5 Awesome She Shed Office Ideas & How To Copy Them

As more and more women work from home, or take work home with them, the need for creating a home office has never been greater for many. But instead of following the crowd, by creating a corporate cloned home office, you should go for a more creative office that you actually can’t wait to work in.

Consider embracing a fun she shed design for your home office.

5 She Shed Office Ideas With A Twist

A she shed office, as we have seen, is a female-dedicated recreational space that doubles as a home office. So, the best way to design your she shed office is to start with a simple she shed idea and then incorporate your working equipment into that design.

However, you should always be aware that the space needs to be practical first and fun second.

Below are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

1. A cozy cottage – a quaint she shed office space

Who doesn’t love a quaint cottage?

It is easy to turn a boring outdoor shed into a colorful cottage with the use of clever aesthetic tricks and a little imagination.

Contrasting colors like a main white or cream with pink borders and a pink door can really give the shed some eye-appeal.

Placing trim around windows, or using fake windows with trim, and placing window boxes outside helps to create the look.

Using fake window wall decals inside, like these, is also a great way to complete a cottage look in a shed that has no, or limited, windows.

2. Little she shed office on the prairie

Perhaps a pioneer cabin is more suited to your tastes or even a barn style she shed office would be enough to bring your cows home.

These days there are a selection of really nice barn and cabin style sheds available that could be easily transformed into a rustic style she shed office.

Of course you could just keep the outside rustic and have the inside resemble the Death Star if you want like some modern man caves.

3. A gingerbread she shed office

What better way to start your working day than to walk into a gingerbread house.

All you have to do to create this amazingly imaginative she shed office is to take a standard shed and decorate it with a fake brickwork or timber façade and lots of striking color combinations.

You can keep the look on the inside with facade wallpaper.

4. The lopsided fairytale she shed office

Why not go for a design that is outside the box?

Your she shed office should never be boring. so why not make it extraordinary?!

Check out this fairytale she shed office with its lopsided look. It’s awesome.

The inside of your she shed office can be ultra modern with all the necessary office equipment, gadgets and gizmos while the outside can look like an old falling down cottage from from a Disney movie.

This lopsided cottage design really draws attention and what better way to offset the home-drum of everyday work activities than with a little fun designing.

5. The enchanted gypsy caravan that is really a she shed office

Do you have a wandering spirit?

Perhaps there’s a bit of Romanian blood in you.

Or, maybe you just like a vardo (an old Romanian caravan).

This style works equally well with similar wagon shaped outbuildings, though it is perfect for sheds on wheels.

These are just a few examples of the types of design ideas you can use in your she shed office.

For more on this subject go to 20 Great She Shed Ideas.

Why You Need A She Shed Office

To create a shed shed office, start by designing a female-only recreational space and then make it double-up as a home office.

You will need the usual items associated with a she shed but you will also have to incorporate office furniture and equipment into the design.

The key is to style the office after a she shed rather than a corporate office.

The importance of a she shed office cannot be overlooked

She sheds are becoming increasingly popular as women across the country realise, that they are not only entitled to a space dedicated solely to them but, that the entire family benefits from having one, even if they never spend any time in it.

A she shed office can be created in any location not just a shed.

Having a dedicated female-space to recharge your batteries can help to make you a better partner and a better parent because it gives you much needed “me time”. This is even more important if you also work from home.

If you work from home, or have to use home-time to finish work from the office, then you will probably already be aware of the importance of keeping your home and home-office environments separate.

Take the bedroom as an example. Anyone who has worked from their bedroom, whether it be a student studying for exams or a busy business woman answering important emails, they will know that it can cause difficulties come sleep time.

Our minds tend to form connections and if your mind is actively in work mode for most of the time that you are in your bedroom then it tends to stay in that mode when you retire to bed.

Your subconscious mind will also make you click into work mode when you enter the bedroom because it associates that space with mental activity. You start to unconsciously associate your bedroom with work.

The same applies to any area of your home.

So, for this reason, and other practical reasons, many smart women will strive to create a completely separate environment for work activities away from regular home activities.

