Shed Design Ideas
When venturing to build your own shed, you have a lot to take into consideration. The size, location and function of your shed definitely matter, but don’t underestimate the importance of style.
When thinking about how to build your shed, you also have to keep in mind what it’s going to look like. The visuals matter just as much as its size or shape, especially if you want it to fit in well with your garden or backyard.
It’s more than just an aesthetic move – a beautiful shed can do wonders for your overall property value as well! You can go for something modern, something rustic, something colorful, or something expressing a particular theme. Designing a shed can be as much an act of renovation or decorating as any other part of your home.
To help jumpstart your creative juices, here’s a list of some great shed design ideas to let your imagination run wild.
Old-Fashioned Garden Shed
One of the most timeless shed designs that you can still find being built these days is a garden shed that channels those old 19th or early 20th century vibes.
The great thing about these kinds of sheds is that they use subtle, understated colors that still manage to fit in with a variety of homes, both old and new.
They’re also very versatile due to their design. A garden shed works very well as both a compliment to your backyard garden and as a suitable way to store your backyard and garden tools. Nothing about it is too gaudy or distracting; it fits right in with the rest of your property like a glove.
In fact, many old-fashioned garden shed design ideas are so well-made that they can often fool people into thinking they are older than they actually are. Done right, you can get people to assume that they came with the house and were always there in the first place.
If you really want to take the thematic shed design idea all the way to its logical conclusion, think hard about the kind of tools you’re going to be storing in it. A shed that visually matches what it’s going to store will give your property bonus points. A garden shed should be used to store gardening tools, not power drills or Allen keys.
Playhouse Shed
Let’s say you have a big family with lots of kids that play in the backyard. That probably means that you have a lot of toys or tools such as trampolines, slides or playhouses and treehouses that the kids use all the time. Why not channel that energy and build yourself a shed that looks like a playhouse?
It may seem a little odd at first since kids don’t always use sheds, but you need to think outside the box. Sheds aren’t just used for storing tools or lawnmowers or extra gas canisters. They can also be used to store your kids’ stuff, be it bikes, basketballs or anything toy or sports related.
And once again, try to think visually and aesthetically – a hood shed design idea should match the rest of your backyard. If your backyard is already full of kid-related items, why not lean into that idea?
Plus, it will really increase the property value of your home, especially if you’re planning on selling it to another large family with their own set of boys and girls.
A Patriotic Shed
Some people proudly have their nation’s flag on display on their property via a flagpole. If you’re that type of proud American who believes in honor and liberty, why stop at a flag? You can easily have a shed design idea that taps into the essence of American freedom of expression.
You could get really creative and have the roof, doors and walls all be different colors to reflect how red, white and blue are ordered on the American flag. And you’ll of course have a lot of fun painting all 50 white stars across the shed as well.
It doesn’t have to be a country’s flag, though. You could show your loyalty to your state by using its flag instead. Either way, it’s a great way to show off some shed colors and really make your property stand out from all others.
Greenhouse Shed
A good new shed idea could be a greenhouse themed one. This can be especially useful considering all of the different uses you can get out of it.
Traditionally, we still think of shed design ideas as having to store tools of some kind, but they can easily be used to improve your gardening as well. Not all plants need equal amounts of rain or sunshine so it can actually be pretty smart to build a shed that focuses on that.
Greenhouse style sheds tend to be built to be bigger than average so it can be a great way to store your indoor planters and a variety of gardening tools as well. These kinds of sheds do require a different set of building materials so keep that in mind if this is the path you decide to take.
Rustic Toolshed
Maybe you don’t live in the suburbs per se, and instead your home is located more in the woods, or is at least outside of town. You live in the wilderness and you’re surrounded by nature and expansive foliage. If that’s the case, you need a rustic toolshed design idea that really fits your particular circumstance.
These kinds of sheds can be made out of older materials including wood, tin and brick to help give it that old time feel. This is also beneficial from a financial standpoint as you are guaranteed to save some cash.
