10 Sheds/Cabins- Would You Live In These? (and "My Cool Shed" Book Review)

DO SCROLL DOWN for a cool gallery of over TEN shed/cabin interiors and exteriors!

 BOOK REVIEW: "My Cool Shed" by Jane Field Lewis and Tina Hillier

 Overall Grade: B+
First, I'll note that I was/am a very big fan of Lewis' first book "My Cool Caravan"- if you haven't checked that out, and are into that scene, its a rather well done visual overview on some AMAZING micro/mobile dwellings....my father bought me a copy for a gift, and I later bought a copy as a gift for a friend.
    Anyway, as for "My Cool Shed" this is the third (and thinnest- 159 pp) offering of the trio of books from this author, and while I DO love the photos, the layout, and most of the selections, I can't help but feel that the book was a little rushed layout-wise, perhaps so as to hop on the still hot trail and success of the other releases (and I'm sure another is already in the works). My Cool Treehouse? My Cool Tent? My Cool Doghouse? Laugh it up, but just you wait.....(And I'd probably buy the former two).
   Back on track, there are some GREAT photos in here, but also a few full page and 1.5 page ones that just seem to be a waste of space (a light bulb by a plywood wall needed more than a full page spread?). A decent chunk of the sheds and cabins featured have already been featured in many other similar books too- especially the classic author sheds of "George Bernard Shaw", "Dylan Thomas", and so on- however, if you don't own 4023 tiny architecture books, as I do, and haven't seen those sheds a few times already, this would be a GOOD thing- they are classics, and they are clever, attractive, n' cool.
    BUT....BUT...aside from a few critiques (and I hope you made it this far, as I have many good things to say as well!) this book is still leagues better than other genre offerings out there (although perhaps not as compared to Alex Johnson's very recent "Shedworking"). "My cool shed" is also pretty darn eclectic, which I do love, and features a couple of builds/cabins which I have never-ever seen before- one killer tree house too! I do like the quality of the print, the paper, and the hardcover aspect of this too. Its a pretty classy book and a great tome that is chock full of photographic ideas for those in search of a future shed-escape.
    All in all, its a very good eye-candy ride through the world of tiny cabins and sheds (all inspirational, and not instructional, which I'm more than fine with), and while not THE BEST book on the subject out there, if sheds are your thing, this one would still rank pretty high up there. I'm certainly not sorry I spent the money, its just tough to beat "My Cool Caravan" when Lewis set her own bar so high.

Here are some interior photos of some of this book's content, and a link below, so you can decide for yourself.

LINKS to LEWIS' BOOK- Mine as well.....

 

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

The Orange Owl- A tiny micro guest house/shed/office on wheels

 "The Orange Owl"- also the name of a side-project music act I've been messin' with...

("From the $0.99 Notebook of Deek D")- CLICK TO ENLARGE THE SKETCH

Take a tumbleweed, but simpler, and shrink it with a ray gun (yet to be invented, sigh...). Here's a sketch I was messing around with the other day towards a SIMPLE, AFFORDABLE, and QUICK-TO-BUILD design/project for next month's hands-on "Relaxshacks.com" tiny-house-building workshop (Nov 2-4) in Stoughton, MA. Twp spots left in our intimate group of twenty (kidcedar at gmail dot com). All ages, all skill levels, ALL FUN!
     I have already purchased the trailer so that we as a group can work on a project such as this, but I'm still hashing out WHAT I want it to look like. Also, for the sake of education, it has to incorporate some simple framing, a variety of tool use, a chance to work in some creative and recycled materials, rafter and roof work (two kinds perhaps), spacial contemplation as a group (the layout inside), and more- all while being something we can complete most of in three days. Oh yeah, ALL OF THIS, but while also being lightweight....

The beauty of these group projects- ANYTHING is subject to change, and nothing is set in stone. If workshop attendees have some great ideas to offer up, as they usually do, we just might add 'em into the mix.... AND, we'll probably film a little of this for the show "Tiny Yellow House" on Make Magazine....

If you haven't seen the show, here's a TREEHOUSE episode we did a ways back- one I designed and built....

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen