A few months ago, we were contacted by an artist who has a 1950s Mid Century Modern style home in Tampa who wanted a studio that would complement her home. The Historic Shed MiMo shed was adapted to meet her needs and to match elements from her home.

MiMO Architecture Florida

The Ballast Point home, built in 1957, has a low sloped roof, brick and T1-11 exterior and fixed windows that follow the roof slope.

In order to maximize the space in the studio and allow for the transoms above the door, the front wall was raised to 9' high, and the rear wall to 8'.

MiMo Shed

The shed roof line is followed by the side triangular transoms.

The front elevation features a pair of single light French doors, two transom windows, and a 4' roof extension.

The front elevation features a pair of single light French doors, two transom windows, and a 4' roof extension.

MiMo Historic Shed

Set off nicely with some shell rock

 

Historic Shed MiMo

A nice seating area

The homeonwer finshed out the interior, adding insulation, AC and finishes

The homeowner finished out the interior, adding insulation, AC and finishes

Artists modern studio

Inside the studio

Home Office Shed Interior with Mini-Split AC unit

Historic Shed was contacted by a couple who live in the Hyde Park historic district in Tampa to design a garage and guest room for a very unusual lot. Triangular in shape, their small lot was just over 4,500 sf and contained a lovely one-story Craftsman bungalow with less than 1,000 sf. The atypical lot was further constrained by a large protected oak tree on the site, and one on a neighbor's lot, just over the property line. With Tampa's strong tree protection ordinances, this left little space to build. Building up was the only real option to maximize the remaining lot space.

The site once had a one-story garage on the lot. The original concrete was still in place, but a ramshackle carport had been constructed by a previous owner.

Before: The site once had a one-story one-car garage on the lot, long since gone. The original concrete was still in place, complete with a 1919 date embossed. A ramshackle carport had been constructed by a previous owner.

The historic bungalow on the site has a 3:12 roof pitch and 4' bead board eaves with bracket supports.

The Main House: The historic bungalow on the site has a 3:12 roof pitch and 4' bead board eaves with bracket supports.

After tweaking the design to fit the lot and meeting with Tampa's Historic Preservation Office and Forestry Department, the resulting project created a 12'x20' one-car garage with apartment above. A 6'x8' one-story shed allowed additional storage while accommodating the lot's shape and giving a visual step down from the two-story volume to the street. The stairs were placed at the rear of the building for privacy with an exterior design that allowed them to encroach within the required oak tree setback.

Due to height constraints at the Historic Shed shop, the first and second floors were prefabricated separately.

Installation of the Garage Apartment adjacent to the historic Hyde Park bungalow.

Installation of the Garage Apartment adjacent to the historic Hyde Park bungalow.

Installation of the prefabricated outbuilding.

Trusses installed, roof sheathing on, and the shed addition in place.

Trusses installed, roof sheathing on, and the shed addition in place on the right side.

The garage design itself took its cues from the main house which had a low-sloped front-gable roof and very wide eaves. Walls were clad in lap siding and an existing skirt board was inspiration for a belt course on the new building. The new outbuilding was kept simpler in architectural detail, but clearly complementing the main residence.

Windows and shed door installed.

Windows and shed door installed. With no alley and an odd shaped lot, the garage faces the street and has the same front setback as the main house.

The stairs to the apartment are set to the rear of the building for privacy. The exterior stairs allowed the building to set closer to the protected tree on the site.

The stairs to the second floor apartment are set to the rear of the building for privacy. The exterior wood framed stairs allowed the building to set closer to the protected tree on the site.

Second floor interior view when you walk in the door. The floors are laminate, the ceiling is 1x6 V-groove pine, and the walls are drywall. A mini split ac system cools and heats the space.

Second floor interior view when you walk in the door. The floors are laminate, the ceiling is 1x6 V-groove pine, and the walls are drywall. A mini split ac system cools and heats the space.

The main room in the second floor apartment. The space will double as a home office and guest suite.

The main room in the second floor apartment. The space will double as a home office and guest suite.

