Shed of the Week: A Little Taste of Home
An Atlanta storage shed borrows details from the main house while still looking distinct
Annie Thornton
July 28, 2016
Houzz Editorial Staff
This backyard shed near downtown Atlanta pairs nicely with the 1920s Craftsman bungalow home it sits behind. Designed by architect Cynthia Karegeannes, the new shed stands where a somewhat dilapidated lean-to had stood for many years.
When the homeowners, a couple with two children, decided to upgrade, they kept the same location but incorporated more details from the house into the design. “It looks like it has always been there, or should have been there,” Karegeannes says. “It looks like it’s intentionally placed, and it does echo the architecture of the home, yet it has its own identity.”
When the homeowners, a couple with two children, decided to upgrade, they kept the same location but incorporated more details from the house into the design. “It looks like it has always been there, or should have been there,” Karegeannes says. “It looks like it’s intentionally placed, and it does echo the architecture of the home, yet it has its own identity.”
Shed at a Glance
Location: Candler Park neighborhood of Atlanta
Size: 10 by 12 feet (3 by 3.7 meters), plus a 12-by-8-foot (3.7-by-2.4-meter) patio
Designer: Cynthia Karegeannes
By maintaining the shed’s original footprint during the renovation, they were able to keep it in its original location near the property line in the yard’s rear corner, rather than complying with more recent regulations that would have mandated a larger setback. They also avoided having to go through a neighborhood review and zoning board, though it did require a building permit. “It seemed that was the best solution for this particular project,” Karegeannes says of keeping the shed in its original location. Otherwise, they could have moved it closer to the house and lost a portion of the yard.
Location: Candler Park neighborhood of Atlanta
Size: 10 by 12 feet (3 by 3.7 meters), plus a 12-by-8-foot (3.7-by-2.4-meter) patio
Designer: Cynthia Karegeannes
By maintaining the shed’s original footprint during the renovation, they were able to keep it in its original location near the property line in the yard’s rear corner, rather than complying with more recent regulations that would have mandated a larger setback. They also avoided having to go through a neighborhood review and zoning board, though it did require a building permit. “It seemed that was the best solution for this particular project,” Karegeannes says of keeping the shed in its original location. Otherwise, they could have moved it closer to the house and lost a portion of the yard.
The homeowners weren’t restricted as to what their shed could look like, as their home is not in a historical district, but they wanted to tie it in with their 1920s bungalow. “They really wanted something that echoed the character of the house but still felt unique,” Karegeannes says.
Karegeannes, who remodeled the main house several years prior to designing the shed, incorporated the same clipped gable detail and used the same cedar shake shingle siding with a rain screen and asphalt shingles. The fiber cement white trim and wood windows are in the same style as the house. In fact, the main window on the side of the shed is an original from the house. The rest are wood Jeld-Wen windows in the same historical style.
The team built the shed with standard two-by-four frame construction. It is rough-framed inside but could easily be insulated and finished if they decide to turn it into a guest house in the future. The eaves remain open with no soffits and expose the rafter tails. They opted against a stone foundation around the shed’s base, shaving a few thousand dollars off the overall budget.
Karegeannes, who remodeled the main house several years prior to designing the shed, incorporated the same clipped gable detail and used the same cedar shake shingle siding with a rain screen and asphalt shingles. The fiber cement white trim and wood windows are in the same style as the house. In fact, the main window on the side of the shed is an original from the house. The rest are wood Jeld-Wen windows in the same historical style.
The team built the shed with standard two-by-four frame construction. It is rough-framed inside but could easily be insulated and finished if they decide to turn it into a guest house in the future. The eaves remain open with no soffits and expose the rafter tails. They opted against a stone foundation around the shed’s base, shaving a few thousand dollars off the overall budget.
Karegeannes also added details to distinguish the shed, including a shed dormer off its side. A pergola extends off the side to provide shelter when the homeowners grill and also to balance out the structure’s mass.
Two 8-by-8-inch cedar posts atop flagstone footings anchor the pergola, a detail Karegeannes was adamant about. “The visual weight of the 8-by-8 really makes a difference, because there are only two,” she says, even though smaller posts would have sufficed. “Those two needed to look strong and have visual weight to balance the shed.” The top supports of the pergola are 2 by 8 inches, and the cross members are 2 by 4 inches.
The sliding barn door is another distinct feature of the shed. Custom made by Innovative Construction, the project’s contractors, it slides over a lockable steel door that covers a 36-by-80-inch door opening.
