She shed or addition?
 

About 12 years ago my hubby and I re-did the top of our two car garage to make me a sewing studio. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my space. It is awesome and has almost everything a person could want. I do like how I am isolated and that the space is totally MINE. However, there are a few drawbacks:

1) I have to go outside to get to the garage. Not a problem in the nice weather, but really stinks when the weather is not so nice (I live in the Finger Lakes of NY).

2) The stairs are extremely steep. Not a problem, if my hands aren't full of stuff and I can hold on to the handrail. I have almost fallen more times than I care to admit, and have fallen more times than I have told my hubby.

So I am contemplating a change in the next year or so. I have been debating between a she shed or doing an addition on the house. Cost wise, I think they would be comparable.

As with all my projects/decisions, I do a lot of research, etc. before approaching the hubster. He's a stickler for information and can be difficult to sway if I'm not fully prepared.

So my question is, if you had to choose between a she shed or an addition what would you choose and why?

If you already have a she shed, what made you go that route and do you still love it?

Thanks for your input!

With a she shed, wouldn't you still have the problem of going outside in bad weather?

My sister-in-law was a wonderful seamstress (not a quilter) and made her husband suits and all of her children's clothes and she did it all in her family room/kitchen. Then her DH made her a sewing room in the basement and she hated it. So, she moved her sewing machine back in the family room so that she could stir a pot once in awhile, etc. She kept most everything in the basement room though, out of the way. HTH

Oh yes, I know what you mean about the steep steps, my DD has a 2 story house and to get upstairs we go up a very nice, carpeted, STEEP staircase and it is horrible. I have to pull myself up by the railing. Absolutely could not carry anything upstairs too.

I think I like the idea of the separate studio. With big Windows to watch the seasons.

I have a bedroom/sewing room. I think first with the measurements of your current room and do you have enough/satisfied and would do with same size or do you want larger. With most additions you have to get permits and that can involve engineers, etc. With a shed, there are various sizes you can build and that would also determine your budget. Would you be able to put an interior stairway in the garage to access your sewing room that may save even more money and not have to worry about potential falls/slippage. I would start with measurements of the space you're using now and go from there. One thing I definitely suggest is that you do not keep the falling from your husband. If I had a shed, it would have to be every bit the size I'm utilizing currently. Like I said measurements are key. Good luck!!

If the cost is about the same, I would do the addition to the house -- it adds to the value of the property, while a shed is more likely to be a liability down the road. You also have the issue of going outdoors in bad weather and heating/cooling a shed, things that are more easily controlled with a house addition. If you like the sense of separation, then put in a good door and some sound proofing. I always think that I should put a screen door on my sewing room -- so I can hear what's going on with the kids but keep the pets off my fabric, but I can definitely see the advantage of tuning everything out.

That said, I think that in our area, a home addition would cost more than putting up a shed-- by quite a bit.

I like the idea of an addition -- indoors, hopefully no stairs, safe & heated. I think if it's all girly & frilly with nice organization for all your beautiful fabrics, tools & notions, he's not really likely to bother you in that space anyways.

An addition adds square footage to your home, which in turn adds value. Appraisers typically do not add value for She Sheds & those don't appeal to most buyers. Of course, at least in Illinois, it is much cheaper to pull permits for a shed than for an addition, but I think the increase in value is worth it. If you're worried about noise, you can always use that acoustic insulation & then it's truly like you're in your own little world.

One other little note: if for some reason you end up staying over the garage, maybe you could have him install a dumb-waiter to transport your fabrics & such from inside the garage up into your craft room. I have seen a number of people installing those recently & they are really cool. Work great & then your hands are free to climb the stairs. Too bad they can't build you a little covered walkway out to either the garage or your She Shed. If you could get that, I'd go for the She Shed all the way! If you do go for the Shed, make sure to get double-pane windows & seriously consider spray insulation ... and maybe a heated floor (they're not too expensive to add to a slab of concrete & you can put tile or hardwood over it if you like). Radiant floor heating is one of the most efficient ways to heat a room since hot air rises & it really does keep the room warm.

