Welcome to The She Shed: Inside My Design Studio

Most of you probably know that my creative studio, where I bring all my gardening and craft ideas to life, is lovingly referred to as “The She Shed.” But you may be wondering how The She Shed came to be. So, I wanted to share the story of its beginnings and highlight some of my favorite details that make it so special to me.

The She Shed sign

How it Started

In the space where the She Shed is now, we had an old shed on our property that was being used for storage. It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t very functional.

I wanted a space where I could create. Somewhere to express myself and my love for vintage treasures I collect. I envisioned a garden shed that I could also use as a creative studio—a beautiful space to work and find design inspiration.

So, we tore down the old shed and began construction on my soon-to-be She Shed in 2017.

construction of The She Shed

Upcycled Materials

Since we live in a historical house, I wanted the shed to reflect the age of the house.

To help achieve this, we used some fascinating materials that were all upcycled from their previous life.

We incorporated old doors from our home into the sides and back of the shed and some vintage windows we purchased.

I bought the front doors and sidelights at an architectural salvage yard, and we purchased the exterior barn wood from a mill in Paso Robles that tears down old barns and repurposes the wood.

For another upcycle, I collected a unique assortment of chair spindles that we used for the transom.

I also added some fun architectural pieces to the exterior and used old gardening tools for decoration.

Using upcycled materials not only limits waste, but it adds such a unique charm to a space that is hard to achieve when using new materials.

The She Shed exterior

Inside The She Shed

To help the shed feel more spacious, the inside of the shed has an open beam design and is painted white.

We also added a mirror behind the windows along the back wall to make the shed feel more significant than it is.

inside the she shed

All of the furnishings are pieces I have collected from estate sales. I love hunting for and finding hidden treasures to give a new life.

My large worktable, where I do most of my crafting, came from a restaurant. It has a great wood work surface on top and looks perfectly at home alongside my eclectic and vintage décor.

There is no electricity or running water in the shed. However, we have run cords out to the shed to run market lights inside and out and an extra extension cord for my glue gun – that was a must!

Wendy McMonigle creating in her She Shed

Vintage Details

What makes my Shed extra special is all the unique vintage details that we added throughout. The She Shed is a functional space but also a creative space. So it was important to me to create a beautiful space full of my favorite things where I can relax, feel at home, and be inspired to create.

Wendy McMonigle in her she shed

I use an old chicken cage to store all of my pots. The aesthetic is perfect and has a great metal top that creates a second workspace for me.

an old chicken cage is great for storage

I hung an old ladder from the ceiling to create extra storage and as a place to hang my flowers to dry them. This piece is perfect for storing and hanging wreaths as well.

an old ladder hung from the ceiling creates extra storage

I use old metal tool cabinets to store my tools and supplies. In addition, I have several wood crates underneath my worktable for storage.

old metal tool cabinets store tools and supplies

The décor of the shed has pretty much remained the same over the years.

It is the perfect space to display a few of my collections. I collect vintage flower frogs, old gardening tools, galvanized buckets, and watering cans. Oh, and I love to collect clay pots. Honestly, I love to collect a lot of things!

Other vintage details include a vintage pie safe that sits on top of the chicken cage, which works great for added storage or display.

I also have a vintage scale that hangs and holds flowers, old books, and birdhouses my husband has made.

vintage scale that hangs and holds flowers

She Shed Seasonal Décor

Just like in my home, I love to change out the décor in The She Shed for each season or holiday.

To keep it interesting, I also change it up from year to year, so there is always some new seasonal decorative element to create and appreciate in my space.

Spring in The She Shed

Living in Southern California, I am fortunate to enjoy my shed and my outdoor spaces all year long.

Springtime brings lots of beautiful fresh flowers, open doors, and planting. In addition, I enjoy adding a bit of Valentine’s Day decor and a few bunnies during Easter.

Fall in The She Shed

I think fall and Halloween are my favorite seasons to decorate the shed.