The shed sits about 40 feet from the back of the house and 4 feet higher on a hillside that leads to the surrounding neighbors. “It is set in the slope and grows out of the land,” Karegeannes says. They couldn’t change the grade around the shed’s existing footprint, as this would affect neighboring properties, so they built a retaining ledge and wrapped it around the building to then become the foundation for the pergola.
Two 8-by-8-inch cedar posts atop flagstone footings anchor the pergola, a detail Karegeannes was adamant about. “The visual weight of the 8-by-8 really makes a difference, because there are only two,” she says, even though smaller posts would have sufficed. “Those two needed to look strong and have visual weight to balance the shed.” The top supports of the pergola are 2 by 8 inches, and the cross members are 2 by 4 inches.
The sliding barn door is another distinct feature of the shed. Custom made by Innovative Construction, the project’s contractors, it slides over a lockable steel door that covers a 36-by-80-inch door opening.
The shed sits about 40 feet from the back of the house and 4 feet higher on a hillside that leads to the surrounding neighbors. “It is set in the slope and grows out of the land,” Karegeannes says. They couldn’t change the grade around the shed’s existing footprint, as this would affect neighboring properties, so they built a retaining ledge and wrapped it around the building to then become the foundation for the pergola.
A new fire pit and seating area fronts the shed, replacing what had been a driveway. The same flagstone from the pergola was used in the fire pit.
The homeowners don’t have a garage, but they wanted to be able to store everything for the yard, including lawnmowers, tools and outdoor toys, as well as athletic gear, outside. By keeping the shed small and using architectural details that tie in with the main house, it appears more like a little house perched on a hill, rather than a storage shed.
The same shingle siding and clipped gable roofline seen in the shed is present in the main house. A second story was added several years ago during a remodel.
General contractor: Innovative Construction
More
11 Nominees for the ‘She Shed’ Hall of Fame
How to Add a Backyard Shed for Storage or Living
General contractor: Innovative Construction
More
11 Nominees for the ‘She Shed’ Hall of Fame
How to Add a Backyard Shed for Storage or Living
With over 8 years of experience serving the Columbus and surround area, Hoffman Exteriors, is your solution for... Read More
What are you working on?
Related Products
Related Stories
Farmhouses
See a Guesthouse Built by Grandpa for Summertime Fun
By Becky Harris
Lucky grandchildren get a camp all to themselves, thanks to tents and a bathhouse with beds in their grandparents’ backyard
Full Story
Home Offices
Studio Solution: A Kit Greenhouse Becomes a Creative Private Office
See how an inventive work-from-home designer made an office from a greenhouse, for some inspired thinking in the backyard
Full Story
Home Offices
Is It a Shed? An Office? Neither — It’s a ‘Shoffice’!
By Fred Albert
This sinuous structure in a London backyard supports gardening and writing in a most unusual fashion
Full Story
Landscape Design
Family Gatherings in Argentina Inspire a Pavilion and Guesthouse
By Becky Harris
A new yard adds room for hosting, swimming and bringing part of one homeowner’s culture to her family’s Seattle home
Full Story
Small Homes
Thoughtful ADU Expands a Small Lot’s Potential
By Becky Harris
An architect makes the most of local ordinances allowing two homes and owners on one property in Princeton, New Jersey
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Birdhouse-Like ADU Built Around a Tree
In Austin, Texas, a playful 900-square-foot accessory dwelling unit maximizes a small budget and footprint
Full Story
Small Homes
ADUs That Turned Out So Well the Homeowners Moved In
By Becky Harris
These backyard buildings were so enticing they inspired homeowners to embrace a dramatic downsizing
Full Story
Garage Conversions
Before and After: 3 Garages Transformed Into Living Spaces
See how pros turned homeowners’ detached garages into finished spaces outfitted for living, working and playing
Full Story
Guesthouses
New ADU for Indoor-Outdoor Entertaining and Overnight Guests
By Becky Harris
A design-build firm creates a backyard hideaway with a full kitchen, a pass-through bar window and a patio
Full Story
Pool Houses
Beautiful Poolside Pavilion and Guesthouse for Open-Air Living
By Becky Harris
A design-build firm helps a family make the most of its Illinois property and prepare for future lifestyle changes
Full Story
Would've loved to see inside!
this could be my tiny house.
We just built this conservatory on an outbuilding/garage in Atlanta last fall.