Building the Man Cave and She Shed
Measuring 3.9m by 2.4m, Tanya had a budget of $10,000 to customise the shed. Cooke Howlison Holden selected the contestants and provided Colorados for the heavy lifting, the building materials were supplied by Placemakers Dunedin, while Otago Polytechnic has been involved in the construction. Having grown up on Otago Peninsula, Tanya Carlson's imagination was “fuelled by the area's windswept landscapes and playing dress-ups with vintage satin ball gowns”.
In 1997 she launched Carlson in Dunedin, and the label has become synonymous with superb tailoring, clever design details, and a quality finish that have attracted many loyal customers. Tanya describes her personal style as being clean, functional, and considered, with a nod to history. She notes that her newly designed She Shed is a private, multi-purpose, functional, and relaxing space. It features a natural colour palette of greys, beige, and wood, with fabrics that also reflect those hues.
“A ‘she shed’ should be an uncluttered custom design,” Tanya explains. "Lined in wood veneer, carpeted, natural fabrications. Everything should be multi-purpose: the shelves can host wine glasses, shoes, products; the fold down table can be for craft, dining, or drawing; the couch can be for entertaining or sleeping; the ottoman can be a table or a foot rest.”
And so the five absolute She Shed must haves for Tanya are:
1. couch/daybed
2. creative workspace
3. storage
4. electricity and internet
5. privacy.
Ideally she'd also like a beautiful skylight and a well-stocked drinks cabinet. The two things she would never allow are children and stress. Although the She Shed is to be auctioned off for a very worthwhile cause, Tanya says if it was hers she would use it for sewing, design and craft projects, entertaining, exercising, and also for relaxing and alone time.
Tanya's male co-contestant in the Man Cave vs She Shed Challenge can be revealed here.
