Photo: HONG SON

How can I make my shed look cute?

The key to making the exterior attractive is to think of the shed like a little house. A pleasing paint color or wood stain, trim, and windows—and perhaps window boxes—are just the start. It's the garden art and surrounding landscaping that take it to the next level.

empressofdirt.net - 50 Garden Shed Ideas (With Pictures From Home Gardens)

How hard is it to buy a house in 2022?

Home buyers still face tough challenges in today's housing market: steep prices, elevated mortgage rates and a shortage of homes for sale. But the...

Last updated Dec 2, 2019

How do you make an affordable workshop?

The cheapest way to build a workshop is to use steel as the building material and keep the size down to the barest minimum. You can keep roofing...

Last updated Jan 16, 2018

Promotion

This post contains affiliate links. Read full disclosure statement here .

Want garden shed ideas for your backyard? Whether it’s for storage, potting, crafting, a she shed, or play, these real examples from home gardens have creative, attractive, and practical ideas. Use the shed selection checklist and find the perfect little building for your garden. If you would like a greenhouse instead, see How I Built a Lean-to Greenhouse.

50 Fabulous Real-Life Garden Shed Ideas

If you think about it, we expect a lot from our sheds! We want an attractive exterior that adds charm to the garden while providing a functional interior with space to store lawn mowers, garden tools, potting mix, and flower pots, and more. The key to making the exterior attractive is to think of the shed like a little house. A pleasing paint color or wood stain, trim, and windows—and perhaps window boxes—are just the start. It’s the garden art and surrounding landscaping that take it to the next level. The ideas shown here come from ordinary home gardens where the gardeners have used all sorts of creative touches to make their sheds both fit their garden style yet stand out as a focal point. I hope you’ll be inspired to try new ideas. The beauty of gardening is, you can push the boundaries a lot further with outdoor projects like this than we might when decorating the interior of our homes. If you’re not sure what style to choose, these 10 Tips To Know Before Buying a Garden Shed are helpful. Where to Find Shed Plans I do not have building plans for the sheds you see here. The photos come from gardens I have visited, my own garden, and reader’s backyards. You can find shed plans online, at your local library, and home improvement stores.

1 Blue Garden Shed

This one is a fan favorite. Window boxes add instant charm. And the door is a great place for eye-catching garden art.

2 Wood Garden Shed

It looks like a tiny house. The shutters and window boxes are charming. Notice the Dutch door: the top and bottom of the door can be opened separately.

3 Rustic Garden Shed

A porch makes a shed more home-like. This one has board and batten walls and a bench for sitting.

4 Blue She Shed

The big glass doors and lace curtains give this she shed a fresh look.

5 Two Room Wood Shed

I love this shed. The windowed area is for potting plants and other work. The side section has wide doors perfect for getting garden tools and equipment in and out.

Related: How to Build Little Free Libraries and Tiny Sheds

6 White Washed Barn Door Shed

I don’t think you can ever regret putting wide double doors on a shed. It makes it so much easier to get things in and out.

7 Wood Shed with Trellis Patio

It’s a shed and a sitting area all in one. Sweet idea for the back of a garden.

8 Six-Sided Shed

It’s a one-of-a-kind shed: this six-sided shed has a brick foundation.

9 Taupe Shed | No Windows

Windows or no windows? Personally, I always like windows for natural light, but you get more storage room without them.

10 Black Shed with Porch

Do you have a right to light in your garden?

Do I have a right to light in my garden? The right to light only applies to rooms in your house, not open ground, so you will not ordinarily be...

Last updated Dec 22, 2021

What's the most expensive wood?

Topping the list of most expensive woods in the world is Bocote, a flowering plant from the borage family that is mostly found in Mexico, Central...

Last updated Apr 2, 2022

These are the Best Shed Plans!

Comprehensive and Intuitive to follow. Build That Shed!

Learn More »

Promotion

This little shed was designed to match the main house: always a nice way to unify the yard.

11 Blue Shed with Barn Doors

Garden art makes everything better. Use your shed walls to display your favorites.

12 Barn Style Shed with Punch Out Doors

The door design on this shed emphasizes the barn shape.

13 Narrow Shed with Upper Window

This one is straight out of a fairy tale. The upper window is a lovely, whimsical choice.

14 Wood Shed with Window Boxes

The window boxes, decor, and trim really dress this shed up.

15 Rustic Western Shed

This shed is adjacent to a barn with horse-themed decor.

16 Tall Vertical Shed

Interesting design with upper windows for lots of interior light.

17 Wood Shed with Double Doors

A good, simple board and batten shed with wide double doors.

18 Shed Makeover

This is my shed. You can see how it looked after painting the vinyl siding here.