Thus they ensure their home working environment is set apart as much as possible from the rest of their home. But it is just as important to ensure your home office is set apart from your corporate office.

If you work from home and have limited space for both a home office and a chill-out space, then by combining a she shed with a home office you can have the advantages of both in just one place.

If you also make sure your home office doubles-up as a play space then working in it will also feel less like corporate time.

Why a she shed office is better than a corporate home office

The benefits of having a she shed have already been outlined in this article and I can’t stress strongly enough how beneficial creating one will be for you and your family.

Read that article to discover the amazing family benefits that will be derived from you being “selfish” and creating your own she shed!

It you have the space available for both a home office and a she shed then I advise you to create them separately.

However, if you are like 99% of the population then you will probably need to combine the two due to space restrictions.

While a standard home office may offer everything you need for work related activities it often reflects the same boring design as a corporate office and usually has the same feel to it.

This means it can be difficult to unwind in a home office and/or use it for other purposes as it feels connected solely to work.

A she shed office on the other hand offers you the opportunity to create a working environment that is not only practical and separate from the rest of your home but that is also fun. And, this means your home office space will be more of a reflection of you and your personality than any corporate office could ever be.

In addition, creating a more fun working environment that can double as a recreational area, will give you the opportunity to take a little time to fully unwind after your work is finished.

This will allow you to mentally step out of work mode before you return to the normal living areas of your home.

You will also be able to entertain friends in this space or just kick-back whenever you want to.

It’s a female man cave that makes your work more fun

Be aware that a “she shed” is just a name given to a female-dedicated space. A she shed is a female man cave.

Just as a man cave doesn’t have to be located in a cave, likewise a she shed doesn’t have to be located in a shed!

A she shed can be created anywhere that you have the space to create one, like a garage or the attic, or a spare room in your home etc. And, of course, it can also be in a shed.

How To Create A She Shed Office

So now that you know you why you need a she shed office, and understand that you are free to create it anywhere you want, what steps should you take to create this ideal work and play space?

Create the ideal work space in your she shed

Although you are creating a space that will also be used for recreational activities your first concern should be practicality.

Unlike standard she shed designs, like these ones, which have been created to be as comfortable and recreational as possible, an office she shed must have a portion of it dedicated to working equipment and furniture.

It must have a practical side to it so it is is less about pure fun and more about making work more fun.

You will therefore obviously need the usual type of office equipment necessary for a functional office environment. This equipment will be specific to you and your needs so there is little point in my recommending specific types of office products.

However, you will almost certainly need a desk and an appropriate chair. Both should be ergonomically designed for maximum comfort and productivity, though you don’t have to settle for the usual boring corporate desk and chair.

For example, take the chair in the image below. You would never get away with lying down on the job at your corporate office but why shouldn’t you enjoy maximum comfort in your she shed office?!

You can see a range of these types reclining office chairs here.

Be flexible and creative with your she shed office furniture

Though the main purpose of creating a she office will be to complete work, never lose sight of the fact that you should also be able to unwind in this space.

The primary function of a she shed office may be for work but it should also be a fun environment that you enjoy spending time in.

One way to ensure you can do this is to use flexible furniture designs.

For instance, using a table that folds away, while also having dedicated storage space for a laptop and other working equipment, allows you to remove those things from sight when you are not working.

This is a great way to symbolically switch from work mode to rest mode and vice-versa as and when you need to.

There are a wide range of foldable tables available that are ideal for this purpose, like these ones.

Being able to tuck away your work table and move your working equipment out of view can really help you to make the mental switch from work to rest or play.

Using foldable tables and storage for work equipment also means you can ensure you have enough space to be able to unwind while performing other more pleasurable tasks. It also gives you the ability to store away important work items when you are entertaining friends to avoid breakages or damage.

If you prefer to have permanently placed office furniture then try to keep them to only one area of the room. Set aside a section of the she shed solely for work purposes making that part of the room dedicated specifically to work.

Also try not to use furniture that looks like it belongs in a bank but instead go for furniture that feels more like home furniture.

Another good way to ensure this home office stays in keeping with a she shed theme, rather than being a corporate-copy, is to include some items of a purely recreational nature even if you never intend to use them.

By including recreational items that reflect your interests it will make your she shed office feel less like an office and more like your personal space and it will give it a more fun vine.

Adding more than office supplies makes working more fun

In addition to office equipment and office furniture you should also include items of furniture that are designed more for comfort and less for work.

A sofa or comfortable armchair can be placed in a different area of the room away from your working environment.

Perhaps a television set or some music equipment can be added. Or what about some reading material?

Include anything that will help you unwind once you have finished working and anything that makes the space look more like a fun relaxing environment rather than a boring corporate office.

Taking even 10 – 15 minutes to unwind after you have finished working can really help to rejuvenate you in mind and body and help you detach from work before you re-enter the main area of your home.

Your she shed office should be able to offer that to you as well as being a functional workplace.

Your she shed office interior should reflect your personality

The interior of your she shed office can be as Spartan or as decadent as you want it to be.

However, the whole purpose of creating a she shed office, rather than a boring standard corporate look-alike home office, is to create a space that is easy to work in and that can double as a recreational area.

To do that the space should reflect your personality. So put items in it that do just that!

Your she shed office should be filled with things that you love and that are meaningful to you.

Just like I outlined in the article What is a She Shed and Why Every Woman Needs One this space should be your sanctum.

You can create an office space that is practical but which is also dedicated to your interests outside of work, and that also acts as your haven from the rest of your home and your corporate office. You can help create this by filling the room with personal items.

Be creative and bold.

Don’t be afraid to use outrageous colors or unusual office decor if they reflect your personality and help you to create a unique working environment.

The key to getting the interior of your she shed office right is to remember that it must not only be a practical working space.

It should also feel like a place you can enter to forget about work!

Add she shed office furniture that is unique and that makes you want to go to work

You will obviously need to invest in office furniture that is best suited to working. However, as I already mentioned, try as best you can to avoid furniture with boring corporate designs (unless you like that sort of thing).

Instead go for outrageous office furniture that would never be allowed in a corporate building.

Also be sure to include furniture that is non-office related. And, don’t think that you have to settle for standard home furniture either.

To help create a unique feel to the room stay away from standard furniture designs.

Just like many man caves there are she sheds that use upcycling methods to create truly unique pieces of furniture from, what other people consider, useless junk.

Barrel seats, vehicle sofas and pallet tables are just a few of the many creative uses for old junk though there are many many more. I covered how to use upcycling here.

If you need a bookshelf for example don’t just get a standard Ikea flat-pack design or something from Walmart but instead get something a little wacky like the one in the image to the right.

Creating your own she shed office design is easier than you think

The design and color scheme of your she shed office may depend to a greater or lesser degree on its location. For example, as outlined in the article from dingy basement to vibrant she shed, there are times when your choice of color is incredibly important.

In dark spaces it is important to use both color and light in ways that turn a dingy environment into a lively vibrant one. With no extra effort than it would take you to paint a wall white you can use color combinations to make an environment really come alive.

Obviously this approach is less important in well-lit areas, though for working environments I suggest you stay away from dark sombre colors or dark blues. Colors affect the brain. They can help to either slow down or speed-up your thoughts processes. And they also tend affect your mood.

Light, bright colors help stimulate creativity and activate the brain thus being much more beneficial to a working environment than darker colors.

Office ideas for a small she shed

If space is at a premium in your she shed office location then you will need to get creative.

It is in small spaces where foldable furniture really excels. Having the ability to free-up space when you are not working is a great way to ensure your she shed office doesn’t become just another home office but maintains its dual purpose identify.

If your she shed office is actually located in a shed, especially one with no windows or limited access to natural light, be sure to keep the color scheme light and bright.

White usually works best though you can use pastel and other bright colors just as well. For more ideas about working with small spaces read this article.

She shed office costs

The cost of creating a normal she shed can range from $900 – $10,000 depending on location. This is the cost before you incorporate office equipment.

The range is so wide because costs depend on where you intend to create your she shed office.

Obviously creating a she shed office in a spare room will be cheaper than converting an existing outbuilding that has no weather proofing or utility connections. And, it will be considerably cheaper than building a completely new shed from scratch.