When my husband and I planned our new garden four years ago, a shed in the corner of the veggie patch was a must. We left a space in the garden fence where the shed would go.

Unfortunately for the shed project, there were more pressing concerns than a shed—establish the tree crops, berry crops and native border; haul in compost and pea straw to improve the soil; build structures to support the bird netting we discovered was necessary here … There was always something more urgent.

About eighteen months ago, we were finally ready to think about the shed. What would it look like? Would it just be for storage, or would it have a potting bench? Did we want to be able to raise seedlings in it? What, exactly, would be stored there? So many questions! 

We went through many different plans ranging from the bare minimum storage closet to a full greenhouse with attached head house.

What we realised through the process was that we needed a second greenhouse. (Okay, we wanted a second greenhouse, let’s be real here.)

So last summer we built a greenhouse instead of a shed (because we still couldn’t decide on what the shed needed to do for us, but at least now we knew we didn’t need it to include greenhouse space).

Finally, this past summer was it. Time to build the shed. Perhaps we started off with modest plans—a shed just big enough for a potting bench, tools, and the lawnmower—but you know what they say about the best laid plans …

When we visited the local salvage yard looking for a door and a window, our modest plans blew up.

We found The Door.

It had obviously come from an old villa—a wooden door beside a tall leaded glass window with an art deco fuchsia motif. It was the perfect embellishment for a garden shed, never mind that such a glorious door belonged on a much grander building.

Once we had a door like that, things began to spiral out of control. Wouldn’t it be cool to echo those stained-glass flowers on the outside of the shed? I bought a handful of paint test pots and began designing floral motifs. And if I was painting flowers on the shed, maybe it needed a Pennsylvania Dutch hex sign too.

A shed that colourful on the outside should also be bright on the inside, especially since we decided that it did need to have a potting bench in it. So we whitewashed the interior and included a greenhouse panel on one gable end to let in more light.

For the potting bench, we’d hoped to use a piece of flooring that was once my office desk, but it was too short. However, we happened to have some big slabs of macrocarpa a neighbour had given to us. It made sense to use the material we had on hand, rather than buying new.

The result, by the time my husband was done, was a veritable work of art—a live edge potting bench with a backsplash and some gorgeous butterflies to stabilise a crack. How am I going to do my potting on that? I’ll feel horrible the first time I get it dirty.

Then of course there was the French cleat tool rack. Because why bang a few nails into the walls when you could have a beautiful rack that makes use of every available inch?

Then it needed a porch, and of course it needed a tap … Give us credit for the restraint it took not to add a small outdoor sink.

It might have become a bit of a folly, but when I moved in all the tools and gardening supplies, it was absolutely perfect. Now everything is handy and tucked into its place. I can’t wait until August when I can stand at my beautiful potting bench looking out over the vegetable garden while planting seeds.

And in the meantime, every time I have to retrieve a tool (now all convenient to the garden), I smile at the ridiculous whimsy of the building. Fit for purpose and lots of fun at the same time.