An Old Backyard Structure Sheds Its Image
Feb 24th, 2010 by Kathy
There are tons of projects for us to do, in and around our homes; but, at least, we get to work with houses that already exist. Imagine the monumental challenges that our earliest ancestors faced, when, surrounded by wilderness, they had to construct various forms of shelter from whatever was at hand.
Many of those who weren’t lucky enough to find caves to live in (the “high society” crowd), made huts from wood and branches, while others draped animal skins over wooden frameworks, or used the bones of mammoths for the skeletal (literally!) structures, then covered them with the skins. In any case, it took a lot of effort to build even the most makeshift abode.
Even so, it wasn’t long before people began adding on rooms to these modest dwellings, and furnishing them with chairs and tables that had been crudely fashioned from rocks, wood, and branches. Outdoor furniture, I guess, was anything that was found lying around on the ground. Perhaps a felled tree could have been used as a lounge chair, a smooth rock, as a garden bench (or, if it teetered on an uneven surface, a rocker), and an animal pelt tied between two trees, as a hammock, a hammock chair, or even a porch swing.
Naturally, people quickly began accumulating more possessions, in an attempt to keep up with the Joneses – or, the Oggs, as the case may have been. Then, because of the apparently innate compulsion of the human race to hoard things, even when there’s no place to put them, the first storage sheds were created; and, like many homes, and some inhabitants thereof, they were nothing but skin and bones.
Throughout the ages, they have really fleshed out, appearing in many forms and materials, in virtually every culture, evolving into the good old backyard structures that we’ve all come to know. In the 21st century, however, apparently unsatisfied with being used only for storage, the shed has once again changed the way it is perceived in society.
Today, there are several styles of sheds, made from vinyl, cedar, and pine, available with features that include skylights, insulation, window boxes, and dozens of colors of siding and roofing. Along with their impressive, new looks, garden sheds are taking on daring new roles, as home offices and gyms, studios, playhouses, guest rooms, and hobby rooms. In fact, because they have proven that they can successfully serve all of these purposes, and many more, sheds have become almost as popular as gazebos.
It just goes to show that great things can happen when you’re courageous enough to shed your old image.
Yours Outdoors,
Kathy