Also, windows are wonderful, but not particularly warm in the wintertime. Obviously you want some windows to make it bright & airy, but you also need plenty of wall space so they can spray in insulation so you don't freeze. (and you probably want to locate it either close to the garage or house so you're not having to carry stuff a long way in bad weather, or having to run out in the rain/snow to use the washroom (oooohhhh! can you add a 2-piece washroom to a She Shed? ooohh! that would be fun! -- don't tell your hubby it was my idea :D)

I think an addition would be more expensive than a shed; however, I think that's the best way to go. (1) You wouldn't have to go outside in bad weather. Aside from the convenience, it reduces the chances of a bad fall. We are all aging and, at a certain point, balance and reflexes are not as good as they used to be, increasing the chances of a bad fall. (2) It would increase the value of your house because it would add main floor square footage. A shed would probably not increase sale value of your house by much, and might even be a drawback for some buyers. If the cost is nearly the same, the addition would be the better value-for-money in terms of home equity. (3) You can put doors on the addition so you are still somewhat cut off from the rest of the house if/when you want to be alone in your quilting studio. On the other hand, you can open doors so you can easily tend to household tasks such as laundry and cooking.

I agree with looking into the possibility of adding an interior staircase for your current studio. Assuming it's feasible, I would think about making the staircase wide so that you can add an electric stair lift. This could be used as a seat for yourself, of course, but it could also serve as a safe way to get items up and down the stairs. A friend of mine has two neighbors, both of whom had accidents while carrying things down a staircase. They were both very serious accidents. In one case the woman was carrying a basket of laundry down the stairs, couldn't see the stairs, and missed the last step. The other was a woman with socks on who slipped coming down the stairs. These were both interior staircases.

My 32 cents worth of advice...... (taking into account inflation)

I don't know what size your room is now, but it sounds like the steps are an issue. First of all, is there any way that you could redo the steps so they're not so steep? Or build a landing into them at about halfway? Then, how far is your garage from your house? The reason I'm asking is we're just in the process of building a new garage. It, too, will have a finished room above it that will be my sewing studio. (We're calling it our "garottage" - - garage + cottage). We "attached" it to our house by having a screenporch between the house and the garage. Some say breezeway. It was cheaper than an addition would be but I'll still be sheltered when I go from one area to the next - - I'm from Wisconsin so our weather would be equally wintery at times. Something like that would allow you to continue to use the space that you have that may go unused otherwise.....just a thought.

I would also vote for the addition. First, however, I agree with the others about seeing if you can re-engineer your current situation to make it accessible from the house and address the stairs. We have a raised ranch - living space all on one floor, but it looks like a bi level. The garage is under the house, so to get stuff out of the car and into the house, I have a dumb waiter and I love it! Mine is the manual version, uses a rope pulley, but they do make electric types.

If putting in a breezeway and redoing the stairs to your current studio isn't in the plans, then I would go with the addition. Wish fire code would be OK with a dumb waiter sort of set up for you. Maybe one of those stair chairs advertised for the older or disabled person would work.

You may be able to use the existing ac and heat source from your home. Or not.

Since I live down here in the desert I would go with a mother-in-law type casit a with solar tubes for additional lighting as it would positively affect the pricing with resale of the property. A shed, wouldn't help much at all.

Options: These really depend on your budget

Redo the staircase in the garage. Maybe a small addition to the garage will allow for a safer staircase.

Install an elevator in the garage.

Put a covered walkway to the garage.

Addition, probably most expensive, and most disruptive.

She-Shed, still have to go outside during the winter. Plumbing and wiring will need to be supplied, plus hook up to sewer/septic.

Ronie,
We could maybe give more suggestions if we knew whether your garage is attached or detached. I know out East attached garages are somewhat less common than here in the Midwest. If it's attached (or very closeby), I agree with those who've suggested either adding an interior entrance or a covered walkway. But when I think about some houses I've seen where the garage is located off an alley at the back of the lot, I can't help but laugh at the picture of this weird rectangular box running through the middle of your back yard to try and connect the house & garage/studio. I've seen it done a few times at this Colonial-inspired neighborhood with detached garages near where I grew up; it looks completely ridiculous ... not to mention the fact that it practically makes the home unsaleable.

I would do an addition over a shed. Another option would be moving a guest room from the house (if you have one) to over the garage and using the spare bedroom for a sewing room.

Tothill, an elevator would probably be more expensive than the whole addition. My husband looked into one for a builder he was doing work for and the cost were over $40,000 by the time it was installed.

Inside the house is best for me. A room I can walk into an close the door when I leave. If I had an outside shed I wouldn't feel like I was home.

look into the chair lift thingy for the stairs, and have an old fashion dumbwaiter to set things in that need to be hauled up and down instead of using the stairs. Easy Peasy, and you don't have to pack up your fabric :)

I've had two friends put in the stairs chair lift and it added years to how long they could comfortably use their upstairs and basements. Would be WAY less than a whole new room, unless money is no object. Only you know that.

