This little country story is about how a photographer daughter made her own studio in the backyard for a mother who loves to draw. Previously, this modest building housed work equipment, which was moved to the basement of the main house. The same place, suitable for both arts and life, was decorated as a gift.

In fact, for us, summer residents, this house is just one more confirmation that small space can be magically attractive and cozy. Maybe even more than a huge cottage.

Stacey Van Berkel has decorated this space entirely to her taste, not relying on any styles or traditions. Almost all the furniture was taken from relatives or from their own basement. Something - repainted, for something - new functionality was invented. Natural materials were also used in the decor. For example, a birch twig makes an excellent curtain.

“All I wanted was to create a place that would inspire my retired mother to be creative. She no longer works and lives outside the city, and it would be much more pleasant for me if she painted instead of watching TV. She loved doing it so much when she was younger! " - says Stacy. Helping her mother to realize her old dream of a studio, the girl also made her own - to win some national photography competition. Canada's National Magazine awarded her for the special charm of the pictures, which literally splashes out on the viewer and makes you feel better.

“Most of all, I was hampered by a limited budget. For about two years I was hatching this idea, but I could not realize it until a friend advised me to use what I have. And the rest - buy later. It turned out that I didn't have to buy anything in addition, except for new bed linen and pillowcases on the ground floor and a lot of paint cans. I collected all other things from relatives, neighbors, and even begged one of the tables from a friend in exchange for a photo session, ”says the self-taught decorator.

In general, the house has only one room, which is nevertheless divided into two levels. Downstairs there is a studio and a small living room, consisting of two chairs converted into armchairs by means of pillows. At the second level - sleeping area, which can be used only in the warm season.

“I probably would never have started working on the decor if I had not seen how others are doing it. An acquaintance showed me a small children's room in his house, which was full of old things. She looked not only beautiful, but also very stylish. Then I just decided that I would start lightly - buy white paint and paint everything I could get my hands on with it, ”Stacey started working on this small project with such an initiative.

“I spent more on paint than planned, but in between workdays, my aunt suggested that I take two of her old turquoise chairs that used to be on her veranda. Now there is a new seating area, and for me the chairs turned out to be a real treasure. In fact, they look much better than the new furniture's aunt. "

Little graceful pieces complement Stacy's interior wherever needed. For example, an old turquoise mug was transformed into a vase on the windowsill, where it would be empty without it.

The specially selected and exceptionally soft color scheme of this house consists of the following colors:

  • milky white and snow-white;
  • turquoise and mint;
  • pink;
  • light green.

“Mother's old easel had to be repainted white, otherwise it stood out too much in the interior. We did the same with the stool. But we found a small turquoise table near the easel gathering dust in our basement. His leg was broken, and I undertook to fix it myself. Then I painted it my favorite color, and it turned out to be a beautiful piece of furniture. Which, by the way, is not scary to get dirty with art, unlike new furniture. "

“Mom says that she has never received the best gift in her life. This is probably because all the repairs were kept secret from her. She only saw that I occasionally put barrels of paint there, but she did not expect such unearthly beauty at all. Besides, when I told her that there is also a bedroom upstairs, she just gasped. This turn of events became quite magical for her, because all the household members have long written off the old barn, ”says Stacy.



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It just so happened historically that most summer residents do not have a separate garden shed: there is a capital common one, and they get by. But this is not always convenient: all household members actively contribute to filling it, and the most comfortable spot for a new thing, for some reason, is right at the door. Naturally, over time, an insurmountable blockage forms at the entrance.


Do not forget one more feature: many of us are simply not able to immediately send a thing out of use to a landfill, be it an old coat or a limp coffee table - what if it will work for something? No, let it lie down for a while, but not in the house! It's clear where the old stuff goes for overexposure. As a result, it is not always possible to get a rake out of the barn without bringing down a pile of things.

A garden shed is a completely different matter. Personal, where only our goods are stored: pitchforks and rakes, hoes and shovels, soil and pots, pegs and strings, markers and a garden magazine. And if your imagination has helpfully drawn something like this (as in the photo below), don't worry: the barn doesn't have to be shabby, dusty, or unsightly.


A garden shed can be so cozy and charming that you want to spend as much time as possible near it, and for solutions for it decorative design it won't.

Miniature perfection

A small garden shed can be roomy and functional: on folding table it is convenient to transplant flowers or.



Or arrange a cozy place where you can wait out a little rain and drink some tea.


And my friend has a shed attached to the garden house, under which a small and fit. It is very convenient: the work is progressing, and the children are under supervision.

Fabulous beauty

Surely many would not refuse to keep in a hut, as if descended from the pages of a book of fairy tales.


Or in such a wonderful house. True, there is a high probability that the children would quickly recapture it for their own needs, leaving the hoes and rakes without a roof over their heads \u003d)




It would be necessary to urgently build a new shed for the inventory. But this is not a problem: there is no shortage of ideas, here are some more interesting ones.

