My favorite artsy photo of the finished porch.

Several years ago I was contacted by a woman who was in the process of buying a house in the historic Gillespie Park neighborhood in Sarasota. The 1920s house came with a detached garage in not-so-great shape, placed awkwardly in the middle of the yard and she wanted to replace it. Then she had a few big life changes, including moving out of the country, and the plans for the garage were put on hold. When she called back last year, she no longer wanted to just replace the garage. Instead, since the main house was being used as a vacation rental, they wanted to add a garage apartment that could also be rented out. Historic Shed designed a two-story, two car garage apartment with details that complemented the main house with a one bedroom, one bath layout. We also included a large porch for a private sitting area for visitors, accessed by an exterior stair. The cottage is available for rent at: https://www.vrbo.com/811457 So far, it has some rave reviews.

We were approached by someone in the historic Duckpond neighborhood in Gainesville looking to add an accessory cottage in her back yard. After some design iterations, we ended up building a 16'x20' version of our Starlet cottage with elements that complemented her historic home. The design was approved by the Gainesville Preservation Board.

Historic Shed Tiny House

The cottage under construction in the Historic Shed shop

16'x20' Cottage Floor Plan

16'x20' Cottage Floor Plan

The cottage shell installed on a concrete block pier foundation

The cottage shell installed on a concrete block pier foundation

Historic Shed Cottage

The cottage was set on concrete block piers with lattice panels

A French door and arched gable window add extra light into the space

A French door and arched gable window add extra light into the space

Interior framing

Interior framing

The cottage was insulated with batt insulation on the walls and spray foam on the ceiling and under the floor

The cottage was insulated with batt insulation on the walls and spray foam on the ceiling and under the floor

The steep roof allowed a storage loft to be placed over the kitchen and bath area

The steep roof allowed a storage loft to be placed over the kitchen and bath area

The customer choose Ikea cabinets for the kitchen

The customer chose Ikea cabinets for the kitchen

A small corner sink fit in behind the washer/dryer closet

A small corner sink fit in behind the washer/dryer closet

The loft is over 5' at the peak

The loft is over 5' at the peak and gets light through the gable window

The 5'-6"x5'-6" bath has a shower, vanity and toilet, as well as a washer/dryer closet

The 5'-6"x5'-6" bath has a shower, vanity and toilet, as well as a washer/dryer closet

A mini split AC system provides heat and cooling

A mini split AC system provides heat and cooling

A 2' deep storage shelf was installed opposite the loft

A 2' deep storage shelf was installed opposite the loft

A batten door leads to the bath

A batten door leads to the bath

A gas tankless heater is located on the rear of the building

A gas tankless heater is located on the rear of the building

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.

Our ten-year old son made this video for us. We're rather proud!

Historic homes have plenty of charm and character, but are often short on space. This is especially true when company arrives. Ybor City resident Judy Greer has found an affordable solution to that problem: she is installing a guest cottage behind her home. Designed and built by Historic Shed, a Brooksville-based outbuilding specialty company, the cottage complements her historic home and adds to the neighborhood character. The cottage has a bedroom and full bath, and is roughly the size of a typical hotel room.

Construction of a detached building was a less expensive alternative to building an addition to her home. Moreover, there was no construction inconvenience since all the work took place in her back yard, without disturbing her house. “My guests will be comfortable and I’ll keep my privacy,” say Ms. Greer. “It’s the perfect set-up. My neighbor is considering something similar for her mother-in law.”

224 sf Starlet Guest Cottage

The Greer Cottage was an adaptation of the 224 sf Starlet Guest Cottage

Tampa Tiny House

Cottage under construction

Historic Shed designs and builds outbuildings for historic homes, from simple garden sheds, to garages, to cottages like Ms. Greer’s. The custom designs incorporate architectural elements from existing historic homes and use traditional materials and detailing. Historic preservation consultant, Jo-Anne Peck and her contractor husband, Craig DeRoin began building Historic Shed outbuildings in 2008 to fill a void in the market for historic homeowners. “Many historic homeowners don’t want a stock metal or vinyl shed in their backyard, and in many cases they are actually prohibited by local historic district design guidelines,” says Ms. Peck. “We also get many calls from owners of newer homes who just want an attractive backyard building.”

Each Historic Shed outbuilding is constructed in a warehouse, broken back down into individual walls and roof for delivery, and then reassembled on site. Installation typically takes 2-3 days for garden sheds and two or more weeks for a more complex structure such as the cottage due to coordination with electrical and plumbing contractors. For more information, see the website at HistoricShed.com.

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