She sheds offer emotional benefits, keep relationships healthy
by Jackie Pilossoph for Chicago Tribune Media Group
When Cindy Holmes-Fine and her husband moved in together five years ago, their blended family consisted of five kids, all still living at home. Although very happy to have such a large and loving family, Holmes-Fine felt like there were times she needed and wanted some space; alone time, a reprieve, an escape.
Her solution: A “she shed.”
“I got the inspiration from my sister, who had a garden shed that she turned into a garden office,” said Holmes-Fine, who also has three dogs and 12 chickens on the family’s Mt. Prospect urban farm. “My husband had built a shed for tools and garden equipment, so I asked him to build a shed for me, too.”
Described by Holmes-Fine as “a storybook home,” her she shed, which is constructed of cedar, offers eclectic décor, including a coffee table, chairs, a couch, a desk, and a bookcase. On the walls: pictures of flowers and inspirational sayings.
“It’s an escape to a little fantasy world, a place to go read, have a glass of wine, or bring friends in if I choose,” she said.
She sheds — a trend that began a few years ago — are basically a women’s version of a man cave. But instead of typical furnishings found in a man cave, such as a mini-fridge stocked with beer, a TV, a recliner, and sports memorabilia, she sheds are very diverse in their décor; each one unique, and personally designed to the owner’s taste and purpose of the shed.
Some she sheds are extravagant, luxurious and expensive, and others are basic, with no frills. But one thing all she sheds have in common is that they offer emotional benefits and they help sustain healthy relationships.
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