Finished the Woodshed

I was thinking today that I'm a pretty busy guy ... I play golf and tennis pretty regularly, I draw for pleasure, I read (and write) a lot, and now that I've finished my woodshed, I'm about to start paddle tennis season and go back to making some pottery ... sheesh. I love it though. One of my longtimest hobbies is spare time functional carpentry. I was a carpenter for seven years before I started making furniture full time in 1980. It's waaaay more relaxing than furnituremaking (1/8" ? close enough ... nail it ... ), and I just like the process of dreaming something up in its space in the landscape, drawing it, and always having it to tinker with when I get the urge. I plan to write more on this later ...
I've been working on the woodshed below since early April and it started out in my head as something totally simple, a one pitch place to put my firewood for the wood stove we installed last year , like the one below I built in 1975 ... Then, Kit pointed out that it would be the first thing you saw when you drove up ... and then, the design just took off on it's own ... Click the pictures to enlarge them ...

Original in 1975 ... Pine handhewn beams (by my brother-in-law and I, broadax and all) Notice the fine mustache and trim figure

Revised sketch in the Greek revival mode to (sort of) match the house and garage .. Gable end ornaments next year...

A little inspiration from Architectural Digest ... I think I'll pass on the reflecting pool

Early April start, this spring .. Previous posts here and here

As it was this morning .... cleaned up the leftovers last thing yesterday ...

I had this piece of stained glass from my old shop. It was made in 1981 by a friend of ours, Stephen Gormley who has gone on the become an internationally famous glass artist ... Correction. ... a really big deal internationally famous glass artist Check out some of the projects on his website ...

Steve and Dan  1981, actually ... 

Anyway, we took teh window when we sold the Arlington property and I've been looking for a place to use it since we left there in 1997 ... Looks good here ..


Back side ... I put a tarp over the back for the winter .. I'll take it down for the air to flow through again next spring
I might if Sam were to get inspired to contribute some serious help, have a new metal shop in me for next summer ... We'll see ... It doesn't cost much to imagine what it might be like and I have all winter to sketch ... ..
Here are a couple other 'small, spare time buildings'

Kit's garden shed ... this one went on with the back wall unfinished for about 5 years, or maybe even more

Front side from the front porch

The garage and metal shop. Actually, I had a contractor frame and roof the main, two car part, but did the siding and metal shop on the far end as a 'spare time' thing ... That one lasted, I think 3, maybe four years

Back side with the metal shop on the far right and the wood shed just peaking out in front of the house

The sawdust shed ... All for now ... I have to find my treehouse pictures from Arlington....