You can make these kinds of sheds as small or as large as you want. It can be a simple 8’ by 10’ place to simply store some tools you need for outdoors work, or it can be as large as a small room that feels much more spacious than a walk-in closet.
It will definitely make good use of your surrounding nature, as these rustic shed design ideas tend to fit right in with their simple design.
Campfire Shed
Most sheds are made out of wood to some degree or another, but ever thought about using logs instead? This is a fantastic way to build a walk-in shed with no doors to give it a camping vibe, as if it was built to always be next to a small bonfire.
While you could definitely use these kinds of sheds for storing tools or vegetable gardens, they tend to be built primarily for leisurely purposes.
Not only do they look simple and unique yet extremely cozy and inviting, they make for a great huddling area when hanging out in the backyard after dinner. They ooze a vibe of pure comfort and if that’s the kind of energy your property needs more of, definitely consider a campfire themed shed design idea.
Barnyard Shed
Maybe you don’t live on a farm necessarily, because if you did you probably already have more than enough sheds and storage for tools and whatnot. Still, perhaps you used to live on one or you just like the idea of having a big red and yellow shed on your property.
It can be a little awkward to work into some backyards but if you think you can pull it off, feel free to build your shed design idea in the shape of a classic barnyard style.
Don’t feel obligated to store nothing but lambs, pigs and horses in there. It can still be a perfectly suitable place to store lawnmowers, tractors, wheel barrows and other large tools that are associated with farm work, just without the farm of course.
Nautical Shed
Let’s say you live near the water or near the beach. That means that a lot of your life revolves around the sea or the lake. A wise move in this when you are looking for shed design ideas is to embrace your surroundings and construct your own shed to reflect the waters.
It could be something as simple as having starfish or waves painted on the sides of the shed. Or maybe you have a lot of water-based tools to store like life jackets, kayaks, ski boats and surfboards and want to channel those colors.
Use light pastels that can capture the color of water and sand and maybe even seaweed as well. This is a great way to have your shed design idea accurately portray the waters you live near.
Sports Themed Shed
Are you a sports fan? Do you play every day? Is there a sports team you worship and whose colors you paint on your face once or twice a year? Why not paint those same colors on your shed so you can share the sports live 365 days a year?
Sports themed sheds are becoming more popular, especially considering the simple fact that storing sports equipment is still one of the most common uses for sheds to this day.
If you play and breath basketball, try going for a black and orange shed. If football is your game, brown and black can be your colors instead. You can even get a little creative and paint balls or sports team logos on the shed. What’s stopping you?
Simple Writing Shed
Sometimes we all need a shed of one’s own to get our most personal projects done. Famous English writer Virginia Woolf was known to retreat to her small white shed to get many hours of writing done. Solitude is a great friend when one needs to stay busy, and perhaps you need your own writing shed to achieve that same level of focus.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be used for writing words, though. Maybe you need to write music and need a small private place to practice. Maybe it’s a space to get any painting or drawing done.
At the end of the day, it’s a shed for personal and artistic purposes, so it doesn’t have to be too fancy or too large. It simply needs a basic shed feel that uses little space, and it can come in handy for plans if you are on a tight budget. All this tiny shed needs is a pitched roof, a small door and you’re good to go.
Shed with Loft
If extra storage is your priority with a shed design idea, a shed with loft is going to be a very enticing idea for you.
Lofts aren’t too difficult to install and they don’t take up too much time either. They can be a great way to store extra tools that can be reached with a ladder that you probably already have stored in this same shed anyway.
Sheds with lofts are very versatile and can work with any exterior design like any of the ones mentioned previously.
A shed with loft tends to work better for larger shed designs but that doesn’t have to stop you if you prefer a small and simple one instead.
Shed with Porch
If you really want to maximize the property value and go for a shed design idea that looks gorgeous from even afar, you absolutely need to pick a shed with porch.
Sheds with porches are very popular for fancy, expensive lots that have extravagant gardens. I’m talking about ones that have fountains, pools and a stone path.
Imagine: a stone path that leads elegantly from your backdoor, out into your fancy patio setup and circles around to a perfect corner spot in your backyard where your new shed is. The stones seamlessly lead you onto the porch. It’s as beautiful as it is natural feeling.
