23 Inspiring Yet Practical Shed Design Ideas You Can Use For Your New Shed
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CHOOSE THE RIGHT shed for your backyard can be a lot of fun, if you let it be.
You could of course just order the first one you see, but what fun would that really be.
With so many great shed design ideas out there, it took me forever to find the perfect one for my garden.
So to help make finding the right shed for you just a little easier, I have pulled together these 24 great shed design ideas that should inspire you to think outside of the box.
#1 Wood Shed Designs
Got Wood? Then You Can Build Your Own Shed
See more wood shed designs here
Wood is one of the oldest and most practical forms of material you can use to build your shed. From simple small sheds to log cabin style sheds, there are dozens of different fun and attractive ways to create a unique shed.
Wood allows you to fully customize the look and feel of your shed making it suit your needs now and in the future. Most of these wood sheds can be built from scratch or from readily available plans using nothing more than materials you can buy locally and your building skills.
#2 Firewood Shed Ideas
Keeping Your Firewood Warm and Dry
See more firewood shed ideas here
You stockpile firewood all summer long to help keep your home warm and dry all winter. But if you don't have a dry place to store your firewood, it will do you very little good. Here you will find dozens of firewood shed ideas to help you find the perfect one for your backyard.
One of the most important things to remember about a firewood shed is that it doesn't have to be fully enclosed, in fact most are specifically designed to allow for plenty of fresh air circulation to help your wood season properly instead of remaining in the dark where it might mold and become useless.
#3 Shed Storage Ideas and Designs
When You Need a Place to Store Your Gear
See more shed storage designs and ideas here
A shed by itself is little more than a box with a roof and at least one door. Sure you can simply toss your junk on the floor, maybe stick a few freestanding shelves inside, but this is not exactly making the most out of all the storage space your shed has to offer.
Here we take a look at a huge variety of shed storage ideas intended to help you make the most out of every possible inch of your shed, including shelves designed to hang from the ceiling and walls.
#4 Shed Door Ideas
Going in Through the Out Door
If you are going to buy or build a garden shed, you need a way to get in and out of it, in other words, you need at least one door. But there is far more to a garden shed door than a simple slab of wood with hinges and a handle.
Shed doors come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. You can choose a practical look or a whimsical look based on your needs and tastes.
Wood makes a good solid door, but you can also use metal or plastic, just be sure the design you choose can be properly secured to keep thieves and others out and your goodies locked securely inside.
#5 Shed Roof Designs
Keeping the Lid on Your Shed
See more shed roof designs here
Of all the various parts of your shed, the roof you choose to put on it is perhaps the most important of them all. If you don't choose a roof that is strong enough and built for the weather conditions in your area.
Roofs come in all shapes, sizes, designs, and materials. Those with a higher pitch are more suited to areas where it snows a lot in the winter, those made from sheet metal will last for decades, there are even roofs that are covered with soil that can be planted with grass or flowers.
No matter what style of roof you choose, be sure it has plenty of support in the form of joists or beams.
#6 Cool Shed Ideas
Have Fun with Something a Little Different
Just because all your neighbors have standard boring sheds doesn’t mean you have to. In this list of cool shed ideas, we take a look at sheds made from different materials, styles and sizes.
In reality you can build your next garden from just about anything you can find from old logs and lumber to an upside down boat hull. Be bold, be different and put a shed in your backyard that is sure to get everyone's attention.
#7 Plastic Shed Designs
Lightweight, Watertight, and Very Practical
Plastic may not seem like the ideal material for a garden shed, yet it might prove to be more useful than you think.
Here we take a good look at a wide selection of plastic sheds ranging from those just big enough for a few tools to some that are big enough to turn into a workshop.
Be careful to buy a shed that features double layer walls, doors that can be properly secured, and a roof that has some form of metal bracing to help support it in case of heavy snows.
Some sheds can be snapped together, others will need to be bolted together, and most are more than up to the job.
#8 Metal Shed Designs
Solid, Strong, and Made to Last
Metal sheds aren’t pretty, but for the square footage they are hard to beat on price.
Metal tends to rust over time and requires constant painting in order to keep it looking good. However, bear in mind that metal is also one of the strongest and most secure materials you can use to build your shed.
Because metal is flexible and durable, it can be used to build sheds in almost any imaginable shape and size and in virtually any climate.
#9 Fabric/Canvas Shed Designs
Not Just a Tent for Your Yunk
It is far too easy to think of a fabric or canvas shed as nothing more than a tent that can be put up in the backyard to temporarily store things.
Fabric/canvas sheds are made from much stronger materials and typically have solid metal frames. Some have metal roofs and fabric or canvas walls.
The one problem most of these sheds have is the inability to store anything valuable in them as they cannot be adequately secured. However, they do have the advantage of being fully portable as they can be taken down and put back up in a very short period of time.
#10 She Sheds Ideas
And now one for the ladies
If you look at most of the shed designs on the market, it might seem as though they are made just for the guys, but what about the ladies?
A garden shed can be turned into an art studio, a potting shed, or nothing more than a comfortable place to sit, relax with a good book, and to get away from it all.
From choosing the right colors for the outside to adding carpeting and a nice pot-bellied wood stove, there is nothing quite like having a great place all of your own out in the backyard to enjoy.
