Garden sheds have a multitude of uses, ranging from household and maintenance storage to doubling up as a summerhouse or children’s playhouse. Garden sheds used to be seen as somewhat of an unstylish hindrance, and many people still view them as this based on the stereotype of sheds being nothing more than solid wooden blocks with doors, but it needn’t be that way.
It is entirely possible to level up your garden shed and transform it into an aesthetically pleasing focal point of your garden, and here’s how.
1. Double Doors
If your shed has the space for it, add in double doors or, better yet, paned glass doors. This will instantly brighten up your shed and turn it into a summerhouse. Alternatively, the floods of light will create the perfect conditions to grow plants inside or keep vulnerable plants alive and safe from the bitter winter weather.
2. Paint
A lot of the time, combining new doors with a lick of paint is all you need to upgrade your garden shed. Sheds typically conjure up images of brown or dark green, but they don’t have to be. Why not try a cream shade or a pastel color? Light shades will brighten up the shed and draw attention to the structure in all the right ways.
If you have a garden fence, it might be a good idea to paint the fence the same bright color as the shed to ensure continuity.
3. Climbing Plants
Gardens should be a hub of wildlife activity, and one way you can create a wildlife haven is to plant climbers next to your shed. Not only will this look stunning against light paint, but it will also make your shed blend in more seamlessly to the surrounding area – particularly if you have a lot of foliage in your garden.
Climbing plants you could consider planting to upgrade the look of your shed include roses, honeysuckle, jasmine, wisteria and ivy.
4. Windows
If your shed is looking very much like a plain box, windows could be the solution you’re looking for. Installing windows into a shed takes little effort but can have a big impact on the overall look and usability of the structure. You can pick up second-hand windows relatively cheap from scrap yards or building demolitions, and to install them all you’ll need is a circular saw with saw blades, aluminium flashing, studs, drywall screws, shims, a hammer, hand saw, clamps, a spirit level and a pen.
The installation process is relatively straightforward but will break up the wall of wood and allow you to get a good breeze during the summer months and sunlight during winter.
5. Decorations
When most people think of garden decorations, images of ugly gnomes and ornate bird baths come to mind, but there are more stylish options out there. When it comes to your garden shed, adding some Eddison style LED string lights around the perimeter of the structure will give an instantly boho chic feel to the building. In addition to string lights, consider a mirror. In the same way mirrors reflect light and make spaces look bigger indoors, they have the same effect outdoors. This is a particularly good hack for those who have a smaller garden.
Summary
By implementing even just one of these five garden shed hacks, you’ll be able to upgrade the structure and transform it into a stylish hub within your garden, turning what was once a drab wooden box into a focal point you can be proud of – even if it does just store your lawnmower and spade!
