Hip roof shed adds garden charm
The new shed is finished! Here’s my husband showing off his excellent workmanship. Adorable, no? Yes, both of them. But whew, what a project, a year-and-a-half in the making, to build a shed-like structure to hide the pool pump and, in the process, add a charming garden structure to the back garden.
Remember what it looked like when we moved in? A rectangle of board fencing hid the pump but actually subtracted from the view. I hated it.
Then we replaced the fence behind it, and with the pump exposed I had a vision of a garden shed built around it. Of course it had to be complicated. I wanted a hip roof and arched doors. (The double doors in front are faux. Only the side door opens.)
And now it’s reality, thanks to the hard work of my DH, who took my sketches and brought them to life. Thanks, honey!
I pulled the colors from this outdoor rug on our deck. I’m still mulling over the turquoise doors.
Here’s the view through the peek-a-boo window in our side-yard gate. It’s much more inviting now.
All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Very nice, he did a great job! He should definitely be proud of his accomplishment there.
It certainly adds to the view from all directions. The door color looks good and once you go through several seasons in the garden you will know if it needs to change.
Yes, I too enjoy the different views of the shed, S. Fox. The “lines of sight” from various parts of the garden was definitely part of the plan. —Pam
Love it! You are so lucky to have such a handy-man! (cute too!) I like the turquoise.
He’s blushing, Weeder. 😉 —Pam
Very cool! Wow, y’all are certainly accomplishing a lot of projects this spring!!! I’m jealous! Maybe you could paint the doors the same blue as your beautiful blue pots to pull that color across the garden. Just a thought.
Thanks for the suggestion, Toni. I considered cobalt blue originally but think I will leave that intense color to the garden accessories. —Pam
Love it! Awww, those hubby’s, sooo much work, but they do validate why we keep them around from time to time.. 😉 I really like that color on the door. The french blue would match the splashes of color you have throughout your garden, like the bttle tree and some planters you have, but then maybe thats too much of the same blue…I dont know? The chartreuese would bring out the yellow greens you like so much like that yellow striped agave type plant you have, but from the window view I think it would overwhelm the patches of blue grey you have with that squatty spiky agave looking plant you have and that beautiful gray looking conifer looking tree you have. But whatever makes you happiest! Thats the best reason to have a garden! But I must ask what that gray looking conifer tree is…..ive been looking for something similar myself….how big does it get?
The tree is a ‘Blue Ice’ Arizona cypress, Alma. It gets tall but stays pretty narrow, about 8 feet wide, I think. Other varieties of Arizona cypress get much wider. It likes good drainage and full sun. —Pam
I love it! Yep, he and the shed are both adorable. I think the combination of colors and shapes of doors/roof are just perfect.
Thanks, Iris! —Pam
Nice! I’m jealous. And yes it is normal for males to take a long time to complete projects of such exceptional quality. Amen! I bet he really loved cutting out those doors. From a male perspective not really hip on the door colors, however, maybe silver gray. Less contrast.
It’s good to have positive confirmation of project length, Greggo. 😉 Yeah, he LOVED all the construction. (Not!) But he’s a good sport. Thanks for the color suggestion. —Pam
You and DH have a true partnership, Pam – personal & artistic!
I love the arched, half-circle shape for the door tops. It reflects and emphasizes the circular patterns in your garden bed, tanks & ceramics.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Thanks for the comment and for later playing around with my shed picture on Photoshop. I really like your Twitter suggestion for an apple green and plan to give that a go, or some variation of it. —Pam
What a nice addition! It’s great-looking and serves a purpose. David’s hard work (and your design) really paid off. Love it!
Thanks, Sherry! —Pam
Wow, Wow Wow!! Well worth the wait.
I have to agree, Jenny. —Pam
Woo Hoo!! It looks great! He deserves to be proud of such good work. Things are really coming together, in your garden.
Thanks, Linda. —Pam
Pam, They’re both adorable! I love the shed and think the color is perfect~gail
Thank you, Gail. —Pam
Husband as well as the shed are adorable!! Another task crossed off your list…you are moving right along..
Yes, one crossed off, and others are waiting. But that’s the fun of it. —Pam
Great job! Great color! Great husband to do that..what a guy!
I owe him one now, Linda. —Pam
Nice pond/trough!
Thanks, DGG. I get a lot of enjoyment out of my stock-tank pond. —Pam
He did a great job – it’s very quaint. Now you need another major project!
I may hire out the next one, Diana: putting an arbor over the deck for shade. Poor hubby deserves a break. —Pam
It is charming indeed, and I think your colours are perfect as they are. 🙂 Nice job!
Thanks, Nancy. —Pam
OK, super-jealous of super-cute shed – love the door color – and of super-cute and capable hubby!
Thanks, Cyndy. Now he’s blushing again! —Pam
It looks great! I admire your vision. I would never have thought of a hip roof for a shed.
