Karla Ritchey’s hand-built shed in McKinney, Texas, beckons with comfy furnishings, clever repurposing, and attention to hardworking details.
The centerpiece of Karla’s back garden, the light-filled shed is built from salvaged house parts collected over time.
Inside, the potting shed offers a sunlit spot for a cup of Earl Grey tea and a selection of sweets.
A vintage chipped-paint table and bistro chairs play host to an array of florals and pastries. The teacups were inherited from Karla’s paternal grandmother.
Classic French macarons are dainty delectables that suit an afternoon tea served on rose-patterned china in the airy and shabby chic shed.
A tarnished silver pitcher with etched decoration—one of two—adds its lovely curved lines to the wire frame of a dilapidated chandelier.
Strawberry-topped cupcakes are protected by a vintage-look glass cake keeper. The large dome keeps the treats moist and safe from insect depredation.
A delicious fruit tart, elevated on a cake pedestal, acts as the focal point of the table setting.
Coral pink geraniums reach for the sun from their perch atop an old metal retail display case. A few books are tucked on the bottom shelf—easy to grab when the need strikes to curl up in the corner for a quiet read.
A vintage wheeled laundry basket holds a colorful planting of blue-green striated hosta, magenta calibrachoa, euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost,’ and violet cineraria.
New beige cushions turn a vintage metal chair frame into a comfy spot for reading or soaking in the sun. Beneath it, a vintage wool rug covers the patio bricks with stylized blooms. Neutral-color cushions or upholstery blends easily with other finds and makes it possible to change a chair’s look instantly—simply by swapping one pillow or throw for another.
A ceramic bunny sits next to a gilt-edge plate whose delicate violets were hand-painted by Karla’s maternal grandmother. Perching the plate atop a stack of books adds height to the display.
It’s all in the details. Delicate embroidery decorates a vintage yellow tablecloth with complementary purple and blue flowers. The motif echoes the cineraria in the planted basket.
Over the side table, a dainty chandelier with leaded-glass prisms sparkles inside the zoned potting shed.
Hydrangeas inject a spectrum of blues into a wicker basket of pink petunia blooms and frothy white euphobia ‘Diamond Frost.’
Karla says she loves the way this green shelving unit stands out against the shed’s white chippy-paint window frames. A phalanx of terracotta pots stand ready to be filled with the season’s annuals. Wall-mounted shelves hold more supplies. At the right, a framed photo hangs from a vintage birdcage stand.
A vintage style cast-metal twine holder and matching scissors add decorative flair to the business end of Karla’s multipurpose shed.
Another repurposed light fixture, this one made from an upturned metal basket, dangles from the roof beam.
Styling by Carla Sayklay, Vintage Chic Trading Company
© Caruth Studio
T McDaniel
What a sweet garden shed. It is styled so nicely. McKinney has many fun gardens.
caruth-studio
Very true! A she-shed like this is high on my list of dream projects. Thanks for your thoughts!