The Shed, a small house in an old blacksmith’s workshop | Richard Peters

This brick structure was built in 1890 to serve as a blacksmith’s workshop, and has housed various industrial uses since then. In 2003 it was bought and converted into a two bedroom residence by designer Richard Peters. Entrance to the 74 m² (797 ft²) home is via a large barn-style sliding door that replaced the original overhead garage door. Other than that, the street façade was left largely unchanged.

The east half of the residence is a double-height combination living and dining room, while the west half contains a bedroom and bathroom on each of the two levels. A bank of kitchen cabinets and storage closets along the south wall helps to buffer the occupants from the noise of the adjacent street.

With limited yard space, the designer turned what had been a small bathroom into an open courtyard that admits needed light into the living area while maintaining privacy. The large openings on opposite sides allow cross breezes to cool the home in hot weather.

White paint on the original brick walls along with light plywood on the interior walls help make the most of the limited daylight. Insulation and a new roof applied over the old one allowed Peters to keep the original roof metal exposed in the living area. The resulting palette of simple materials–brick, wood, metal and concrete–respects the home’s industrial origins.

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Photographs by Justin Alexander.

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