My Houzz: Backyard Shed Becomes a Couple’s Cool Home
In Australia, a former party space on Mom and Dad’s property evolves into temporary quarters, complete with outdoor shower
Upon returning from an overseas adventure and taking out a mortgage for their first home, Skye Pitt and boyfriend Mitch Howard faced depleted savings and the dilemma of where to live while their apartment was being built. The couple decided to upgrade an outbuilding on Pitt’s parents’ property to create the perfect rustic home with just enough basic amenities to make the dwelling livable. The Shed, as the onetime scene of teenage parties was known, has been the couple’s living space for the past two years, allowing them to keep their independence and replenish their bank accounts while their new home is under construction.
A fireplace made from an old gas bottle was added since the building, located next to a dam, can get cold in the winter.
“Adjustments were made when we moved in to stop the smoke from billowing through the room — interesting when you’re trying to watch TV and keep your clothes from smelling like campfire — and the large window is actually a door from an old hardware store,” Pitt says.
“Adjustments were made when we moved in to stop the smoke from billowing through the room — interesting when you’re trying to watch TV and keep your clothes from smelling like campfire — and the large window is actually a door from an old hardware store,” Pitt says.
The yellow tongue-and-groove floor was stained solid black from dirt from party shoes and spilled drinks. Pitt and Howard hired a floor sander, who in a few hours of light sanding made it look like floorboards again. “It also kept a little bit of the party history there,” Pitt says.
Pitt’s favorite area of the home is the kitchen. She and Howard had previously lived in a cramped Melbourne unit, and she said they felt the absence of a social kitchen. Howard built their new one and its nice wide counter, which has plenty of prep space and a shelf for cooking ingredients.
“Before the kitchen went in, it really was just a bare room, and it didn’t feel like we could potentially live there comfortably for two years,” Pitt says. “Once finished, it lifted the whole house and brought everything together into one big open-plan living space. The black marine [plywood] really sets off its rustic charm!”
“Before the kitchen went in, it really was just a bare room, and it didn’t feel like we could potentially live there comfortably for two years,” Pitt says. “Once finished, it lifted the whole house and brought everything together into one big open-plan living space. The black marine [plywood] really sets off its rustic charm!”
More storage was added underneath the countertop, which is where the couple store their dishes and glassware.
The couple enjoy relaxing in the living area. One of Pitt’s favorite pieces in the house is the wall unit that holds a lot of their treasures. “It had been carted across 10 or so houses by my parents since I was little and was a not-so-lovely reddish-brown timber,” Pitt says. “My mum started to paint it white but stopped after applying the undercoat because it looked so Shabby Chic!” she says. Pitt’s mother also found almost every piece of furniture for under $15 U.S. through bargain hunting, and painted it all white for a fresh and cohesive look.
The wood-burning heater is the couple’s main source of warmth during the cold winter months, along with a small fan heater to take the chill off the air in the bedroom. In the heat of summer, the couple have to migrate across to the main house, where Pitt’s parents live, since the corrugated iron holds the heat and becomes unbearable.
The home is decorated minimally, which Pitt says is the trick to making small spaces look bigger, and to avoid falling into the trap of overcluttering. She particularly likes the French cottage look. “Our main goal was to keep costs down, so we had to work with what we had,” Pitt says. “It’s amazing what you can create from old bits and bobs when you put your mind to it!” She asked her good friend and interior designer Mardi Mason for her help with getting the look just right.
“I really believe clutter can affect your mental state.” Pitt says. “We have tried to make most things multipurpose where possible.”
The bedroom was an addition to the existing structure to add a little more comfort to Pitt and Howard’s sleeping arrangements. The number of creepy crawlies that previously lurked around also prompted the insulated and carpeted space.
Pitt loves the outdoor shower, even in winter, since the fresh, crisp air against the warm water makes for an invigorating start to the day. “The outside bathroom area floor is made from the old DJ bench from the party days, and the shower itself was taken from our family holiday home renovations,” Pitt says. They also use the bathroom facilities in the main house.
The view from the chairs on the front porch looks straight across to the dam and beautiful sunsets.
Pitt and Howard also enjoy sitting on a log overlooking the dam. They added a fire pit to this area, which was also once the scene of teenage campfires.
The couple definitely show that living with parents not only saves money, but can be done beautifully too. They are loving their lives here as they wait to move into their forthcoming apartment.
“The outdoor showers, a fireplace as the only method of heating, living on tank water, shouting to hear each other when it rains on the tin roof and cooking on camping stoves has created memories we will never forget and cherish forever,” Pitt says.
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“The outdoor showers, a fireplace as the only method of heating, living on tank water, shouting to hear each other when it rains on the tin roof and cooking on camping stoves has created memories we will never forget and cherish forever,” Pitt says.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Skye Pitt, 30, and Mitch Howard, 33
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Size: One bedroom and an outdoor shower
The Shed was built by Pitt’s dad to resemble a cattle shed, using telegraph poles he got from the side of the road and 6-foot corrugated iron sheets. During Pitt’s teenage years, it served as a party house for Pitt and her siblings. It holds memories of pool nights and dancing to the Backstreet Boys, so it had a sense of home and familiarity.
When Pitt returned to it years later, it was a less-than-ideal place to live. “It was a junkyard at the time. It was literally filled to the roof with boxes, old mattresses, a pool table, old furniture — you name it,” Pitt says. “It was also home to a billion spiders and a family of mice.”