The French doors let in extra light. A 5'-6"x5'-6" 3/4 bath is located on the right.

The French doors let in extra light. A 5'-6"x5'-6" 3/4 bath is located on the right.

View into the apartment bathroom

View into the apartment bathroom.

The Garage Apartment Floor Plans

The Garage Apartment Floor Plans

A steel overhead garage door with a carriage house overlay by CHI finishes out the front facade.

A steel overhead garage door with a carriage house overlay by CHI finishes out the front facade along with period-inspired lighting.

The ribbon driveway completes the exterior of the garage apartment with a period look.

The ribbon driveway completes the exterior of the garage apartment with a period look.

The interior of the garage was finished in plywood fro added strength.

The interior of the garage was finished in plywood fro added strength. The storage shed is located on the right.

Shed bead board batten door by Historic Shed

The 6'x8' side storage shed features a cypress bead board door.

Carriage House facade by Historic Shed in Tampa Florida

Details on the Garage Apartment front facade

Eave and trim details on the garage apartment

Eave and trim details on the garage apartment

The finished product, waiting for sod.

The finished product, waiting for sod.

A new deck creates a welcoming entry from the street.

Landscaping completes the look.

And the rear of the carriage house completed.

See more about the Two-story Garage-apartment options. A two-car version is in the works as well.

We have found that Florida artists love our Historic Shed outbuildings for studios. Inspired by the Sunny Artist Studio Shed, an artist in Sarasota contacted us to build a similarly styled shed for their back yard painting studio.

Studio Shed

Their gable studio shed is 12'x12' and has a 4' front porch extension supported by large brackets. As always, artists pick great and unique color schemes that enhance our sheds. These colors look spectacular in person!

The shed features a double set of wood 10 light French doors and double hung wood windows on each side. The angled placement of the shed in the corner of the yard makes it a focal point in the landscape.

The shed features a double set of wood 10-light French doors and Jeld Wen double-hung wood windows on each side. The angled placement of the shed in the corner of the yard makes it a focal point from all vantage points.

Concrete inscription

The owners placed wooden letters in the wet concrete for a fun entrance into the shed.

Artists shed interior

Wood planks were installed over insulation to finish off the walls. The roof framing and sheathing were left exposed for a rustic look with extra height.

Artists shed interior through French doors

Looking into the empty shed, ready to move in.

Artist Studio Shed Landscaped

After Historic Shed completed their installation, the owners installed landscaping. (Photo courtesy of the owner)

Studio Shed with doors open

Double French doors at the end of the new path make for an inviting studio full of light and fresh air. (Photo courtesy of the owner)

Artists Studio Shed interior

The shed interior finished and ready for inspiration. (Photo courtesy of the owner)

Last year we were delighted to be contacted by a couple with this email note:

My husband & and I have been stalking your site for a year, waiting until our yard was ready to get a shed. I think we're close! We are in downtown Orlando, have a 1911 colonial revival/farmhouse.

We knew we'd like them instantly.

They live in the lovely Lake Eola Heights Historic District in Orlando, located within walking distance to downtown Orlando. The houses were built primarily between 1890 and 1925 and have an amazing array of styles and detail. Theirs was full of texture and character.

They didn't need an overlarge shed, but it needed character and lots of windows. And to be a test case for the colors they planned to paint their house. Because the property is located within a designated historic district, the shed design was reviewed by the local historic preservation office. Shed Construction

Custom Shed Installation

Installing the Lake Eola Shed

GABLE SHED

Double French doors let in lots of light. Gable shingles mimic those on the main house.

Orlando Wood Shed

The shed has a metal roof to match the one on the main house porch.

Orlando Shed with casement windows

Casement windows let in ample light.

A couple of months after we were done, we received this lovely email note with the photo below:

Just wanted to let you know how happy we are!! We don't have much in the ground yet- but the veggies are happy- waiting on electric & water to go in, then the brick paths- then garden beds will be better defined. We have spent more time in the back yard in the past few months than we have in 3 years!

