This is the exact kind of input I need. Thanks, Shades. I , too, love the porch, but it's a luxury that would be a space hog. The measurements that I gave of 16 x 24 were for movers figures. When I measured inside it was more like 13.5 x 15.5.. I do want to include as much of the porch as I can into my working space. I need to have some kind of landing area in front of it and lots of budget landscaping. I pulled pics.

I'd leave at least a bit of porch and run climbing roses or something else flowering up the columns. Paint at least the trim and shutters a cheery color and you're set.

Thanks, Sigrid. if they bumped wall out completely I could always do the small overhang in pic 1. Kinda of like an awning over door/ window.

Does anyone think a 2 ft deep porch would look ok.

Barely awake. The little awning over door is darling. I LOVE those many pane doors. Or have them done as windows to close in the whole porch. Do the little awning over the front door. Not the windows. Then do a patio on the ground out front of pavers or field stone. I am thinking budget friendly here. You could always add onto the patio as space available. The french door look as windows would retain the total look of the porch. Maybe a wide arch between the new and old space. This gives you some wall space for furniture on both sides yet opens the original space to make it one with the porch. Those wing walls would hold some thing on each side. Thinking 4 pieces of furniture.

You already have the existing walk way. A patio built up to it would soften the hard lines of existing walk making it more cottage feel.

I'd be concerned about opening up that front wall to the porch. Have you checked with a professional? How old is this structure and what will you find, when you start taking out walls? How much money do you want to spend? Is there any way you can scale down the craft storage area to fit into the existing space?

The reason I ask is that this is a very cute little shed that might
expand very nicely....or not. 13' x 15' is a pretty good sized bedroom.
Is there any possibility that you can use space saving features to make
the most of that area?

This would leave you with a very cute porch area, which you could glass in and use for three seasons. Especially if you're adding any baseboard heating units to the shed. Maybe add one to the porch, as well?

Think of it as a more luxurious space than the craft area. One where you can get away from the clutter and relax...maybe with a cup of tea? : )

Keep thinking about this. If you close in the front porch opening it all the way to the other room you are going to end up with a very long narrow space. I think there is truth about removing the front door wall opening it all the way up. It is a gable end but it certainly could be structural to the building. Even leaving the wing walls would support that opening. I really love the pretty closed in porch spaced LL showed above. It is about what I was also thinking. only the has left the front door in place.

Ladies, good things to think about. A contractor, Honduran, is coming by in an hour to see what I want done so he can work up an estimate for me. I think with the language barrier and my indecision, I need to revise my plans. Clean it, repaint, and work on inside. It's just bare stud walls and I plan on keeping some stud space for making those neat little niche shelves. It has to be insulated and walls put up, however, b/c Louisiana weather is brutal in summer. Unfortunately there's a ceiling already put up. I would have preferred a loft on one side to store those ugly plastic totes. I need shelves, etc. Lavender, thanks for pics. Will answer your questions later and answer your questions. Shades, landing pad... so glad you brought that up. The sidewalk went to a large deck with above ground pool attached to it. I loved that deck. It had angel trumpet vines all over and we had so many hummers. It was about to take over the yard, however. Gotta run.

I hope the contractor says you can make it what you're dreaming about! That's the most fun :)

But, if you do keep the porch...here's a cute photo from Facebook. I'm finding all these beds today! LOL

Oh, and if contractor says the wall can come down....I keep finding this picture. Such a great space! Really a room for multiple crafters or a teaching area, but so nice : )

Lass I LOVE the last porch photo. I might have to steel one of my fence headboards and do a single bed on our porch. That one is precious. i only have an 8 foot width and some of that would be gone with wall if I enclose part of it. The bed could also be used as couch with lots of back pillows. Dang gal you got me going on this one too. Since my porch is already on a foundation I do not even need a permit to enclose it. Only an electrical permit for an outlet or fan or whatever I want to plug in out there. Heating pad for the kitties in winter. Hahahahaha

Lass did you look close at that last bed photo. The walls look like bi-fold doors or shutters just leaning against a railing. Look close at the bottom under the bird house. And the porch floor is like mine. There are just deck boards no sheeting over them. I bet that would draw cool air from under the house and maybe why the kitties like to lay on the porch floor even when it is so hot in the summer. Ideas Ideas.

Can't wait to see what the contractor will say.

