We love the idea of the backyard shed as peaceful getaway, like Lisa's beautiful cottage in Port Orchard, Washington, built and decorated with recycled materials. If you're interested in building your own garden shed from salvage, there's a talk on the subject this weekend at Flora Grubb Gardens. Click through for event details, and to see more of Lisa's shed...

Sunset featured Lisa's shed as a kind of "playhouse" for her ideas; she says that combing through salvage gave her endless inspiration. The shed door, from a torn-down church, and cost $5. Much of the little details, like the candelabra hanging below a window, were garage sale finds. A loveseat inside the shed is an old ferris wheel chair, and the interior ceiling is draped in muslin (purchased on "triple clearance") for a flowy, romantic effect. Check out Sunset's website and the Fresh Dirt blog for the whole story.

Thinking of building your own garden shed? Come and hear local architect Seth Boor, of Boor Bridges Architecture, give a DIY shed workshop this weekend at Flora Grubb Gardens.

"The Great Shed Challenge: Why Homegrown Beats Prefab Every Time" is part of the AIA's Architecture and the City Festival. Seth (who designed the building at Flora Grubb) will make the case for forgoing prefab garden sheds and cabanas in favor of unique designs you can build yourself from recycled materials. The workshop begins at 11am on Sunday at Flora Grubb (1634 Jerrold Avenue, San Francisco).

(Images: William P. Wright and Sharon Cohoon for Sunset)