If the stairs are the main problem, then perhaps a stair lift would work well for you. That's a lot cheaper than an addition.

Is the garage detached from your home? If so, and if it's not too far from the house, maybe you could put in an enclosed breezeway instead of a large addition. Put heated tile on the floors, an ac unit in a window, lots of windows and whatever else you want. Since it would connect to the house and the garage, you wouldn't have to go outside to get to the garage. If that's not an option, then perhaps you can just put an 36 inch wide enclosed walkway (with a few windows) to the garage.

Right now my DH and I are talking about making our dining room into a sewing room. That's where I do most of my sewing anyway, and it is not used for anything else.

Leah Day has a goodseries about building her shed. She also gives some good advise on heating, insulation and lighting.

I vote for the addition. I don't like to go out in bad weather and the rise of falling on snow or ice is not one that I want to take.

I vote to plan for the future. If you plan to grow old in your present residence, an addition makes the most sense. How long are you going to feel safe walking out to a she-shed? Add to that carrying things and especially in winter or wet weather. I have had knee problems and know that walking outside and climbing steps would render outside space totally unusable during flare ups and healing. Knee problems with replacements are not uncommon. Indoor space would be usable even with a wheelchair. Too often we fail to plan for future needs and circumstances. As a negotiating chip with hubby, I would certainly use the stair falls and almost falls.

The dumb waiter sounds like a great idea. There are a lot of pros & cons to both ideas but if it were me I would build a she shed. The reason I say that is because that is what I plan to do. It will be a pain to go out in the winter but if it is close to the house & the walk was shoveled it won't be too bad. Good luck with whatever you decide & let us know

I have a bedroom for my sewing room and another one for my cutting room. someday I hope we can build over the attached garage. Then I'd Have all my stuff in one place. Right now I have my fabric, books and magazines down in the basement.

I don't know your age but steps become a liability as we age. I am 70 and 5 years ago we added a main floor bedroom, bathroom and laundry room. The whole upstairs (5 rooms plus a bathroom) is now my sewing, etc space and I'm fortunate to have that. Yes I have steps but is no problem yet and is actually good exercise. When either of us gets to the point where we can't do steps, I think it will be time for us to move off the farm for reasons other than just doing steps. I like the suggestion about using your current space for guests and have your sewing space within the house.

When I built my new garage in 2001 (right after 911) I made it handicap accessible. There was an 8 inch drop from the level of the house to the level of the garage. The garage was 10 feet away from the house, so I built a beautiful breezeway with a 10 foot ramp to access the garage with a wheelchair. It has been never been used for a wheelchair . . . yet! and I don't see a wheelchair in my future, but it pays to be prepared. It's so nice to be able to walk to the garage, in bare feet sometimes, to retrieve something or put something into the car so I won't forget it.

If I had a sewing room in another building, I would never go there. I need to be near what's going on in the house. I do use a timer to remind me that I need to stop sewing now and get ready (for something ? ? ?) to "stir a pot" and just be nearer my hubby, even if we don't really talk for a few hours at a time.

I totally agree. I can understand the problem with the stairs but many quilters don't have a dedicated sewing room. Is there a way to make a covered passageway to the garage?

I have a nice sewing room in the house, but when I got my long arm, it wouldn't fit. My husband enclosed our back porch and that is where my Gammill lives. My husband loves to build things and has offered to build me a stand alone quilting studio that would be large enough to hold everything. However, I like being in my house. I can start dinner and then go back and forth between quilting and cooking. To me there are numerous advantages to being in the house. Put on a load of wash, dust a bookshelf, pay a bill, check what's going on at the quilting forum, etc.

I use a spare bedroom. That being said, I would definitely go with an addition. Especially in NY where it gets really cold. That way you would have the heat from the house, you could be on the same level without stairs and make it as roomy as you wanted or needed.

