The Shed

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Amongst the intense, detailed discussions of planning the house, we have sometimes forgotten the writing shed. Regular readers will remember my early dreamy visions when I first came up with the idea of a writing shed in the backyard, following in the footsteps of famous writers past. Last year this was disrupted by disappointment when it looked like the shed would have to be deleted from the plans to save money.

A not-very-accurate AI rendition of the Shed Vision (the roof is a bit too flat)

Then came the heady thrill when I realised that the current builder had included it in the tender. The shed was back!

What will it look like?

The shed is a modest structure of around 15 square meters, about the size of a modest hotel room. In style it will mimic the main house, being clad in ‘Surfmist’ Colourbond steel in ‘Custom Orb’ profile. It will have a ‘skillion’ roof—a sloping roof. Inside the ceiling will be high and raked. The windows and entrance door will be black uPVC like those in the main house.

Shed plans: elevations, showing the slope of the skillion roof.

The floor plan

The shed will do double duty—a small section of it is designed to be a storage shed for gardening implements: a place to keep the rakes and shovels, the pots and potting mix. The writing room part of it will have two windows and a glazed door. There’s no internal joinery planned (keeping it cheap). My idea is to furnish the space with second hand furniture, a good vibe for a characterful writing shed.

Shed Floorplan

Will it be bushfire rated?

Because it will be constructed along the same lines at the main house, the shed will (probably) be rated to BAL29. However, this doesn’t make much difference since it is situated smack dab in the FZ (‘Flame Zone’). If a big bushfire ever rages through Normanhurst, the shed may well burn down. However, none of the regulatory authorities are too concerned about this since it’s not a ‘habitable building’.

An example of ‘Surfmist’ Colorbond walls in Custom Orb profile, with black window frames.

Services

Despite not being rated ‘habitable’, the shed will need electricity. According to the electrician (who loves power points) it even needs one in the storage section. ‘To charge your power tools!’ he said. Well, I do have a rechargeable leaf blower, so okay.

In the writing portion there will be power points, a ceiling light, and a data point. I’ll need data out there, far from the house. The electrician told me that data and power need to be run through different conduits. This discussion of ‘running’ things out to the shed is a reference to the trench that will need to be dug by someone—probably by hand—to carry the necessary conduits the 20 metres or so from the house to the shed.

At this point in the discussion, the electrician seemingly changed the subject when he enquired about an outdoor tap. Lively opinions were exchanged. Those around the table agreed that behind the shed would be a good location for the outdoor tap. ‘Great!’ said the electrician. ‘The plumber can dig the trench!’

Trench warfare. No-one wants to dig the trench.

Shed location in relation to the house. Down the back. Opposite the big blackbutt tree. We’ll need a trench.

Doors and Floors

Just last week, reviewing the materials selection list, someone finally remembered the shed. We had to select a door, and a door handle, for the storage portion. Obviously something solid and basic will do. I asked for it to be lockable. Not that my rechargeable leaf-blower is exactly valuable, but still.

Demonstrating that no-one had been really worrying about the shed, I saw two different floor materials noted on different documents. One specified tiles (expensive). One specified concrete—in other words, the concrete of the slab on which the shed will be built. I ticked off on the concrete, but asked for it to have a handful of decorative flakes sprinkled in it, like the garage floor in the main house. Just a little more bougie. I’ll need some cosy rugs for the shed floor.

Example: this is a skillion roof, in case you were wondering (this one slopes from side to side.)

The vision

In my mind’s eye (which has been doing a lot of work over the two years this project has been going) I see the shed surrounded by a casual Australian bush garden, sitting at the end of a meandering gravel path from the back door. The outlook will be onto the tall blackbutt tree that grows in the backyard.

Maybe later I’ll install an (electric) fireplace for cosy winter writing sessions.

Imagine that.

Cosy. Just add books.