A room of her own: The rise of the women’s shed movement

WHO SAID SHEDS WERE JUST FOR MEN? HERE WE ASK TWO WOMEN WHY THEY LOVE TO HAVE SOMEWHERE TO ESCAPE TO.

TAMARA BOWMAN Weaver, Mudgee, NSW

IT’S DARK, DUSTY and freezing in winter, but it’s all hers: the rustic woolshed on Tamara Bowman’s property near Mudgee, NSW, is a sweet retreat for this creative gardener-turned-weaver.

The large, corrugated iron structure began its life as a two-stand woolshed, but it had been left idle for many years when Tamara, 55, and her family moved to the 68-hectare property, Bowfield, in 2013. “We thought it was a lovely space, so we wondered what we’d do with it,” she says.

It wasn’t until the semi-retired garden designer took up weaving in 2015 that the old shed’s new purpose became clear. “With basketry there’s so many natural materials to dry, you seem to have stuff everywhere,” Tamara says. “I suddenly realised I had this incredible space! I’ve got a lovely old cast iron bath for soaking, I’ve got my steamer for steaming timber set up… For me, that’s an enormous privilege and indulgence.”

Aside from her own weaving projects and hosting workshops for the Mudgee Second Wednesday Weavers group, Tamara uses the shed to practise styling and flower arranging, a hobby that’s being put to good use at friends’ celebrations. “Whether it’s because I can store all my materials and see them and play with them, having that space has given me confidence,” she says. It’s also where she displays her many antique finds, such as the French wooden fruit crates that are now used to dry plant material from the garden. “It’s the perfect house, because I don’t have to clean it, but I can arrange it the way I want it,” she laughs.

Even when she’s not using it, the shed is a reassuring daily sight for Tamara, who describes it as “something just for me” after being treated for breast cancer in 2014. “The shed is always in my life, whether I’m in it or in the garden,” she explains. “It’s incredibly comforting, because I know I can always retreat there.”

See Tamara’s weaving work follow @bowfieldwoolshed or @mudgee2ndwednesdayweavers on Instagram.

“The shed is always in my life, whether I’m in it or in the garden.”

SANDY MCKINLEY Flower farmer, Trentham, Victoria

IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE that this bright studio on Sandy Mckinley’s micro flower farm Acre of Roses in Trentham, Victoria, was once a dilapidated chicken shed. Now completely renovated and surrounded by a traditional French potager garden, it’s a luxurious and inviting spot to relax.

The initial plan for the old chook house was to turn it into an office and potting shed for 57-year-old Sandy, and her husband Rob Roy, 60, to share with their gardener. “But every week that we renovated it, it became a more and more whimsical hideaway,” Sandy explains.

That’s no doubt down to Rob, a builder, who took it on as a passion project and transformed it over 18 months, and stylist Belle Hemming Bright, who designed the interior and recommended the striking shade of green (Porter’s Paints Daintree) for its walls. Or, perhaps it’s the original details they’ve retained, like copper piping, stone flooring and an old concrete trough. But Sandy says that it’s the shed’s north-facing aspect, which allows sunlight to flood the space from morning to late afternoon, that makes it so special to her.

“It goes back to my childhood holidays in Christchurch,” she explains. “My grandmother had a sunroom that was north-facing and overlooked the garden, and it was a place I used to hide away most days.” It’s this room that Sandy now mentally recalls when she meditates. “I feel very lucky that I’ve got a real space to go to, instead of having to virtually go back to that space,” she says.

The Potting Shed, as it is now known, is one of two boutique accommodation offerings at Acre of Roses, but when it’s not hosting guests, Sandy loves to wander around the garden, or spend time reading or painting inside. “It’s a space that I find nurturing and safe, and I think that’s important for getting some balance.”

To book a stay at the Potting Shed at Acre of Roses, telephone 0405 032 566 or visit acreofroses.com.au

Tamara Bowman’s shed is decorated with her work, like this random-weave basket made from weeping willow. FACING PAGE Tamara making string in the loading door of the old two-stand woolshed on her Mudgee property, Bowfield.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Garlic heads cut from the garden in an antique water filter Tamara bought at an auction. Raffia is hung from the wall to straighten the strands; watering cans decorate the 150-year-old slab timber stables, another treasured shed at Bowfield; Tamara Bowman; the driveway leading into Bowfield; the woolshed, viewed from the garden, is a comforting presence in Tamara’s life. FACING PAGE Tamara keeps materials, like these kniphofia (red hot poker) leaves, on display to inspire her work.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Sandy Mckinley at work on her micro flower farm; the happy mix of florals and green walls are a nod to the shed’s intended use as a potting shed; Sandy says the shed’s natural light makes it ideal for painting and creative projects; Rob added a glass bell tower to the roof, which houses an old school bell; the enamel hand basin was an original feature of the old chook shed; guests are invited to harvest herbs from the potager garden. FACING PAGE Garden memorabilia and second-hand finds inject character into the space.