Outbuilding Visit: A Garden Shed in New Zealand that ‘Glows Like a Flower’

Like many avid gardeners, Hadley Fierlinger had a storage shed on her property for all her tools, but it wasn’t exactly a welcoming or organized space. “It was a disaster,” she says. “The main problem was that there were some large and awkward garden tools that we were always tripping over2 and we could never find anything we needed. We wanted the shed to be cleverly organized and transformed into not just a shed but a creative space that we wanted to spend time in on a rainy day and maybe even do other projects in there other than gardening.”

Enter artist Leanne Culy, enlisted to completely rethink the space. (Both Hadley and Leanne live in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.) “Leanne has an amazing eye for color and she is able to hand-craft small details like the terracotta wall hooks and the hanging lamp shade that looks like a log,” says Hadley. “I have collected her art and craft over the years, and so we have a lot of trust in her (and her partner Brian) to give over full creative control.”

Leanne—who remembers Hadley simply asking her to “sort my s— out” and “make it a work of art”—began by taking everything out of the shed so she could take inventory and have a blank canvas to work with. “That’s when I got excited and the concept evolved. I created a mood board of color and textures that have always inspired me and that were not traditional, especially for a garden shed. I knew I had to create storage solutions, so I thought I’d draw on the traditional idea of everything hanging on one wall. I was even going to create a shadow board for every tool, but as soon as I completed the red wall, it seemed unnecessary. I wanted to retain the simplicity.”

About that arresting red wall: “I really wanted the shed to be warm, happy and slightly playful,” says Leanne. “I wanted you to look back from the garden and have the garden shed glow like a flower.”

Below, Hadley and Leanne give us a tour of the reimagined garden shed.

Photography by Brian Culy.

Above: Leanne chose a red stain from New Zealand-based Resene Paints for the main wall. “Resene had a great color range of stains, and I’ve always wanted to use their brightest Red stain. When I first started putting it on it did feel too red, but again you have to keep pushing through and go with your gut.”

Above: She free-hand painted the floor for a trompe-l’œil effect. “I’m a bit crazy for crazy paving,” she says.
Above: Now there is a place for everything, including the round sifters Hadley uses to filter out large woody pieces from her compost (she scored the vintage sifters at an auction). There’s even a place for art, like the ceramic Wall Flower made by Leanne. The chair is by Greg Quinn.
Above: Says Leanne: “My husband Brian and I, have always worked collaboratively. I needed him on this job as I knew the storage was an evolutionary process and had to be built as we went. I knew he would have the care and attention to create the details I wanted. He made every hook and piece of furniture, a kind of made-to-measure exercise.”
Above: Leanne crafted the hanging lamp. “I thought it would be nice to have some atmosphere in the late evening, and I imagined Hadley working in there on a warm summer evening,” she shares. A vintage champagne crate was repurposed as a storage bin for garden cloths that Hadley uses for insect prevention and creating microclimates. The green bin holds “sheep nuts,” which are “treats for our pet sheep,” explains Hadley.
Above: Leanne was a graphic designer, interior designer, and stylist until she moved to Hawkes Bay in 2005, when she became a full-time artist. “Since living here I’ve exhibited, opened a design store, and designed my own range of homeware and furniture with my husband Brian. It’s only in the last six or seven years that I’ve taken to pottery full time.” You can find her Wall Flower (available in a range of glazes), lamps, vases, and other ceramic objects for sale on her website.
Above: “I tried to find an existing shelf for Hadleys’ garden sprays and potions but ended up building one to spec. We added a little towel rail, along with little plum wood sticks to hang scissors and secateurs,” says Leanne. Hanging from the rafters are bags of “our grass seed, which we are using to restore wild meadows around the property,” explains Hadley.
Above: “I really love the red chili color, and it was such a surprise when I first opened the door!” shares Hadley. “I absolutely love the feeling inside the shed. It feels like a cozy and inspiring space that brings out my creativity.”