Charm of color

Here the accent of the structure - color scheme... The snow-white building looks very beautiful, but, perhaps, it will suit only fans of cleanliness. I wouldn't dare to paint my garden shed in white color (even an ordinary rain will turn it into a mess, not to mention not always clean hands, which will have to open the door), but admiring it is a pleasure.


But the delicate lilac is pleasant to the eye and not so easily soiled.




Noble gray will harmoniously fit into any surrounding landscape.


Giving free rein to imagination, you can combine colors ad infinitum: who said that the garden shed should be monochromatic?




In my opinion, the design option for the garden shed in the photo below is perfect solution: lots of natural wood grain and very little soft pastels.


Agree, don't be window frames and the door is painted, the building would have looked ordinary, but a minimum of paint gave it a stylish look.

What are we building from?

The priority, of course, is wood in all types and forms.



Often times, the tree is not even covered with paint, leaving it in its natural form. But I still would not refuse.




By the way, one of our readers found a very original solution Barn Bark Finishes - Brick barns are great for those looking to get a solid structure.



It is not at all necessary to copy the proposed ideas: rework and change them at your discretion, supplement with pleasant details. After all, this is your garden shed, and only you can decide how to make it a decoration of your summer cottage.

What's inside?

Pleasant appearancecertainly wonderful. But no less important is how the shed looks from the inside! After all, we have to contemplate him more than once a day, so it is very desirable that he be as good inside as he is outside.

A window, even a small one, will create the feeling of a living room, and not a warehouse for shovels and rakes. Can you imagine how pleasant it will be to sit by the window, writing down the date or calculating the next date?


For the arrangement, the materials at hand will do: a few boards and boxes will provide us with a work table.


Continue iterating good options You can endlessly decorate garden sheds) Perhaps it's time to return to reality.

I, unfortunately, do not have a garden shed: hoes and shovels huddle in general with all the ensuing consequences, which I mentioned at the beginning of the article. In no way do I consider myself a fan of perfect order, but I would still like to find things where I left them. Therefore, a garden shed for me is not only a dream, but also an urgent need.

It makes no sense to build anything on the current site - constant flooding calls into question the further residence on it. But on the new land plot, I will have a garden shed for sure! Therefore, now I am in the process of actively searching for beautiful (but not at the expense of practicality) ideas for its design.

Friends, share photos of your garden sheds or interesting ideas you saw on the Internet - everything will come in handy! Most often, masterpieces are collective images: with the world on a string - and not just a garden shed is ready, but a worthy decoration of the dacha \u003d)

The article uses photos from the site ru.pinterest.com and pixabay.com.

Many people dream of their own home, but not everyone has the opportunity to buy a dream home. But all or almost everything, if desired, you can do yourself.

How to make a house from scrap materials on your own?

Here we will consider the example of an American couple, of course this is not Russia, the wrong climate, the wrong standard of living, but, nevertheless, a lot can be learned from the experience of our American neighbors.

Young spouses from Portland (Oregon, America) were able to prove by their example that this is possible.

They rebuilt the old barn and assembled their home literally bit by bit. What did they do in the end? We decided to take a look at the results of their labors!

Young enthusiasts

Small house interior

Newlyweds Michael and Jenny have long dreamed of their home, but the funds to buy it were sorely lacking. The only thing that we managed to acquire for a small amount of money was an old dilapidated barn and a small piece of land. The young people still had some money left. It was decided to spend it on house restoration and interior decoration.

Everything that is at hand

Small kitchen interior

The shed went to the couple not empty, but filled with old boxes and boards. They were used to restore and strengthen the facade of the house, as well as partial interior decoration... Interestingly, Michael and Jenny were lucky with the wood, they got teak and cedar boards. This wood was also useful for creating furniture that the owners of the house made with their own hands, which made it possible to significantly save money. Another part of the interior items was purchased at flea markets and family sales.

Michael and Jenny made a lot in the house with their own hands

Furniture made from old planks and boxes

Living room top view

House territory

The equipment was bought in an old things store

Competent storage in a small interior

Cozy zoning

Despite the fact that the area of \u200b\u200bthe house is only 35 square meters, zoning was well organized in it. The kitchen was separated with a bar counter. The living room was not cluttered with furniture, there is only a sofa that moved with the owners from the old interior, as well as a homemade table and stool. The second floor was completely dedicated to the bedroom. It turned out to be relatively spacious and well organized.

Living area

Small bedroom interior

Tiny bathroom

A tiny shared bathroom deserves special attention, in which they did not abandon the standard bath. The entire space of the room was made in white. To save space, the plumbing was chosen in non-standard sizes. This also influenced the visual perception of the small interior.

Those who live in the south of our country may well do the same. By the way, the temperature in Portland can drop to -20.

