Nestled within the wooded grounds of a private duck club, She Shed in the Woods was envisioned as a modern rustic retreat where heritage and contemporary design meet. When designers Shawn and Wendy McCune first visited the site, the only element remaining from the original one-room shack was a weathered stone fireplace built decades ago by a club member who had engraved his wife’s name, Rose, into the stone. The client wanted this meaningful relic preserved as the centerpiece of a new space created for his wife and their three granddaughters—a place for warmth, creativity, and connection where they could scrapbook and crochet while the men hunted ducks nearby. The goal was to create an upscale yet low-maintenance cabin that honored the site’s history and offered a peaceful woodland escape designed to last for generations.

Designing the structure presented several challenges. The site sits deep within the forest with no existing water, electricity, or sewer infrastructure. The original stone fireplace also required careful structural planning to preserve and safely integrate it into the new build. In addition, materials and construction needed to withstand the elements while maintaining the refined aesthetic the client envisioned. Every design decision had to balance rustic charm with modern durability in a remote natural setting.

The final design honors the past while introducing thoughtful modern solutions. The restored fireplace anchors a screened porch that connects the cabin to the surrounding woods, while a wood-burning stove adds warmth inside. A rain-screen exterior system promotes long-term durability, and thermally modified spruce siding with a translucent finish highlights the natural grain while providing resilience and low maintenance. A stone veneer base grounds the structure in the landscape, and angled stair windows bring in light and playful views for the granddaughters climbing to the loft. Together, these elements transform a forgotten site into a timeless family retreat.