Little Big Shed: New Zealand’s Borrowing Platform That’s Changing How We Have Fun
The other week, a very pink couch showed up on our front lawn.
Not because we bought it or dragged it home from an inorganic curbside pile from a neighbour (though… that does sound like us) but because we borrowed it. Through a website called Little Big Shed, where everyday Kiwis lend and borrow stuff from each other in their communities.
With my due date fast approaching (our first baby!), Tim and I knew we might be off the “cool aunt and uncle” roster for a little while. So we wanted to soak up some quality time with our nieces, aged 8 and 10, and make a few core memories before life gets a whole lot fuller. We didn’t want to buy them anything, just give them our time. So we hatched a plan: a fun, memory-filled afternoon together. Something they’d talk about on the ride home… and something we’d all remember for years to come.
After using the Little Big Shed app to book it, we picked up the fold-out play couch (bright pink and delightfully squishy), laid down a tarp to protect it, and set up camp on our lawn overlooking the ocean. The sun was out. Snacks were flowing. We got out a telescope to watch boats and kayakers drift past. The girls swore they saw fish jumping at one point and giggled at how the ocean was sparking in the sun like a shiny necklace.
We snuggled up under a beach umbrella while I read a book aloud. It was one of those dreamy, slow-paced afternoons where you pause and think, yep, this is the good stuff.
Later, when the wind picked up, we dragged everything inside. That’s when the couch transformed into a fort of epic proportions. You may need to use your imagination, but it had four “beds”, a porch, dining room, and garage. Though… if you were looking with your “adult eyes” it was an impressively chaotic maze of blankets, pillows, and foot stools.
Climbing into it was... let’s just say, a mission. I’m very pregnant and at one point I nearly took out half the fort just trying to wriggle through the front flap. The girls thought it was hilarious, and once we were all inside, we decided to finish the day off with a full fortress collapse; pretending we were giants destroying it from the inside. Cushions flying, giggles everywhere, the girls pretending to be squished under pillows. It was messy and ridiculous and so much fun.
After dinner, we returned the couch to the lovely family we’d borrowed it from and the girls insisted on helping carry it to the door. They even thanked the owners themselves, which felt like a beautiful, unprompted moment of community.
On the drive home Tim and I laughed that we just organised one of the most wholesome afternoons ever! No wrapping paper, no plastic, no clutter. Just a shared experience with a pink couch at the centre.
Why I Love This Way of Living
We didn’t need to own the couch.
We didn’t need to store it afterwards.
And we definitely didn’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on something that would only get used once in a blue moon. We can also borrow it through the Little Big Shed app anytime we need!
Little Big Shed makes sharing like this easy.
You sign up, search for what you need, borrow it, and return it when you're done. You can also list your own gear (like a tent, lawn mower, or projector) and earn money lending it out. But more than that, it’s about people connecting. Which is something I think we’re all craving more of right now.
A Small Shift with Big Impact
We’re so used to buying.
We default to “add to cart” before stopping to ask: Does someone nearby already have this? Could I borrow it instead?
But when we share, we:
Cut costs (let’s be honest, groceries aren’t getting cheaper)
Avoid clutter (garage Tetris, anyone?)
Reduce waste (fewer things bought = fewer things tossed)
Build real community (turning strangers into neighbours)
And honestly? It feels better too. Knowing we’re not alone. That we can take care of each other and the planet at the same time.
Try It Out
Got a garage full of stuff you rarely use? List it.
Need something for a project, party, or spontaneous pink couch picnic? Borrow it.
Want to see what your neighbours have been hiding all along?
Have a scroll through Little Big Shed.
You probably already have something someone else needs and someone nearby has what you’re looking for too.
Let’s make sharing feel normal again.
This blog post is part of a paid partnership with Little Big Shed. I only work with brands I truly believe in and all opinions are my own.