Are Reading Sheds the New She Sheds?
How one book-loving Instagrammer built a room of her own in her Seattle backyard.
Photo courtesy of Amy Hiraki
Some days all you want to do is hide away and read and read and read. Wouldn’t it be great to have a place dedicated to exactly that? A quiet, tucked-away room of your own with shelves of artfully arranged books, an ultra-comfy chair or two, a fluffy throw to cuddle under, great lighting (sunlight, fairy lights, reading lights) and a view out the window that pleases you in every season?
It seems a lot of people share that fantasy, which is why one book-loving Instagrammer has gone viral after unveiling the reading shed in her Seattle backyard that she designed with her father, Glen Hiraki, who also built it.
“don’t mind me, i’ll just be reading in my shed,” Amy Hiraki captioned a video showing her curled up with a book in an Instagram post that has garnered more than 100,000 likes in a little more than a week. Hiraki’s posts showing her reading shed being built and styled have racked up lots more views on Instagram and many, many enthusiastic comments — along with millions of views on TikTok.
“I would never leave this place,” wrote one shed fan.
“What a dream,” another agreed.
“Sending to my husband, so he can build me one,” responded a third.
Hiraki, who also sells rebound special-edition books and hand-sewn items (some book-related) on Etsy, says she can’t remember when she first had the idea to build a reading shed, but believes the inspiration may have had its sources online.
Yes, reading sheds are a thing — see here, here and here for just a handful of other examples on Instagram alone. Take note: Reading sheds — notwithstanding the fact that men read, too — may be the new “she sheds.”
“I’ve always wanted a space for my books, but not necessarily inside my house,” Hiraki tells us over Zoom from her shed, her colorful array of books on wood-toned IKEA Billy bookshelves providing a backdrop instantly recognizable from the feed of her @amystinylibrary Instagram account.
Finding a place with space to build a reading shed was a priority when Hiraki and her husband were hunting for the house they bought in July 2023. She knew a tree-framed area of her yard would be “the perfect cozy spot” to build her 12’ x 10’ shed.
Careful to stay within city permitting laws and budget, Hiraki and her dad set about designing her dream shed. “My main goals were to be able to fit at least as many shelves as I have, and space for at least two chairs, trying to have the coziest space possible to read,” she says.
Her father, who she says has long been in the construction business and built the shed by hand, was able to turn her vision of a modern shed with a sleek, slanted roof — culled from a bevy of Pinterest boards — into reality.
The house needed to be insulated to protect her books from Seattle rain and moisture and wired for electricity, so Hiraki could plug in a space heater, dehumidifier or air conditioner, depending on the weather. But there’s no HVAC system. “It’s not super complicated. I keep warm with a heated blanket,” she says. Because Seattle is pretty mild, temperature-wise, there’s never been a day when the weather has prevented her from using the shed.
From start to finish, the build — from leveling the yard to moving in her books (she estimates she has more than 300 of them, mostly romance and fantasy) and furniture — took about four months. And now that it’s done, Hiraki uses the space not only to read and store her ever-expanding collection of books, which had overwhelmed her when they were in her house, but also to hang out with friends and family. “It’s such a great place to share,” she says.
Photo courtesy of Amy Hiraki
In retrospect, she and her dad feel like they might have made it about three feet longer, so she could do her crafting there as well. “There’s not a ton of room,” she says. But overall, she’s satisfied with what they were able to accomplish. “I really love this space. I think we curated it into what I was looking for,” she says.
More than anything, Hiraki says, she’s grateful for the time she was able to spend with her dad, “building something so special.”
Asked to share advice for others who might want to build a reading shed, Hiraki at first jokes, “Have a crafty dad!” Then she thinks it over.
“Make sure you’re taking care of your books,” carefully considering insulation and humidity control, she advises, especially if you're starting with a pre-fab shed rather than building bespoke. “Build with your books in mind.”
