Hi Friends!!
If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you may have already caught a few glimpses of the project we’ve been working on in our backyard this summer. I’ve shared little updates in my stories as things have progressed, but today I thought it would be fun to share the whole story here on the blog!
We built a garden shed!
You might remember back in April when I shared our plans for a new raised bed garden area. At the time, I was so excited to finally get started on a project I had been dreaming about for quite a while, and I had every intention of building our new raised beds this summer.
Well, as you can probably guess, things didn’t go quite according to that original timeline. But that’s because we decided to tackle one very important part of the project first — the garden shed!
And now that it’s built, I can already see how much this one addition is going to transform the entire space.
Come and take a look at what we’ve been working on ~
Why We Built the Garden Shed First
When I first started dreaming about our new raised bed garden, I knew I wanted it to be more than just a collection of garden beds.
I envisioned a space that felt beautiful and intentional. Somewhere I could grow flowers and vegetables, spend time working in the garden, and enjoy being surrounded by all the things I love.
And at the center of that vision was a little garden shed.
As we began planning the layout, we realized that before we could start building the raised beds, we really needed to have the shed in place.
My hope is to have the shed centered in the middle of the garden, with raised beds and walkways thoughtfully arranged around it. Since the shed will be the focal point, its placement would determine how everything else comes together.
So rather than rushing ahead with the raised beds, we decided to start with the shed and build the garden around it.
Which also means that the raised bed portion of this project will now be happening in spring 2027.
Not exactly what I had originally planned, but sometimes that’s just how projects go!
Watching Our Garden Shed Come to Life
We chose a 12′ x 16′ shed, which gives us plenty of room for all the things I hope to use it for.
The first step was preparing the ground and getting the foundation in place.
I remember how exciting it was to see the floor framing go up. After spending so much time imagining what this little corner of our yard could become, it was finally starting to feel real.
And once the walls started going up, things really began to take shape! We worked with a friend of ours who has a local construction company on the build portion of it. I sketched it out on a piece of paper, and he thoughtfully brought it to life so my husband and I could work on the finishing details and building out my workspace inside.
One of the details I knew I wanted was a small dormer on the roof. I love the character it adds, and the transom window brings in a little extra natural light.
We also chose French doors for the front, along with traditional windows and siding to give it more of a cottage feel.
As each new detail was added, I could see more and more of the little garden shed I had pictured in my mind.
It’s funny how one project can make you even more excited for everything that’s still to come.
A Little Cottage in the Garden
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know how much I love creating spaces that feel collected and lived in.
And even though this is technically a garden shed, I want it to feel like a natural extension of our home.
My hope is that when the raised beds are eventually built around it, the shed will look like it has always belonged there.
I picture garden paths leading up to the French doors, flowers growing around the outside, and a little space where I can spend time potting plants or arranging freshly cut stems from the garden.
Of course, it will be practical, too! But I’ve always believed that even the most functional spaces can be beautiful.
And I have some fun plans for the inside that I can’t wait to share with you.
Think reclaimed wood, open shelving filled with terra-cotta pots, and a few charming details inspired by old-fashioned potting sheds.
I’m saving more of those interior details for another post because I think they deserve a little story of their own.
What’s Next for Our Garden Shed?
Now that the shed is built, we can finally start thinking about the next phase of this project.
The raised beds will have to wait until spring, but that doesn’t mean we are finished working on this little space for the year.
In fact, I’ve already been having some fun adding a few seasonal touches to the outside!
And friends, I cannot wait to show you!
There’s something about decorating a little garden cottage for fall that feels especially charming, and I’ve been so excited to see how it all comes together.
I’ll be sharing the finished exterior, all decorated for fall, very soon!
For now, I’m just enjoying seeing this little shed sitting in the spot where I had imagined it for so long.
It may not be surrounded by beautiful raised beds and flowers just yet, but it’s the beginning of something I’ve been looking forward to creating.
And if there’s one thing I’ve learned through all the projects we’ve tackled around our home, it’s that creating a space you love doesn’t happen overnight.
Sometimes it happens one project, one season, and one cozy layer at a time.
I can’t wait to share the next part with you!
Stay tuned, friends!
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