Well, for us, residents of snow-covered regions and frosts at -40, of course, we need a shed at least on a foundation and with a stove, and there will not be enough old boards for insulation, but this is not even the point, but that everything here is made with our own hands from waste material and only 35kV, people have created a spacious and most comfortable space, this can be done with us.


How to make a house from scrap materials on your own? Young spouses from Portland (Oregon, America) were able to prove by their example that this is possible. They rebuilt the old barn and assembled their home literally bit by bit. What did they do in the end? We decided to take a look at the results of their work!

Young enthusiasts



Newlyweds Michael and Jenny have long dreamed of their home, but the funds to buy it were sorely lacking. The only thing that we managed to acquire for a small amount of money was an old dilapidated barn and a small piece of land. The young people still had some money left. It was decided to spend it on house restoration and interior decoration.

Everything that is at hand



The shed went to the couple not empty, but filled with old boxes and boards. They were used to restore and strengthen the facade of the house, as well as partial interior decoration. Interestingly, Michael and Jenny were lucky with the wood, they got teak and cedar boards. This wood was also useful for creating furniture, which the owners of the house made with their own hands, which made it possible to significantly save money. Another part of the interior items was purchased at flea markets and family sales.















Despite the fact that the area of \u200b\u200bthe house is only 35 square meters, the zoning is well organized in it. The kitchen was separated with a bar counter. The living room was not cluttered with furniture, there is only a sofa that moved with the owners from the old interior, as well as a homemade table and stool. The second floor was completely dedicated to the bedroom. It turned out to be relatively spacious and well organized.



IN country design even utility blocks can be not just a barn, but a real work of art. I bring to your attention interesting ideas auxiliary sheds, houses for inventory and workshops. All these structures can be made for a summer residence with your own hands, decorated to your liking.

Hozblok can be without windows to prevent easy theft of the tool if your site is located in a not very quiet place.

The wall of the shed can be decorated with painted plastic plates screwed in with self-tapping screws. In my dacha, this is how the northern wall is decorated, I painted them myself.

Your workshop can be with a small porch, where you can sit and take a break from summer cottages and worries.

The classic design of a nice utility block, decorated with ampel flowers, as well as tub and tray compositions.

The octagonal guest house can be used both as a workshop and as a utility block.

Hozblok, combined with a garage. Even a shed can have a beautiful front garden with flower beds.

Stylish guest house made of foam blocks can also serve as your workshop.

Here's another beautiful idea hozblok enthusiastic summer resident. The doors, as I like, are glazed to the floor.

Great idea of \u200b\u200ba utility block combined with a guest house.

The idea of \u200b\u200bimitating windows with flower trays will revive the plain walls of the barn.

Nice composition of a shed and a pergola with a resting place.

A classic barn in the country or a private courtyard.

Still, it's nice that there are people who create from ordinary, familiar buildings, and also beautiful solutions landscape design.

It would seem like a shed, but here the porch, here the flowers - and already a completely different feeling! Some kind of joy ...

If you paint the shed in light shades, then it will immediately become more fun on the site.

Old tools can be hung on the walls and decorated in a rustic country style.

A neat guest house, sheathed with shingles.

A beautiful idea for a shed in the country - a flower bed and trays with flowers, a path of stone slabs leading to the building.

High barn with shed roof and windows for light from the ceiling.

The original utility block for storing inventory in the country.

Workshop idea on summer cottage - I can assume that the artist creates his masterpieces here!

Natural roof in scandinavian style - In Norway, you can find turf on old houses. Well, here the designer's idea was to plant a flowering lawn.

Some ideas are so good that they can even form the basis of a small country house, not a utility block.

In the photo - quite a working option for summer house on a plot of 6 acres.

Wenge shed - stylish solution on color!

A stone utility block in an English estate - the building is more than one century old, and more than one century ahead!

A simple idea of \u200b\u200ba barn for storing inventory in a summer cottage.

A beautiful plywood frame shed.

A squat utility block is a design idea for your summer cottage.

The original solution is an imitation of shutters on the window.

Such utility blocks can be made with your own hands in a week, thus you will find a place where you can store the tool. But don't turn the room into a storage room!

The idea of \u200b\u200bdesigning an approach to outbuildings in the country.

It would also be nice to provide a canopy over the door so that in the rain you can open the door without standing under the falling drops of water.

An unusual solution for the entrance group made it possible to create an additional door.

Solid barn built in Western style.

The idea of \u200b\u200bthe utility block is a square workshop.

The idea of \u200b\u200ba utility block with an asymmetrical roof.

Hozblok with a beautiful front door on massive hinges.

Unusual utility block with walls made of sawn wood. I have already met such a solution many times, I wonder how laborious and reliable it is?

On this, let me say goodbye to you today, see you tomorrow! Stay tuned for updates, share ideas with your friends, get inspired and create unique beauty on your site!


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