillow sham was created from two place mats sewn together and stuffed with a travel pillow.
Now that my puppies have a plush place to plop on while I putter about on projects nearby, I can get to putting action to the coming attractions in this journey called life.

Shopping Credits-

Paint and Hardware from Ken's Ace Hardware, Diamond Bar
Chest from Ross Department Store

Placemats for pillow sham from Bed, Bath and Beyond.
"Petal Pushing" Tablecloth and trash can from Barbara Cheatley's, Claremont, California.