There is something cozy about cornstalks, pumpkins, and pretty mums in warm autumn hues. Add a few lanterns and candles, and you have a picture-perfect fall scene.

fall in the she shed

When it comes to Halloween décor, I can’t resist having some spooky fun. I had fun creating these jack-o-lantern tea lights and using long tapered candles displayed in front of a vintage mirror.

halloween in the she shed

Decorating for the winter season and Christmas holiday is always memorable. I love to extend my holiday décor to my shed, which looks magical, draped in greenery and white twinkle lights or surrounded by red poinsettias.

winter in the she shed

It’s also the perfect place to display some of my holiday collections, like this vintage tinsel tree with birdhouse ornaments that add a bit of sparkle to my workspace.

winter in the she shed

I hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes glimpse into my beloved She Shed!

For more fun in The She Shed, tune in to my weekly program called “Meet Me in the She Shed,” where I teach and demonstrate gardening and craft ideas for the home. You can see it live on Instagram on Thursdays, and the time varies each week. However, I post the time in my stories on Wednesdays. Hope to see you there!

If you love vintage treasures as much as I do, check out my SHOP MY FINDS page for a few things I pick up and sell on my site.

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18 Comments

  1. Omgoodess Wendy! you must spend hours in your she-shed!! No wonder you come up with so many great ideas – you are surrounded by inspiration! Thanks for sharing!

    1. Thank you, Cindy. It really is a very inspiring place for me to work in.

  2. Where do I subscribe? I am overlooking it.

    1. Hi Karen, WEll, we will have to fix that, lol.
      go to my home page https://wmdesignhouse.com
      Then scroll down just a hair, it is just below my picture where I am sitting at my work table.
      Thank you so ch and I appreciate you stopping by

    2. Thank you Karen, It is one of my favorite pieces in my yard.

    3. Now, I am not sure, is your name Karen? or Susan? I see the e-mail says, Susan? I just don’t want to call you by the wrong name:))))

    4. I can always add you if you would like too, just let me know.

  3. Oh my word – it is heavenly!!!! What a dream space. You are SO lucky you live in SoCal. It snowed here 2 weekends ago.

    Even with yucky weather most of the year I’d freaking LOVE to have a place like that. I will just have to live vicariously through you!!! Coming over from Karianne’s THISTLEKEEPING blog post. Glad she found you so then I could, too.

  4. Oh my gosh, this is such a gorgeous space!! I saw it on Thistlekeeping and had to see more..

    1. Thank you Jennifer, you are so sweet. I love my sweet She shed, it provides such peace and creativity for me. Thanks for stopping by. XOI was going to do a big post on this for Pinterest this month, but just may save it, LOL

  5. Wendy,
    Your She-Shed is just darling. I love every detail. I’m sharing a look back at my Greenhouse/she-shed on Dirt Road Adventures tomorrow. We started construction 2 years ago this week. I’d love to share a link about your shed on that post. I hope that’s ok.

    1. Of course, and I need to do what you do. I love your Saturday round-ups.
      I would also like to do a round-up of sheds and greenhouses like we did the upcycle project.
      I know Kim from Shiplap and shells and I may have a few others, what do you think?

  6. Well this is the first post I’ve read (so far!) and I already want to come live with you. Have a guest room? I’d love to sit and play in your she-shed as we discuss our love for repurposed, vintage goodies. Glad you messaged me on IG. looking forward to getting to know you better.

    1. Hi Cindy, you are so sweet. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post. I would love to have you come anytime. We can go thrifting together. I too am looking forward to getting to know you better. Have a great weekend.

  7. Fabulous Wendy! I loved learning about how you created ant built your she shed. Love the spindles and all the unique storage pieces inside!

  8. Fabulous Wendy! I loved learning about how you created ant built your she shed. Love the spindles and all the unique storage pieces inside!

  9. Thank you for sharing! I love my shed too and in fact it was one of two things that made me come look at the house when I was relocating!

    1. Hi Debi, Thank you for stopping by and reading my post. I am glad you enjoyed it. I would love to see your shed too, please send some pictures.

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