Precious pics, Lavender. And your recommendations were spot on. I'm in zone 9 where humidity and mosquitoes control our activities. Shades, me too, I can't wait to hear what contractor will say. We cancelled dinner plans to accommodate this man and had no show/ no call. I hope he and sons are ok. On a very serious note, fellow Gardenwebbers, Louisiana (Baton Rouge) and Texas (Dallas) need prayers at this time especially law enforcement officers. Please pray for this great country. Thanks.

Hi vintageliving!

My daughter Joy and I are indeed praying for you all in LA, TX, and around our nation.

So tell me about this she-shed. Is it wood? Framed with wood? Will it be taken off the platform and wheels and will the hitch be taken off? I think it's truly special that it was your dad's.

Once you insulate and wire it up, what you've got there is a tiny house. Congratulations! You're officially trendy now, haha!

But seriously, I've been interested in tiny houses for about five years. The first I heard of them was in an article about this amazing tiny house community in Olympia, Washington, where a non-profit gives the tiny houses to homeless people.

Joy and I could totally live in a tiny house!

So my best recommendation to you is to turn your TV on to HGTV. They have several tiny house themed shows. "Tiny House, Big Living" shows one family/person per one hour episode who designs a tiny house and then it shows the building process. This would be especially cool for you because they have the most amazing ideas for SO MUCH storage! I learn new tricks every episode.

"Tiny House Hunters" is just like House Hunters, only the clients are looking for a tiny house. That one is neat because in each half hour episode, the client looks at three different tiny houses and then decides which one fits her/his needs best. I like it because you get to see so many different types of tiny houses.

So, depending upon how you're measuring, your tiny house is around 210 sq ft on the inside? I think you could make a lot of great overflow space for your vintage items without changing anything structural, which is the safest way to proceed. You can put your $$ into the inside, getting it insulated and heated/cooled and wired for electricity. Even though the ceiling is finished, you can still build a loft! It isn't that much ceiling to tear down.

I think you could make a charming vintage storehouse and who knows? Maybe we'll be watching you on HGTV!

:-) --Debbie

I love your camp-cabin-turned-she-d!

Now this is just my idea, but ... "if it were mine " ... I could not give up one inch of that marvelous front porch. I would gladly downsize crafting and display pieces in order to keep the porch.

It would be magical if the porch was framed in with gingerbread/arched/curved/railed details and screened - three seasons living! It's big enough you could have a lovely "visiting and tea" area, a "reading" area, a "bird watching" area, a "sitting and being" area. Then you could go inside and immerse yourself in your favorite crafts.

Again, this is just my idea, but ... "if it were mine " ...

The working room is roughly 13+x15+? That's a huge crafting space, in my limited experience, unless you are giving lessons and/or large parties. You could have both. Southern living in a screened porch, and crafting entertainment in the A/C and/or heated living area!

I am so happy you will continue enjoying your father's camp cabin. I just know he is delighted with the idea, too!

One more plug "for" the porch...LOL

You said ... " I want character and curb appeal of this country she-shed..."

I think a great deal of the cabin's character and charm is from the covered porch. I think it will look totally different, more like every other garden shed, if you box it off.

and ... " love the porch, but it's a luxury that would be a space hog "

But don't you think your private she-shed, the ultimate girly-space, should be a luxury?"

What kind of crafting do you do? How many vintage items are you wanting to store? What are your thoughts on downsizing some of them?

Again, I'm just tossing out my ideas about this wonderful cabin. I wish it had a twin, and I wish that twin lived in my back yard!

I am so thrilled for you!

Shades- I think they're shutters...but they look like louvered closet doors painted white. Either way, great accent and privacy! : )

Awww, ya' ll! I just
love your words and the fact that I never needed to say the "s"
(sentimental) word. Sigrid, I agree about a bit of a porch and found pic
of a cabin with a porch that is 36 inches deep. That would give me 67.5
sq. feet of extra space minus walls. I agree about the deep porch, caro,
but my house has a 6 foot deep porch all the way across the front and our
outdoor kitchen has a little porch, too. I need the space b/c I have
several vintage/ antique pieces of furniture that I want to keep in the family & my house is small. Lavender and Debbie, my husband won't let me do anything to compromise the structure. It's already wired and we have a separate electric pole for outdoor kitchen so we'll hook up to it. This cabin is 13 x 8 so maybe same size porch on mine (14 x 24) would not work.

