The 52 Book Club 2022 Challenge Prompt: 9. A book that sparks joy

Other Possible Prompts: 5. Chapters have titles, 6. Household object on the cover, 8. Involving the art world, 11. A book with less than 2022 Goodreads ratings, 24. Addresses a specific topic, 40. A book with photographs inside

I LOVE a she shed. I have wanted one since I was sixteen. In my wildest dreams, it has its own sitting area, built in bookshelves that harbor my entire collection, and a desk by a window overlooking gorgeous gardens from which I work. When I saw She Sheds Style at Gibson’s a few months back, I instantly added it to my list!

She Sheds Style focuses more on the nitty gritty than the whimsical idea of a she shed. It’s more of a how-to manual for the trend than a lookbook, though it is filled with others’ gorgeous ideas and projects. It blends a combination of practical building considerations, color theory, and design concepts with a smattering of do it yourself projects to make the she shed your own. I quite enjoyed its organization and its thoughts.

This book did exactly what it was supposed to: inspired me to design my own shed, and give me the tools to get started. I’m in no position to have a she shed at the moment, being a renter who will likely move in the next few years, but a girl can dream! Considering its purpose, what finer details I’ll need, even down to the colors…that can bring you a lot of joy, too. It filled my Sunday.

My reasoning for not giving this five stars is that I do think some of this is a bit, hmmm…flowery, I guess? It’s language designed to fill out the page rather than provide practical advice. Kotite seems completely taken with the she shed idea and it spills onto her pages, but she needn’t sell me on the idea – like I said, I’ve wanted one for five years now!

What I was really here for were the design ideas, and unexpectedly, the solid building advice. Kotite brings up awesome considerations I hadn’t even thought of, like where in your yard you place the shed mattering. Not only is it affected by drainage, levelness, etc…but you want it to blend into your yard, become one with the landscape, and look like it belongs there. I loved her practical tips on this and many other things I never would have come up with on my own.

In addition, that design advice was really great. There are several projects in here that I plan to give a try, even before I get a she shed. They were original and sweet, and helped highlight some of the more important features of the shed. Really, this was a well organized and thoughtful manual on a topic I love.

However, another thing I didn’t like: throughout the book, Kotite touches on five distinct styles that the shed can fall into, and she runs with them for everything from paint colors to type of door. And I didn’t dislike any of them, but I do feel like my own personal style, and what I’ve always envisioned for a shed of my own, falls somewhere between many of them and maybe even a bit outside of them. The five themes were eclectic, modern, rustic, green, and romantic. I feel my own style felt like a blend of green and romantic, with a touch of rustic. It’s all going to depend on my home, and my surroundings, but they’re all styles I identify with.

If you’ve ever considered a she shed, or if you’re crafty and you’d like to know more about the idea, check this one out! I loved the advice and the projects, and I’ll definitely return to this book in the future. I can’t wait for spring to be here so I can get out in the sunshine and flowers that this book really highlights!

Have a great week!