It’s a great way to impress the neighbors and increase the property value of your already valuable home. It’s also a natural and logical choice if you live in a home that already has a front porch of its own. You could model the shed to essentially be a miniature version of your actual house!
Modern Shed
One of the fastest growing categories these days for shed design ideas is the modern shed. It may be a broad and vague sounding label, but the beauty of the term is that you know a modern shed when you see one.
For lack of a better word, modern sheds tend to be very square or rectangular looking. In other words, they usually don’t have a triangular or pitched roof. This can actually make them a little easier to build, as some construction beginners find roof building to be the trickiest part of building a shed. Perhaps this is why modern sheds are so popular these days.
Regardless, modern sheds can be a fantastic choice not only for people living in the suburbs but those who live in more inner city or urban environments. They can be designed to look less like houses and more like miniature skyscrapers, if that makes sense.
Modern shed design ideas tend to accentuate sharp and sleek looks reminiscent of modern technology, like the sleekness of a new car or a new smartphone. They’re a good choice for the man or woman who lives in the present and adores technology like nothing else.
As a result, this makes them a very logical choice for someone who works with advanced and modern power tools. Maybe even a computer tool shed of sorts?
And it probably goes without saying that if you live in a newer house that was built less than 20 years ago, a modern shed design idea will be a much more natural fit than something rustic or old-fashioned.
Foreign Shed
Maybe you have a fondness for a foreign country because you love their culture, language food or music. Perhaps you are an immigrant who wants to express pride in your ancestry and original nationality. This is where a foreign shed can really help express that side of you.
Some people might hear about a foreign shed design idea and simply think of the colors of the national flag of another country. While this is certainly a viable option, it’s not exactly what we have in mind here.
A foreign shed design idea is more so foreign in structure, materials and shape, not just colors. Everyone knows that architecture differs from country to country; Italy certainly has different looking roads and buildings compared to Germany or France. A foreign shed design idea is tapping into that foreign sense of architecture.
French doors are an easy and popular example of a foreign shed. They are made with many small windows and make the door the most appealing part of the shed, which in and of itself is unique and unusual.
Corner Shed
While it can be trickier to build, corner sheds are a very gorgeous and sought-out shed design due to their 5-sided design.
The name can be a bit misleading as corner sheds are rarely installed and placed in the corner of your lot or backyard. They can actually go in many different places because of their shape.
They have an inherently more artistic look to them compared to most sheds which just look like a giant cube. As a result, corner sheds can be a great choice if you are really particular about where you want your shed to be placed.
Corner sheds are also so naturally inviting that they often don’t even look like sheds at all. Your guests will think it’s an extra guest room based off how gorgeous it looks.
Shed Floor Ideas
While shed design ideas tend to focus on the exterior more than anything else, you can’t forget about the inner floor. A shed’s floor should look quite good while also being comfortable enough to walk on.
When choosing a shed floor, it is paramount to keep in mind what is going to be stored in there. If you’re only going to have shelves to store tools then the floor doesn’t need to be very durable. If, however, you’re storing cars or lawnmowers or anything heavier with wheels, the floor needs to be tough.
There are lots of floor materials to keep in mind for both looks and utility. Plywood, groove planks, plastic and pavers are just some of the most common examples.
Floors of sheds are typically not too difficult to install so you should feel free to use whichever material you like best.
Shed Against Fence
While building a shed directly against your house or garage is often a bad idea, you can get away with building a shed against fence. This is as long as the shed isn’t too big and isn’t violating any of your region’s bylaws or codes, of course.
One simple way to make a shed against fence work is to build the shed out of the same wood that the fence is made out of. This makes it look natural and could possibly improve your property value.
Keep in mind that you probably can’t have the shed actually touching the fence directly. That could violate a code or two, and if it’s a fence you are sharing with a neighbor, they probably won’t like it too much.
Make sure that your shed against fence has at least a few inches of clearing. This will also make it easier for you to build as you are assembling the back wall.