19 Cut Log Garden Shed

An old fashion shed style with cedar roofing.

20 Scallop Roof Shed with Porch

This one would be a perfect sleeping cabin (bunkie) or office.

21 Window Greenhouse Potting Shed

It’s art and function all in one. A beautifully styled glass potting area.

22 Blue Shed with Deck Front

The blue stain, brick patio, white trellis, faux window, and ornate trim transform this basic shed.

23 Wood Shed with Z Door

Another Dutch door! The narrow red framed windows give this shed unique style.

24 Taupe Shed with Wide Doors

Wide doors are such a good choice. Notice how the window frames mimic shutters.

25 Painted Shed with Side Doors

The door doesn’t have to be in the middle. Put it where it makes sense for the use of the shed.

26 Wood Shed with Wood Panels

This one is for unpainted wood fans. The lion’s head door knocker is a fun choice.

27 Quaint Shed with Pitched Roof

A charming shed in a great setting. The pitched roof and decor really kicks it up a notch.

28 Shed with Log Cut Walls

Another version of the wood cut shed. Very nicely made and functional.

29 Red and Gray Shed

The gray and pink stains work well together because the color values are similar.

30 Garden Shed with Arched Doors

If you have a woodworker in your life, they may enjoy making arched doors for your shed.

31 Garden Shed with Living Roof

This sedum roof was just planted but it’s already so pretty. Be sure your shed can safely hold the weight of a green roof. For an alternate way, see how I added a roof of flowers to my mini greenhouse with a shoe organizer.

32 Narrow Shed with Double Doors

This would a really plain shed if not for the details. If you get a basic builder shed, you can always dress it up.

33 Blue Shed with Shade Porch

The nice deep covered porch makes this a favorite place to sit on a hot day. The black paint on the door is a nice, bold choice used throughout the garden.

34 Small Shed with Big Door

Another shed where the door is nice and wide. So much easier to get a lawnmower in and out this way.

Can I build a shed in my garden in a conservation area?

You must apply for householder planning permission to erect a garden building, greenhouse or shed if: the total area of ground covered will be...

Last updated Aug 27, 2021

How much does it cost to build your own 8x10 shed?

Small-scale shed-building projects can cost as little as $363. Large-scale shed projects with custom designs and high-quality materials average...

Last updated Apr 24, 2020

Can I build my own shed?

Yes, with the right plans you can build your dream shed.

Learn More »

Promotion

35 All Wood Shed with Barn Roof

This one is both barn-inspired and a hat-tip to log cabins.

36 House Shed with Red Door

The red door is everything! The plants and decor help style it up too.

37 Board and Batten Shed

Rain barrels need not be boring! This setup is both functional and attractive.

There is a tutorial for making your own rain barrel here.

38 Asymmetrical Shed with Windows

This design works perfectly in a garden filled with outdoor art.

39 Old Stone Outbuilding

This is an old outbuilding that was converted into shed. It was originally living space for staff working at the estate.

40 Brown Wood Shed with Porch

On this shed everything is stained the same rich brown color. I love it how it is but you could also punch it up by painting the window frames in a bright or contrasting color.

41 Tall Blue Outbuilding

Another old building converting into shed space. The dual doors are so quirky that I’d never want to change them.

42 Stained Wood Shed with Porch

This shed design must be readily available as a prefab shed or the plans are popular because I see it a lot. The design really does check all the boxes.

43 Multi-Door Shed with Cupola

The door area has an interesting design: see how it’s cut out to provide overhead protection? I also like the big double doors on the side.

44 Mustard Wood Stained Shed

This shed provides lots of storage space. The small windows on the sides provide light inside without compromising wall space.

45 Dutch Door Shed

I love Dutch doors and would love to have one on my shed. Every so often wild animals like skunks, raccoons, and possums wander in when I’ve left the door open during garden work. A door like this would keep the tools handy but slow down the critters.

Related: Make a Portable Rolling Tool Shed

46 Wizard of Oz Cottage

It’s a cottage not a shed but it’s fun to see the sod roof. It looks like they just added rolls of sod the day before (which they probably did).

47 Harry Potter Shed with Turret

This shed was created with the grandkids in mind. What a playhouse!

48 Old Door Potting Shed

This mini potting shed is from the book, Upcycling Outdoors by Max McMurdo. You can see the DIY tutorial here.

49 Small Shed with Wood Stove

If you want to live, sleep, or work in your shed, you may need electricity, heat, or air conditioning. And a fridge.

50 Wood Shed with Peak Roof

I love this shed. The wood is gorgeous. Notice how the direction of the wood planks is horizontal for the walls and vertical for the doors. If you made it to the end, Her Majesty the Empress of Dirt salutes you.