THEAGE domain.com.au 3 COVERSTORY domain...Garden Sheds Galore founder Paul Morrison agrees....
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NAA 003 domain COVER STORY Boys’ own: (From left) Shah Turner, Heath Usher and Chris Summons sample prosciutto made at their Thursday-night Shed Club. PICTURES: ERIN SLATTERY The couple had been trying to figure out how to build an extra room for their teenage daughter, at the same time as replacing a falling-down shed, when Flemington-based architect Barbara Weimar came up with a cost-effective solution. ‘‘We thought we’d probably have to put in a new shed and maybe try and put an attic into the house,’’ Ms Vinycomb says. ‘‘But then the architect said: ‘Forget the attic. You could build a glorified shed.’ ’’ The contemporary building juts out from the unusual shape of the couple’s backyard like a ship’s prow. A laundry and shed is downstairs and a staircase on the outside leads up to a studio where Ms Vinycomb, who is studying art at Monash University, paints. The studio-style shed is dug into the ground and has low walls but sloping ceilings to create more space. The couple involved the neigh- bours in the building process by inviting them to choose the colour of the roof, which would face next door. By combining the shed with the laundry and stacking the extra room on top, the solution opened up more space for a courtyard. The couple was thrilled. ‘‘It works well, I suppose in the same way a shed works for people because it’s a separate little space that’s distinct from the rest of the house.’’ So what else should potential shed-builders keep in mind? Mark Thomson, author of Blokes and Sheds and numerous other books about the bloke’s retreat, says a shed needs to be functional. ‘‘It’s a place where useful, functional things happen. It’s given over to doing things, making things, repairing things. It is this kind of backyard lab.’’ On a practical level, Thomson says a shed should have good light, a solid floor and a power source. On a psychological level, he says the shed can be a place where men feel they can order their world in any way they want. In the outside world, especially in the workforce, most people don’t have that kind of control. Thomson says his shed is a ‘‘normal corrugated iron garage which I would like to be three times bigger than it is’’. The Shed Club blokes also admit to pining after a bigger shed. They’ve dreamed about buying a property together to accommodate a paddock- sized shed. Probably with home-brew beer on tap. And couches. Chris Summons grows wistful: ‘‘I do spend a lot of time fantasising about the ultimate shed.’’ Saturday, January 6, 2007 THE AGE domain.com.au 3 Play up in a cosy cubby or pint-sized palace R OCHELLE and Mick Bailey’s three-year-old daughter, Bella, has her own special house. The cubby in the family’s Hopper’s Crossing backyard is almost a reflection of the main house. It is painted the same cream, with heritage-red detailing. Mr Bailey says the cubby evolved because he and his father-in-law wanted to work together on a project. ‘‘We were looking for something to build,’’ he says. ‘‘I put the idea to him and he loved it.’’ The family has a small backyard, so the idea was to create a fun and inter- esting space for young Bella to play. This time of year is cubby season. Michele and Hugh Martin of Thornbury searched eBay last year for a cubby to give three-year-old Charlotte. Even on the internet auction site, prices doubled in the lead-up to Christmas and the Martins forked out more than $500 for a second-hand cubby. Some were selling for up to $900. The founder of Aaron’s Outdoor Creations, Aaron Giddings, says the company had 800 cubbies ordered for December, worth about $1.5 million. A basic cubby starts at $500 and the price increases with the number of optional extras — such as slides, ladders, flowerboxes and letterboxes. ‘‘You are looking at around the $4000 mark for the Taj Mahal of the cubby world,’’ Mr Giddings says. ‘‘People are getting very pedantic about the look of their backyard. The expectations are very high now in terms of quality; it’s not just a cubby you build out of crate.’’ Garden Sheds Galore founder Paul Morrison agrees. ‘‘Cubbies are becoming a big thing,’’ he says. Morrison says customers often lay-by cubbies midyear ready for Christmas. He also confirms that the cubbies they choose are getting more glamorous — sandpits underneath elevated cubbies, swings and monkey bars are all popular add-ons. Both companies also make timber and galvanised steel sheds, although Mr Giddings says garden sheds tend to be more popular with buyers in the colder months, when people are clearing out the clutter from inside the house. Contact Cover: Custom-made cubbies from Ghekko Design, 0414 388 880 Garden Sheds Galore, 1300 723 829 Aaron’s Outdoor Creations, 1300 305 325 DISPLAY OPEN SATURDAY & SUNDAY 11-2PM Corner Elizabeth St & A’Beckett St – entry from A’Beckett St Call Paul 0433 029 800, Brett 0418 317 158 or 9650 2980 CLASSIC STYLE + MODERN LUXURY BRILLIANT CBD LOCATION LOCATION CNR ELIZABETH AND A’BECKETT STREETS 3 minutes walk from Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Central & RMIT University • 1 & 2 bed & studio apartments • Designer fitouts • Security entrance • Abundant natural light • Some with 3.6m ceilings PAY 10% DEPOSIT, NO MORE TOPAY FOR 2 YEARS INVEST IN THE HEART OF MELBOURNE FROM ONLY $179,500 www.abeckettapartments.com SAVE $1000’S IN STAMP DUTY
Transcript of THEAGE domain.com.au 3 COVERSTORY domain...Garden Sheds Galore founder Paul Morrison agrees....
