We design a lot of custom sheds that complement historic bungalows, but most are commonly covered with lap or novelty siding. Recently we got a chance to built a slightly differently clad shed for a unique 1940s bungalow in New Port Richey. The house, and an existing garage on the lot are both covered completely in wood shingles, so we designed the new shed accordingly.
The cedar shingles made the shop smell so good!
Walls up and roof dried in.
The shed is designed for use as a workshop with a small door for every day use and a large one for bigger items. The windows on the side are double-hung, meaning that the top slides down and the bottom slides up.
The front gable elevation has a vent that matches the main house.
Shed details showing 1x6 roof sheathing, cedar shingle siding, awning windows and traditional trim.
The shed nestled in the yard.
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.
One of our customer favorites is the tropical Snack Shack that we built in Palm Harbor with combination bar and storage shed. The shed design was recently adapted for a narrow site behind a historic Craftsman style home in the Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood in Tampa. The resulting shed was 8'x18' version with framing details that complemented the historic home. The shed was approved by the local historic preservation office.
Details from the main house that drove the shed design
Building the shed at the Historic Shed shop
Installation of the Craftsman Snack Shack shed on site
Bar interior
Ventilation door between the pub and storage areas
Awning doors locked down
Interior of the storage shed area
The finished shed with awnings closed
Pulleys that open the bar doors
The shed sits nicely by the pool
Some home details are just so lovely they just have to be replicated. For this 10'x12' shed that Historic Shed built in the historic Duckpond Neighborhood in Gainesville, Florida, the eave brackets and unique gable vents were replicated to create a one of a kind shed. The result is a main house and shed that harmonize very well. The shed design was reviewed and approved by the local historic preservation office.
10'x12' custom shed with French doors and interesting eave brackets
Shed vent detail complements the main house
Craftsman eave brackets being prepped for for a Historic Shed storage shed
Historic Shed installation
The original Craftsman bracket detail on the historic Duckpond house
The existing gable vent on the historic home - note the different outrigger detail on this side of the house
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.
The cottage was insulated with batt insulation on the walls and spray foam on the ceiling and under the floor
In Florida, we don't always need a full garage to protect our vehicles. We prefer to keep our cars out of the sun and rain, but since we don't deal with snow, walls are nice, but not required. Therefore, many homes built after the 1920s, when cars became commonplace, have integral carports as part of the design in Florida, even when they also have a detached garage.
Mission style residence designed with an integral carport built in the 1920s.
Bungalow with integral carport built in the 1920s with a detached garage to the rear.
Historic detached carport for a bungalow. This one has storage built in along the side.
Detached carport at a Tudor style home in Tampa.
Integral carport on a Mid Century Modern home
Other Florida homes have a detached carport design that is easy to add to any historic home property. These designs date from the 1880s through today, with elements from Craftsman Bungalows, Colonial Revival, and Mid-Century Modern all used to make unique and useful structures.
Detached simple gable car port for a bungalow found in Tampa.
Detached car port with triple columns for a Minimal Traditional home located in Tampa.
Historic Shed can custom design a detached car port to complement your historic home to protect your car and enhance your yard. Each design can incorporate details from the main house, using traditional materials and design elements that will look right at home at your historic property. These structures can double as entertainment pavilions as well for special occasions.
Carport designed and built by Historic Shed in St. Augustine.
Some various carport/ storage options that may work for you:
Front gable single car carport with side storage
Hipped roof single car carport with side storage
Side Gable single car carport with side storage
Gable two-car carport with storage to the rear
Hipped roof single car carport with storage to the rear
Hipped roof two-car carport with storage to the rear
While every historic house that we design a shed for is unique, some places have an exceptional story that sets them apart from the rest. This is true of a property settled in the 1880s Florida wilderness where we installed a 12'x14' shed in November that will serve as archives storage. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The house is located in what was founded as the the town of Limona in 1876 by Joseph Gillette Knapp, a retired judge from Wisconsin. Knapp actively promoted the area and soon convinced E. E. Pratt of the Illinois-based Elgin Watch Company to settle in Limona and to establish a retirement community for employees. Among the Illinois settlers was a talented watch maker, Charles Scott Moseley, his artist wife Julia Moseley, and their young children. Arriving in 1883, the Moseleys at first moved into a cabin that already existed on the lake-front property, but after a fire in 1885, they built the current house. Designed around a central porch to capture breezes on all sides, the house remains largely unaltered since initial construction. A well, bathhouse, shed and a two-story outbuilding constructed in the 1920s are also located on the site.
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The main house |
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A still-functioning well |
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A storage shed with the bathhouse visible to the right |
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The two-story carport/ studio |
The current owner, a direct descendant of Scott and Julia Moseley, has an extensive collection of letters written by Julia to her husband during his frequent business trips describing life in the Florida wilderness, along with photographs, artwork and other artifacts from early Florida life. The archives shed was designed to store these items in a climate controlled environment as well as provide a work space for visiting scholars. Historic Shed was hired to design and build the shed in a manner that would complement the existing historic site.
Built on tapered concrete piers to match the main house foundation, the shed incorporates cypress board and batten siding, exposed rafter tails, a custom dutch door and gable-end lattice details drawn from the various buildings on the property. Salvaged historic windows for the shed were provided by the owner and still have all their wavy glass panes. The windows are protected by batten shutters which can be fastened during storms to protect the fragile collection. The interior was finished with plywood walls, a pecky cypress ceiling, and cypress flooring. Cypress shelves and a desk constructed out of large cypress planks provided by the owner provide workspace for historians. The shed was insulated with open cell foam and a split mini system air conditioning system provides climate control. The paint scheme was used on the other historic outbuildings originally, using Julia Moseley's favorite colors.
Wood shake roof |
Cypress dutch door that mimics one on the main house |
Batten shutters for storm protection and shading the interior from direct light |
Salvaged historic wood windows |
Desk constructed of cypress planks provided by the owner |
Pecky cypress ceiling with shellac finish |
We design each shed to complement individual historic homes. Our most recent installation was for a storage shed behind an American Foursquare residence with a great wrap around porch.
The American Foursquare is a common house form built from the 1890s through the 1930s. The homes feature a compact plan that fit on suburban lots. Able to have a variety of styles applied, most examples in Florida exhibit Craftsman, Prairie or Mission styling or details. The American Foursquare house type has a roughly square footprint, is typically two or two and a half stories high and has a hipped roof, often with a center dormer. Porches can range from a small portico to wide wrap around porches such as seen on this example. The house layout usually consists of four equal-sized rooms to a floor. The house form was popular due to its efficient layout and economical shape and can be seen in historic districts throughout the United States.
Historic Shed designed a simple storage shed that mimicked the square shape and low sloping hipped roof of the main house. The shed also features wide boxed beadboard eaves and traditional window and door surrounds. Paired carriage house style doors built out of beadboard add an additional degree of historic character.