Confused. Are you thinking of only closing in 5 foot of your existing front porch and leaving the rest open as a landing for entry? This would work but would compromise your space for storing the antique things you want to keep.

My husband will not even consider closing in part of our porch so I will wait until he is gone and then do it. Pray he does not come back to life and get me for it. LOL I need part of the front porch open for the use of the gas stove and a landing into the house out of the weather. Your discussion of this front porch size has totally turned my brain to which direction to go with closing in. Either way the porch step will have to be moved as it is fairly centered, I do want the front door inside the enclosed part/side of the porch. Always thought to enclose the right side as facing the house because the FD is on that side but I think I would get more enclosed area enclosing the left side and leaving the right side open as the standing place to go into the house. Hummm. Going to have to measure and think.

Back to your issue. Have you thought of doing your small porch to one side or the other of the front door? Or move the front door to a cross wall that would then enclose most of the porch. I might have to draw that one to explain better.

I think it is totally understood by every one here the "S" of this darling cabin to you. Ask your Dad for a sign. You ever know he might be able to lead you.

Yay, my dh built steps. Debbie, it's made of wood and sitting on blocks (no wheels nor hitch). We went that route instead of a slab. There was lattice at the bottom hiding the blocks and lattice around the porch and rails on the steps. Randy pulled all of that off and said it needed to be replaced. I sent pics to several friends and my teacher buddies came to see it in person. Everyone said to leave the porch that same size and to concentrate on getting it looking good again. It's only about 12 years old and was used maybe 8 times. I can't wait to start making wreaths again. Oh la la that yard is ugly! Shades that landing pad? Maybe a small ground level composite deck/ sort of platform that would go over the sidewalk?

How wonderful to have the steps. When we built a house years ago we added a 10 by 10 foot deck out front the front door and I think it had one step up to it. Worked out great. Now you have your steps built I think a lower deck going over the side walk enough to make it usable but not to big would be great. It would cover the off set of your walk not ending at the steps. The house looked further away than it is from the walkway than it really is.

Love your friends helped you decide what to do for now. You always have the option to close in the porch. Leaving it as a porch but able to store some furniture if needed.

The inside will brighten up a lot when you get walls instead of all wood. The all wood sucks the light out of a room. What a great space for making wreaths. A great space for any crafting.

And you helped to turn my thinking around on my own porch close in. It will make more sense to close in the west end of the porch and leave the east end as the landing to come in. With out measuring for actual figures I will have about an 18 by 8 foot enclosed porch and an 8 by 8 open area for entry. Of course walls will come out of these measurements and I think I will also close in the bottom part of the open landing area like a tall solid railing. Will help to keep some of the wind blown snow out of the open area.

Shades, it helped so much to have a sounding board and all of the ideas were great. Post pics of your project, please. You are the person with the cool "Cher" mannequin and the neat bathroom item, right? Have you heard from Moccasin Landing, Mama Goose, or the lady who weaves, lately? Moc loves her sheds and Mama could give me ideas about what to do with my vintage "junk".

Vintageliving, Yes I am the one with the manequins. Cher is really Thelma. LOL I speak to moccasinlanding often. A lot on the phone. LOL Easier than all this typing. She is pretty busy in her hosta garden now and still finishing up her remodel and tea house. I think Mama Goose hangs on the kitchens board more. Maybe building.

I can show you my porch. It is 26 by 8 approx.

Porch side I think I would leave the 8 foot opening. Where the table it but the table will me moved

Porch side I would probably close in and include the front door. the front door is directly left of the blue and white mosaic table in first photo. The wild kitties bed and other sleeping areas for the wild bunch we care for. There are two windows like the big one showing. Both 48 inches wide.

West end of porch

It will be quite awhile, I hope, before I can start this.

Shades, er ma Gawd, but I love your spaces!!! And I love your kitties! We've got a big old bob-tail yellow tabby who caught an attitude when we had him neutered as a kitten and never got over it. That's Randy's "baby" and he has the run of the house. Randi (dd) named him, "Lysol". We have 2 dogs also w/ natural bob-tails, Bernard (another Randi name) for female schnauzer, who's mean as a snake, and Joe, mixed shepherd and Blue-heeler, who's a sweetheart. Had forgotten that Cher is Thelma. My s-i-l and I are T & L, but I'm Louise (most of the time)! Tell Moc I send Cajun love. Let's see if I can introduce you to at least one furbaby. Pics are slow. I need to check up on Baton Rouge. Our only child, Randi, lives there and provides mental health services to children in those poverty ridden areas (IN THEIR HOMES) that are going crazy as I type. God Bless the USA!

