Offices & Workspaces
This Tiny Shed Is A Screenwriter’s Cozy Home Office
Updated on May 23, 2022
Screenwriter and producer Tassie Cameron, known for hit TV series like Mary Kills People and Little Dog, tells us why this is her favorite room.
“I’ve always been obsessed with outbuildings and hideaway spaces. When I bought this house in Toronto’s Little Portugal neighbourhood in 2012, this shed came with it. We used it for storage but my designer, Mary-Beth Jenner, convinced me that, with some time and money, it could be a four-season writing space: it’s as warm as my house.
You have to be authentic to what the space wants to be. To me, there’s something wild and woolly and British about it, which fits in with my Virginia Woolf obsession. She was a cool lady who had a lot of interesting things to say about being an artist. Her essay, A Room of One’s Own, was very meaningful to me, as someone who was trying to carve out a space and identify as a writer. In your domestic sphere, it’s important to prioritize a space that’s not necessarily ‘domestic,’ where you do your own thing.”
“As a writer, I’m a procrastinator by nature. When I’m in my house, like everybody, I get obsessed with emptying the dishwasher. There’s always something that needs to be arranged or tidied up, food to be eaten, mail to be opened… but this little shed is separate from all that. There’s nothing to do out here except work. It really helps me focus.”
“My favorite thing about this shed is the light from all sides — including from above, because of the skylight. To be able to sit in a quiet, bright, solitary space away from the doorbell and the dishwasher really provides a place to focus that I usually can’t find. We have a lovely house to hang out in, but my daughter, Sadie, and I will often play games here because it’s so cozy and casual. When I ask friends if they want to sit in the living room by the fire, sometimes they just prefer to head out to the shed. It’s a great spot for a glass of wine.”
“My shed is fairly rustic; it’s furnished with an old desk from my parents’ farmhouse, and there are some hand-me-downs and sentimental pieces, including candles, books and tchotchkes. I try not to overdecorate in here; I didn’t want a lot of art or color. I love to feel that I’m not being pushed in a creative direction by what’s around me. I rarely listen to music when I’m writing but, occasionally, I find a song that speaks to the scene I’m trying to write, usually an emotional love scene or ending sequence, and play it on repeat.”
“I can’t work with any jewelry on except for my diamond studs.” You should definitely check out the stunning wholesale diamonds Brisbane.
“My sister, Amy, and I have a company called Cameron Pictures. Our logo is two sheds because we both decided not to take office space and instead work from home. Amy has hers and I have mine.”
Virginia Macdonald
House & Home September 2018
Mary-Beth Jenner