Welcome to the Backyard 'She Shed,' Where Women 'Unplug and Get Away'

This "she shed" in Houston is where Tamara Harbert unwinds.

ByABC News
June 12, 2015, 1:49 PM

— -- You've heard of “man caves,” but what about "she sheds"?

The “she shed,” as seen on Pinterest, is a home-decor trend where women can create individualized sanctuaries in the convenience of their own backyards.

Debbe Daley, a designer in Lowell, Massachusetts, told ABC News she has designed a handful of sheds, including her own, a calm spot she uses for music and reading.

One woman for whom she designed a shed told her, "I want it to be my room, a place I can go and enjoy and not have anyone bother me,” Daley, 52, said.

"Everyone has to have a 'she shed,'" Daley said. "There's nowhere for the woman's mind to rest."

Tamara Harbert, a married mother of two in Houston, said the idea for her "she shed" started about eight years ago.

"My husband and I have always just loved cottages," she told ABC News today. "He's always wanted to build one."

Tamara Harbert, a married mother of two, has a peaceful "she shed" in the comfort of her own Houston, Texas, backyard.

Harbert, 45, said their shed started out as a playhouse for their children, who are now 16 and 18. “I knew they'd outgrow it and it'd eventually be ours," she said.

The furniture is a collection of hand-me-downs or items that would have been thrown out.

Tamara Harbert, a married mother of two, has a peaceful "she shed" in the comfort of her own Houston, Texas, backyard.

While the 144-square-foot shed is now "normally for my use," Harbert said it still benefits the whole family. It serves as a tranquil place to sit with her daughter to talk after school and as a spot to complete projects.

The shed is great for "anything I want to do that I can leave out," Harbert said. "You don't want to leave out a project in your house. If I'm working on something [in the shed] I can leave it exactly like it is and go back in."

Tamara Harbert, a married mother of two, has a peaceful "she shed" in the comfort of her own Houston, Texas, backyard.

She didn't even realize her backyard getaway had a name until she read a magazine article on the "she shed" craze. For Harbert, the main purpose of her shed is unplugging.

Tamara Harbert, a married mother of two, has a peaceful "she shed" in the comfort of her own Houston, Texas, backyard.

Barbara Techel, a writer in Wisconsin, calls her "she shed" her "favorite place on earth."

Techel said her idea to build it came in 2009. She was writing a children's book at her kitchen table, but her husband also works from home, and she started to find the house too noisy.

"I needed a place for quiet and to be by myself," Techel told ABC News today.

Techel calls her shed a "Zen writing cottage," a spot to write, do yoga and meditate.

"It's my place to come center myself," Techel said. "It continues to evolve and be a great little place to be everything I need to be."

Barbara Techel uses her Wisconsin "she shed" for yoga and writing.
Barbara Techel uses her Wisconsin "she shed" for yoga and writing.