He is a handsome fella. We have 7 kitties and only one dog now. I think he thinks he is a kitty. His whole life is devoted to watching the kitties. 5 kitties are in the house and two outside year round and one of the inside kitties goes out for the summer but she is too old to handle the winter. She lives in my studio during the winter with one of the newly brought in out side kitties. I have to separate the old one from the other inside kitties because she is cranky and starts fights. Terrible fights. She is ok sharing the studio with the newly brought in kitty. She is in due to health issues and needing medication. Her health issues are not contagious.

I love the front porch it is just not very usable as it is. It is too hot or too cold too windy or buggy. SO it is pretty to look at and useless with the weather we have here. Joe always jokes abut buying a $6000 cat house.

I think you can click around left to right on the above links to see most of the house and yard.

Oh Chris, I just love you to pieces for loving those kitties, even the old one and the sick one, (Sounds like me, the old and the sick, lol!) Stringweaver is a cat person too, IIRC.

Yes, vintageliving, I can confirm Mama Goose sightings on the kitchen forum! :-) And I think Lysol is quite handsome.

Speaking of cats... I once again became a cat guardian just last week! As Joy says, it was inevitable, lol! After my dear, dear cat William died very suddenly in 2010, it took me three years before I could get another cat. Sammy is not a lover of humans. I never felt a connection with him, but of course was committed to keeping him forever. When I returned from my year in Zambia, the 12 year old daughter of my friend who cared for Sammy while I was away really wanted to keep him. He seemed happier there with their four other cats, so I said OK. That was last September.

So on the 4th of July, Joy wanted to go to the big sale at our local PetSmart to look for things to get for the dog she is getting this coming September. Turns out Partners for Pets was there doing cat adoptions that day. My first mistake was going to look at the cats, haha!. I saw Bentley and it was love at first sight. Second mistake was getting him out of the cage and holding him. Then it was all over. I'm completely taken with him. I'll post pics tomorrow. :-)

Sorry, vintageliving, didn't mean to hijack your post and make it the cat post! ;-). But I hope you'll post pics of the finished she-shed and of the vintage/antique furniture!

What kind of wreaths do you make? Do you have pics?

:-)

Zambia, Debbie B., that's awesome. Doing good "stuff" or visiting, no matter. Deb, you fell into that, ma fille, but some things are meant to be. I make plain old generic wreaths. My precious little daddy was an MP and a translator in WWII. Landed at Omaha Beach a few days after the Invasion, sick as a dog and terrified. He had lied about knowing how to swim. The crossing of the Channel was brutal. 769th, Co. A MP's were instructed to prevent anyone (Am. soldiers even) and everyone from coming aboard the vessel. Daddy served in the Battle of the Bulge. I made friends with some of the children of the men in his company that I found on the net. I also drove Daddy and Mama to a couple of Reunions and made friends there and a couple of the men spent time at my parents home. I like to surprise these people with patriotic wreaths from Louisiana that they can hang on the front door. They are on the other side of the moon from professional, but these people are gracious in accepting gifts. I like to make Christmas wreaths also to gift to the staff at the nursing home where my bro and only sibling lives. And I give wreaths to any and everyone b/c I love to give and it's a personal gift. Thanks for asking for pics. I feel honored. Poo Yie, they look rough. It is what it is.

Debbie so happy for you and kitty. Love the name too.

Vintageliving your wreaths are gorgeous.

She-shed update for Shades_of_idaho; Debbie B.; Lavendar Lass; caroline94535; Sigrid; tagging mocassin landing and mama goose: Your encouragement to get things done and advice and pics were most appreciated. My she-shed (which forever will be called my "craft camp") went from pic 1 on 7-7-16 to this:

Some of the inside. Things are not completely finished. I was diagnosed w breast cancer and tumor larger and typed more aggressive than previously thought. Things came to a grinding halt as we await the 2nd surgery on 18th a week from today. My God is great and I have a pretty darned good surgeon. Happy Easter all!

((((Vintage Living))))

Our God is great, and you will be in my daily prayers for as long as I have a breath to say them. He will guide your surgeon's hands and lead you through these troubled times.

I...Love...Your...She-She'd!