IMG_6239

This lovely 10'x10' shed was delivered to Fruitland Park, Florida, a beautiful area with many lakes. The owner had a newer stucco over block home, but wanted a shed with a little traditional Craftsman flair for the yard.

Custom 10'x10' Craftsman Style Shed by Hisoric Shed

Custom 10'x10' Craftsman Style Shed by Historic Shed

The shed is set on a wood deck, strapped down into concrete, cypress siding, and a 5-V crimp metal galvanized roof. The shed has Craftsman style eave brackets, a 3/1 double hung window, and Craftsman styling on the 4' wide beadboard shed door. It is accented nicely by the owner's classic color choices. After it was installed, we received this lovely email from the owner:

"Glenn and I couldn't be more pleased with our new garden shed.  Craig spent a lot of time 'tweaking' and the pride he takes in his product is now obvious.  Again, we are very pleased and have started to 'move in' today.  Thank you for being so attentive to the finishing.  Will send pictures when we're done installing walkway, plants, etc.  Your sheds need to be featured in home and garden magazines....they are unique!"

Craftsman Shed with 4' wide cypress beadboard door

Craftsman Shed with 4' wide cypress beadboard door

Historic Shed is an offshoot of Preservation Resource, Inc., a historic preservation consulting company. Under the PRI umbrella, we have worked on a variety of historic building projects, including the Tampa Interstate Study project in Ybor City. More recently, we began a project near our Historic Shed shop in Brooksville at the Chinsegut Hill Manor House.

Chinsegut Hill Manor House

The Chinsegut Hill Manor House is set atop one of the highest elevations in Florida.

Settled in the 1840s, the Chinsegut Hill Manor House property has links to many important eras in history including: the initial development of Florida during the pioneer years; the development of a Florida slave plantation and its transformation after the Civil War; the US labor movement including women’s and children’s labor regulations; women’s suffrage; early 1900 literature; the Russian Revolution; the Great Depression and the Civilian Conservation Corp; and the early years of University of South Florida development. Details on its development and history can be found at the Friends of Chinsegut Hill website.

Chinsegut Hill Manor House c. 1910

Historic postcard showing Chinsegut Hill Manor House c. 1910 when owned by Raymond and Margaret Robins, prominent social activists. The house saw many guests during the Robins' ownership, including Helen Keller, Thomas Edison, and Jane Addams.

We began our involvement in the Manor House renovation when a locally formed non-profit, Friends of Chinsegut Hill, managed to convince the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners that the building could and should be saved for public use, and secured grants through the Florida Division of Historical Resources for the planning and stabilization of the building. Through the first grant, PRI was hired to prepare a Historic Structures Report, documenting the building's past development, current condition, and planning for its future.

Investigations of the house revealed some serious foundation issues. PRI, along with a local house moving company, Atlas, LLC, made the necessary foundation repairs. Then the Florida legislature secured $1.5 million in funding for the full rehabilitation of the house. PRI was brought on board as the building contractor.

Chinsegut foundation repair

Chinsegut Hill during foundation repair. The heavy timber framing made supporting the walls difficult during sill replacement.

To kick off the project, we constructed a small shed to hold the project permits and store small tools. The 3'x3' shed was placed near a family cemetery on the property and has architectural elements that complement the main house.

Chinsegut Hill Historic Shed

The shed has a wide overhang and wood shingles.

The renovation work at the house will take many months. Current work is focusing on the building exterior, repairing siding and windows, replacing columns and rebuilding the two story porch where needed. Interior repairs will include lots of plaster work and bringing the existing interior trim back to life.

Chinsegut Hill Manor House Camillas

Beautiful camillas in bloom at the house during renovations.

Two small historic cabins are located near the manor house. Both date from the 1930s when a CCC camp was established on the extensive property. The cabins will hopefully be brought back to life once the main house renovation is complete.

Chinsegut Hill CCC Wash House

A CCC era wash house remains on the Chinsegut Hill property

CCC Cabin at Chinsegut Hill

CCC era cabin on the Chinsegut Hill property.

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