I'm going to assume you have a pretty good sized sewing room if it is over a two car garage, much larger than any room in your house. And you seem to be very happy with it. So I wouldn't trade a room in the house and send the guests to the garage (especially if there is no bathroom). I'm not convinced a shed, even custom built, would be cozy in winter with 4 walls exposed. Whether or not the cost would be recouped in sale depends on how long you plan to stay there - if you plan to be there forever, who cares? An addition on the house is OK, IF you want to be that accessible to the house (and occupants) when you are sewing. I am in the house and find I am easily and often interrupted.
I would be more interested in adapting the current space to your needs. A personal elevator may be in your budget, or a dumb waiter, or stair chair, or a set of stairs not so steep. And if you don't currently have a washroom, I would definitely see if it could be arranged! That way you never have to be in a hurry to get to the house! If you love the space and want to stay, there are lots of improvements you can do to make it even more perfect, and you don't have to pack and move or miss much sewing time!

I agree with Dunster. You would still have to brave the elements to get out there and I'm thinking Stanley, NY must be in upstate where the winters can be horrid. My vote would be to add onto the house and put lots of windows in the addition for lighting.

I think I would go with the addition. You would be connected to the house, but still in your own space. And you can close the door when you don't want to be disturbed. In an addition, you would probably have 4 straight walls. In a she shed, two of the walls might not be tall due to the pitch of the roof. I do love She Sheds. I live in New Hampshire and I am not sure I would want to leave the house in the winter to go sew in the shed. That's why I would go with the addition.

I thought just crossed my mind. Is it possible to build an enclosed walk way from the second story of the house directly to your room in the garage? If possible you could put a sliding glass door in the second story room of the house, or french doors, and have a walkway to the garage. You would probably want to enclose it some how to avoid the wet weather and snow. Just a thought.

I would actually do a separate structure, and call it a 'carriage house.' I know I'm the odd one out, but I would love to be able to go outside the main house and have my own quiet, private space (with no danger of, knock, knock, "honey... can I ask you a favor?" lol). I don't think I would do a shed, it seems like getting water and electricity out to it would be a huge pain, and I'd rather just have my little carriage house. If you are worried about resale, it could be dubbed a guest house, mother in law suite, artist studio, etc. I would even go as far as to cover the walkway to get there, and it would absolutely have to have a wood burning fireplace. :D

You've given me a lot to think about. Our garage is not attached to the house - it sits off to one side and behind the house, so its not possible to connect the two.

I've thought about a dumb waiter, stair chairs, etc., but the way the garage was constructed, there just isn't room to put anything like that in. BTW - the stairs are inside the garage.

We have a very small house and the only room I could consider taking over would be the dining room. But that would be a fraction of the size of the room I am currently using and it wouldn't fit my long arm (or much of my sewing stuff period).

I'm thinking the addition might be the way to go, because I plan on spending another 20 or more years in that house. The fact that it would add value to the home is something to consider as well.

Wow, I have just fell in love with this idea. Wouldn't it just be awesome to have a carriage house as a quilting spot!

I would go for an addition. Reasons: bathroom, nearer kitchen for coffee and snacks, no having to go outside. Also, I think a nice addition would be a good investment for your home value. I have a second floor studio and sometimes it gets a bit lonely.

Well, if you build one, I reserve the right to come and visit! I have a very active imagination for a grownup, and pictured myself quilting away in a little carriage house in the woods. Fire going, snow falling, husky romping outside. Sigh...

Too many questions to give a simple answer. What are the building and lot line restrictions where you live? Building costs between shed and addition may be equal, but I'm sure running electricity (maybe water for a potty?) to a shed will cost more. Your weather conditions require they be buried 4' deep. Extending your home's electric in an addition will not cost nearly as much in installation or the price of copper wire. You can step into an existing bathroom easily from an addition. With an addition you won't have to go outside at all in bad weather.

Now, how old is your home? Does it meet current building code? Sometimes when remodeling (adding on to) a home it is necessary to completely rewire or replumb the home because the existing does not meet current codes and you can't just add on to what's there. This would definitely apply in a home older than about 40-60 years that has not been updated already. A lot to consider.

The cheapest option: Have hub install a dumb waiter from the garage to the studio so you can empty your hands before you climb those stairs.

How far apart are the garage and house? If they are adjacent, could you add an addition that joins the two buildings?

At my Dad's house, I have an outside shop that has lots and lots of electrical plugs and many advantages. The least of them being a heating and cooling problem. It is something to consider if you are going to build a she shed. With an addition, you would only have to extend the existing components.

I think adding on to the garage and a proper staircase would be cheaper and if you can attach with something like a breezeway would be a good solution. My friend stores her stash in the "attic" of the garage. Her DH put in a pulley system for her. It has a staircase but not much head room. She can attach a basket or hangers and take them up or down. So no carrying anything.

I would think the addition might add more to the value, especially if were done with resale in mind.