It is perfection; from the love-infused memories of your father, to the love-infused wreaths you make in it; to the wonderful love-infused pieces you've furnished it with. From the floorboards to the roof ridge, it's not only a She-Shed; it's truly a Love Shack!

Are the vintage pieces family and/or friends' items? Do they have a histories or stories to tell?

Your wreaths are beyond wonderful; they are tangible pieces of artistic love!

And...the...porch!

The steps! The lights! The fan! The large flower pots! The paint!

It's wonderful beyond my imaginings! It is perfection. I had to double-check the windows; at first I thought you had added actual through-the-wall windows!

Now you have the best of both worlds - beautiful shuttered, multi-paned windows on the outside and useable wall-space on the inside!

When you look at that porch, or walk through the door, or sit in one of those chairs, or smell the flowers, or dream up a new wreath design, please know that I am right there with you!

Our God is great, and you will be in my daily prayers for as long as I have a breath to say them.

Perfect.

I want a screen door on my she shed, er, she barn. : )

((((((((((((vintageliving))))))))))))))))) You will also be in my prayers through this.

Your She Shed turned out wonderful and before your surgery I hope you can set up a nice comfortable chair to be able to sit inside too if needed to for rest and healing. Such a lovely space. I always felt I healed up better in beautiful and happy places.

LOVE the black and white paint. So happy you updated us and please let us know how you are doing when you feel up to it.

Aw caroline94535, that was such a sweet comment. I was not able to bring those antique pieces b/c they are too big, but the library card holder I purchased from dh, Randy's, elem school in Marksville. Small desk is from a school where I taught. The washboards and triangles were purchased through a grant I received from The Cajun French Music Association. Renowned musician, Mr. Hadley Castille, and his band did a 6 week set of lessons with my 4th grade class and the kids learned to play these primitive instruments. They did a PBS performance. It was fun. The 2 sets of shutters on windows are from Mom's kitchen (they make me smile). The huge roll of craft paper was my mom's. She was very artistic and always sketching something. I need to get a holder for it. That little wooden index card box is from my daddy's furniture store. He and my Uncle Oscar borrowed $500 from my Aunt Lillie's husband - an "orphan train baby", my rich uncle (LOL!), and opened a mom and pop furniture store in 1949 after they came home from war. Daddy and Uncle Oscar were both unmarried so they volunteered to stay longer so that married men could go home to their families. Many other items are gifts from my sis-in-law, best friend and soul mate, Carmen- old jars w/ zinc tops, soda pop crate, pics, a sheet of Elvis stamps, and old phone. Shades-of-idaho, Carmen is "Louise" to my "Thelma". Thank you for the prayers, caro.

schoolhouse-gw, I love my vintage screendoor.

Shades-of-idaho, I agree. Beautiful and happy places make me feel beautiful and happy. My nephew-in-law brought me a big bottle of Chanel No 5 from Paris on his way back from a business trip to Romania. The parfum made in France smells so much better than the one made here. Thanks for your prayers- means alot to me. Brigitte

your 'she shed' is awesome! inside and out. what a wonderful place to sit, think, work, pray, listen to music etc.

sorry to hear the medical news, but will also be praying for your healing and recovery. with a good surgeon and God, you're in the best hands! Please do keep us posted on it.

When you go in, remember we'll be praying for you.

Your shed looks terrific.

Sending healing thoughts your way for a speedy recovery.

Hi desertsteph, can't believe that I read all of your posts and forgot to mention you. Thanks to you and eld6161 for compliments, healing thoughts and especially prayers.

Update: All incision infection is healed. Post-opt apt for 2nd surgery yesterday and margins are CLEAR!!! Woo Hoo!I meet with the cncologist soon and he will let me know if I have to do chemo or not. If I have to (b/c I did have the invasive stuff the 1st go round) not sure when we'd start. If I don't have to have chemo, then I need a month of healing and then we start the 40 rounds of radiation. So glad to get this ball rolling!

vintageliving. This sounds like great news!!! Maybe not so much the radiation part but you are stepping forward on all of this. sorry about the infection. Joe had some too on his whipple surgery and I brought him home with a huge gaping wound to heal up. But yours is clear now so hoping you do not have to have the chemo. So happy to hear clear margins. I know the waiting to hear those words is a totally different kind of painful. Big gentle hugs to you and positive thoughts. Prayers still coming. So glad you felt well enough to come in and let us know how you are doing.

((((Vintage Living))))

I'm so happy and thankful to hear your news.