NAA 003
domainCOVERSTORY
Boys’own:(Fromleft)ShahTurner,HeathUsherandChrisSummonssampleprosciuttomadeattheirThursday-nightShedClub.PICTURES:ERINSLATTERY
The couple had been trying to figureout how to build an extra room fortheir teenage daughter, at the sametime as replacing a falling-downshed, when Flemington-basedarchitect Barbara Weimar came upwith a cost-effective solution.
‘‘We thought we’d probably haveto put in a new shed and maybe tryand put an attic into the house,’’Ms Vinycomb says. ‘‘But then thearchitect said: ‘Forget the attic. Youcould build a glorified shed.’ ’’
The contemporary building jutsout from the unusual shape of thecouple’s backyard like a ship’s prow.
A laundry and shed is downstairsand a staircase on the outside leadsup to a studio where Ms Vinycomb,who is studying art at MonashUniversity, paints.
The studio-style shed is dug intothe ground and has low walls butsloping ceilings to create more space.
The couple involved the neigh-bours in the building process byinviting them to choose the colour ofthe roof, which would face next door.
By combining the shed with thelaundry and stacking the extra roomon top, the solution opened up morespace for a courtyard. The couplewas thrilled.
‘‘It works well, I suppose in thesame way a shed works for peoplebecause it’s a separate little spacethat’s distinct from the rest of thehouse.’’
So what else should potentialshed-builders keep in mind?
Mark Thomson, author ofBlokes and Sheds and numerous otherbooks about the bloke’s retreat, saysa shed needs to be functional.
‘‘It’s a place where useful,
functional things happen. It’s givenover to doing things, making things,repairing things. It is this kind ofbackyard lab.’’
On a practical level, Thomsonsays a shed should have good light, asolid floor and a power source.
On a psychological level, he saysthe shed can be a place where menfeel they can order their world in anyway they want. In the outside world,especially in the workforce, mostpeople don’t have that kind ofcontrol.
Thomson says his shed is a‘‘normal corrugated iron garagewhich I would like to be three timesbigger than it is’’.
The Shed Club blokes also admitto pining after a bigger shed. They’vedreamed about buying a propertytogether to accommodate a paddock-sized shed. Probably with home-brewbeer on tap. And couches.
Chris Summons grows wistful:‘‘I do spend a lot of time fantasisingabout the ultimate shed.’’
Saturday, January 6, 2007 THEAGE domain.com.au 3
Playupinacosycubbyorpint-sizedpalaceROCHELLE and Mick Bailey’s
three-year-old daughter, Bella,has her own special house. The
cubby in the family’s Hopper’s Crossingbackyard is almost a reflection of themain house. It is painted the samecream, with heritage-red detailing.
Mr Bailey says the cubby evolvedbecause he and his father-in-law wantedto work together on a project. ‘‘Wewere looking for something to build,’’ hesays. ‘‘I put the idea to him and heloved it.’’
The family has a small backyard, sothe idea was to create a fun and inter-esting space for young Bella to play.
This time of year is cubby season.Michele and Hugh Martin of Thornburysearched eBay last year for a cubby to
give three-year-old Charlotte. Even onthe internet auction site, prices doubledin the lead-up to Christmas and theMartins forked out more than $500 fora second-hand cubby. Some were sellingfor up to $900.
The founder of Aaron’s OutdoorCreations, Aaron Giddings, says thecompany had 800 cubbies ordered forDecember, worth about $1.5 million.
A basic cubby starts at $500 andthe price increases with the number ofoptional extras — such as slides,ladders, flowerboxes and letterboxes.
‘‘You are looking at around the$4000 mark for the Taj Mahal of thecubby world,’’ Mr Giddings says.
‘‘People are getting very pedanticabout the look of their backyard.
The expectations are very high now interms of quality; it’s not just a cubbyyou build out of crate.’’
Garden Sheds Galore founder PaulMorrison agrees. ‘‘Cubbies arebecoming a big thing,’’ he says.
Morrison says customers often lay-bycubbies midyear ready for Christmas.He also confirms that the cubbies theychoose are getting more glamorous —sandpits underneath elevated cubbies,swings and monkey bars are all popularadd-ons.
Both companies also make timberand galvanised steel sheds, althoughMr Giddings says garden sheds tend tobe more popular with buyers in thecolder months, when people are clearingout the clutter from inside the house.
ContactCover: Custom-made cubbies fromGhekko Design, 0414 388 880
Garden Sheds Galore, 1300 723 829
Aaron’s Outdoor Creations,1300 305 325
DISPLAY OPEN SATURDAY & SUNDAY 11-2PMCorner Elizabeth St & A’Beckett St – entry from A’Beckett StCall Paul 0433 029 800, Brett 0418 317 158 or 9650 2980
CLASSIC STYLE + MODERN LUXURYBRILLIANT CBD LOCATION LOCATION CNR ELIZABETH AND A’BECKETT STREETS3 minutes walk from Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Central & RMIT University• 1 & 2 bed & studio apartments • Designer fitouts • Security entrance • Abundant natural light • Some with 3.6m ceilingsPAY 10% DEPOSIT, NO MORE TO PAY FOR 2 YEARS
INVEST IN THE HEART OF MELBOURNEFROM ONLY $179,500
www.abeckettapartments.com
SAVE $1000’SIN STAMP DUTY
