Building beyond storage: Contemporary sheds

By Emma Peterson. 

Three key tips for building functional and beautiful backyard sheds. 

A backyard shed is a great way to expand the usable space on a property, no matter the weather in the area. The space within a shed can truly be whatever your customer dreams up, whether that’s just a place to store things like gardening supplies or a space for that one hobby that doesn’t quite fit in the house. As Selina Lake, author of Shed Style, put it, “Keen gardeners will likely want to use their shed for traditional garden jobs, but if you don’t have green fingers, you could use it as a place to escape and zone out.”  

No matter how homeowners want to use the shed, it’s your job to help them create a space that is both functional and beautiful. Here are three things to remember when you’re helping build a shed in your customer's backyard.  

1 – Functionality comes first 

Make sure that the homeowner has a clear vision of what they want. A shed that needs to hold boxes of holiday decorations will need to be designed very differently than one that is used for potting plants or painting some canvasses.  

Things like cabinets and shelves are a great way to organize while maximizing the use of floor space. This can be helpful if the homeowner needs space to store things like a lawnmower or if they need space to stand at a workbench. Selina shared some things to remember when picking your shelving and cabinets, saying, “Open shelving will allow you to showcase favorite items, while closed storage is best for less attractive or practical pieces. A simple tabletop on trestle legs can be used as a surface to work or craft on and is easily dismantled and tucked away when necessary.” 

2 – Paint is powerful 

Just because functionality is crucial, doesn't mean a shed can’t be a beautiful focal point or background to an outdoor space! One of the easiest ways to blend a shed into a space is by painting it in a matching or complementary color to the existing home and landscaping. Paint can also add another layer of protection for the shed. Selina explained, “Painting wood and metal structures with the appropriate specialist outdoor paint will protect the material and prolong the life of your shed.” 

And painting shouldn’t stop at the door of the shed; a coat of paint on the interior can brighten up a space and make it a space the homeowner wants to spend their time in! Selina also pointed out that this is not an expensive way to elevate the space, “The best thing about a shed or small garden building is that it won’t take much time or paint to give it a new look.”  

3 – Going green 

There are many ways that you can make a backyard shed both sustainable and more functional for a homeowner. The options include:  

• Bug hotel: While this might sound like the opposite of what many homeowners want, creating a manmade shelter for insects can create a home for helpful critters like bees and ladybugs. These bugs will improve the landscape around the bug hotel by pollinating flowers and eating pests, making maintenance for the homeowner far easier and more economical.   
• Solar panels: Just like the roof of a house, you can install solar panels on the roof of a shed! This is not only a great way to help a property become more energy efficient, but it’s also a great way to easily add electricity into a shed, no matter how far it is from an electrical supply! 
• Green roofing: Another option for the top of a shed is green roofing! These are roofs made from low-lying plants like sedum that spread across the entire surface. Not only does this create more habitat, but it also creates a layer of thermal insulation (keeping the shed cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter) and manages rainwater (helping manage the amount of puddles forming in the yard). 

Overall, there are many things that can be done to elevate a shed beyond the basic wooden structures many homeowner's picture.  

Learn more about the considerations for builidng a shed!