It added complexity to the construction, but I love the way a hip roof looks. I originally envisioned a cupola, but now I think simpler is better. —Pam
I don’t know, it’s awfully pretty. Fun photo of your hubby smiling. I would have smiled too. Impressed I am. You guys always make the prettiest things. You are slowly changing this yard into looking like “you” again. Makes me not miss your other garden so much in these pages.~~Dee
Thanks, Dee. It took me 8 years to get my former garden to the point where you visited it. Give me 8 years here, and I hope you’ll like it just as much. 🙂 —Pam
Wow! Great work by David, and yes, these projects do seem to take forever. But once they’re done, you begin immediately to forgot the old views. I love the view through the gate; reminds me of the corner buildings at Mount Vernon.
Thanks, Linda. I haven’t been to Mount Vernon since I was a kid, but the shed design definitely borrows from old-fashioned garden structures. —Pam
The shed looks very nice – great idea. Turned out great.
Thanks, RBell. —Pam
Beautiful job. Behind every great gardener, there’s a supportive spouse!
So true! —Pam
I like it. I wish I could have a shed. My HOA does not allow them. Maybe one day. In the meantime, I’ll just admire yours from afar.
Can you get around that by building a small lean-to “shed” next to your house to house your tools, Carol? And maybe you could still add structure to your garden with an open, free-standing pergola with room beneath for a table and chairs or, if smaller, a bench? —Pam
Yes, they are both very handsome. I love that smile and your colors are cool and serene for hot Austin nights.
Cool colors do help cool down our hot summers, Layanee. —Pam
Gorgeous! Your hubby is a keeper. And you’ve got great vision to see that charming shed. I like the way you took out the grass and made a neutral surround–and it won’t need watering during our next (current?) drought.
The grass around the shed isn’t gone yet, Kathleen, but it will be soon. It kept the area from being a mudpit during construction. —Pam
The hubby did a great job. He made a good model too.
He’s blushing again! —Pam
Nice looking shed! Looks awesome! Color alternative: How about a cobalt blue (or in that area) to go with your fountain.
Thanks for the suggestion, Candy. I thought about that originally but decided to keep that deep blue limited to the accessories. I think I’m going to try an apple green or lemon-lime and see how that suits me. —Pam
that’s a nice looking shed – do you hire out your husband? 🙂
Not a chance, Katina. I’ve got another dream project in mind if he’ll ever consent to do another one. Which isn’t likely. 😉 —Pam
I love the shape of the doors and the cool roof. I also love the view of it through the peek-a-boo window. I, too, wanted to ask if you hired hubby out…You’re very lucky, Pam!
Don’t I know it, Laura! 🙂 —Pam
I LOVE the turquoise doors!! And I would not have guessed the front doors were faux. They look great!
Thanks, Michelle! —Pam
I think it’s gorgeous and I do like the turquoise doors – you have a lovely garden 🙂
Thanks so much, Jayne. —Pam
It was worth the wait Pam. Peeking through the fence makes one want to go peek into the little shed and to see what other wonders might be in your garden. Well done hubby.
Peeking into the shed would reveal only the pool mechanicals. But it does look enticing, doesn’t it? Thanks for the nice comment. —Pam
The husband isn’t quite as nice a model as mine 😉 Love the result, but why *fake* doors?
To simplify the design, Chookie, we wanted to build only one working door/gate; it’s on the side where the original gate opened. But the shed is mainly viewed from the long side, so I wanted something of interest there. I toyed with the idea of a window or a mural but decided a faux double door would balance the scale of the structure. —Pam
Great design, great execution. Love the hip roof.
I see you have “Vanishing Threshold” on your blog roll, Dillard has many posts about color in the garden ( and she’s a hoot to read!). She uses a toned down version of your doors. Maybe a little coat of glaze to add depth???
http://taradillard.blogspot.com/2009/07/missions-paints-obits.html
Yes, I’ve enjoyed Tara’s entertaining posts about color. I can never stick to one color throughout the garden, as she does, but I can appreciate her advice for a cohesiveness of style. And her color choices are certainly classic. Thanks for the suggestion, Jane. —Pam
Fabulous! I’m not sure who is happier, you or the builder! He really did a beautiful job and the design is lovely! It needs to be on the cover of a magazine!
Thanks, Cat. I’m really happy with it, but I think in this case he may be happier to be done. —Pam
This is a picture of my friend’s plants by her cabin in Norway. I love the colors….:
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I’m sorry, Linda, but I can’t get the link to work. I expect she’s protected her FB page from view by strangers (smart lady). —Pam
Sorry..I guess the link didn’t work..:( control C plus paste of entire link might work..
It is really nice and adds a lot of charm to your already awesome landscape.
Jake
Thanks, Jake. That’s kind of you! —Pam
OMG I WANNNNNNT IT!!!! Great color choices, Pam!! Wow…it is really, really fabulous…garden magazine worthy, for sure! Jackdaddy’s got a new project! hahahah
Poor Jackdaddy! 😉 Thanks for your enthusiasm, Mamaholt. You know, I may be coming around to the turquoise doors after all. —Pam
Just darling! Now I’m determined to make over our shed. Congratulations to you both!
Thanks, Linda. Have fun with your makeover! —Pam