#11 Shed Ramp Ideas
Easy In, Easy Out
See shed ramp ideas and designs here
Getting things in and out of a shed that is not flat on the ground can present its own unique set of problems. The best way to get around these problems is with the right type of shed ramp.
From poured concrete to ramps made from wood or even the metal kind you can buy locally, it doesn't take much to make getting things in and out of your shed much easier.
Be sure that the shed ramps you choose are strong enough and wide enough for their purpose. If you build wooden ramps, they will need to be carefully maintained in order to ensure your safety when using them.
#12 Shed Window Ideas
Looking Out on Creation
See more shed window ideas here
Windows come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. Some are fixed (meaning they can't be opened) while others are movable (allowing you to open them).
The choice is yours, be aware any windows you add to your shed should be placed such that they provide plenty of light in all the right places.
Not only can well-placed windows give you plenty of light, you can use windows as a quick way to ventilate your shed and keep it cooler in the summer. Just be sure if you install movable windows that they can be properly secured.
#13 Unique Shed Designs
Why Follow the Crowd?
Instead of going for that out of the box look like your neighbors, why not try something different?
Why not use an old phone booth for simple tool storage or perhaps pick up an old military Quonset hut and repurpose it?
You might be surprised at how many different items can be easily turned into a convenient storage shed for use in your backyard.
#14 Simple Shed Designs
Simple is Often the Better Choice
Not everything you build, including your garden shed has to be complicated.
Unless you are a skilled builder or have at least a fair amount of experience in construction, you may not want to attempt building a complicated shed from a kit or set of plans.
There are a number of simple shed designs that even a beginner can build for themselves with a minimum of skills and tools.
Even a simple shed can be used to store garden tools, store your lawn mower, ATV, bicycles, or even a motorcycle as long as you make it secure.
#15 Potting Shed Designs
Plant a Shed in Your Backyard
Creating a potting shed in your backyard is a great way to get a jump start on your spring planting. However, you can't just take any garden shed and call it a potting shed.
A good potting shed needs to have plenty of windows to provide the natural lighting your seeds and plants need to get off to a good start. You may also want to consider adding some form of heat and full spectrum lighting, especially if you live in an area where spring tends to be cold.
A wood shed might be your best choice here as you can always add more windows to the basic design and use the studs to mount shelves for your plants and seed starters.
#16 Designer Sheds Ideas
Louis Vuitton Has Nothing on These Sheds
No one says your garden shed has to be plain and ordinary. Why not create your very own designer shed?
These sheds are mostly modern styles, along with straight lines and sharp corners… with all the modern conveniences. So why not have it your way, make your shed something completely unique.
#17 Pool Shed Ideas
Keeping Things Cool and Dry
There is nothing better than having your own swimming pool in your backyard. And if you’re looking for somewhere that is cool and dry to store your pool cleaning supplies and chemicals, then here are some great pool shed ideas.
Your pool shed doesn't have to be very big, but if you have space, why not look for pool shed design ideas that include enough space for a changing room?
#18 Tool Storage Shed Ideas
A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place
See more tool shed ideas and designs here
Whether you have a few garden tools you need a safe place for or a ton of hobby tools, why not build a shed just for them.
Tool storage sheds don’t need to be fancy, but they do need to be secure. No matter what type of shed you choose for your tools, be sure it can be locked securely, including any windows or skylights it has.
Add in a workbench or two, some good electric lighting and your tool storage shed suddenly becomes your “man or woman cave” where you can work on your favorite projects and get away from it all for a while.
#19 Small Shed Ideas
Whoever Said Bigger is Better?
See more tool shed ideas and designs here
Just because your backyard is small and has limited open space to work with, doesn’t mean you can’t have a shed.
There are many different small shed ideas for you to choose from. Some are freestanding while others are more of a lean-to style that can be placed against the wall of your house or garage.
Even a small shed can give you enough room to store a couple of bikes, a few garden tools, or the kids’ outdoor toys while not taking up vast amounts of space in your yard.
#20 Shed Color Ideas
Taste the Rainbow
While natural wood might look great when its new and some love the way it ages, it can also be pretty plain and boring.
If you really want to spruce up your backyard, head out to your local paint supply store and take a good look at the rainbow of colors available to paint your shed.
Bold and bright colors are a great way to make your shed look amazing and cheerful. You can even paint a mural on the outside if you really want to get carried away, let your shed be your canvas and see what happens.
#21 Shed Floor Ideas
Nothing Beats a Firm Foundation
When you build your shed, you should pay a lot of attention to what is going to be under your feet.
The easy way out is to go with a dirt or gravel floor, but this is far from the most practical. Alternatives to this include pouring a concrete slab, laying cement pavers, building a wood floor, or if you are buying a plastic shed, you will find most of them come with a plastic floor.
No matter what type of floor you decide to go with, just be sure it is strong enough to support any weight you might be placing on it. You should also be sure to seal it against water and any other chemicals that might get spilled on it.
#22 Shed Ideas Inside
It’s Bigger on the Inside
Building a shed in your backyard is only the beginning. Once it is finished you have four walls and a roof, now it’s time to turn all of this space into something useful.
Why not build a workbench or two so that you can work on projects? If you are planning to store ATVs or a motorcycle, you may want to add an anchor point to the floor that lets you lock your bike in place.
Plenty of pegboard, hooks, racks, and bins will give you lots of room for storing tools. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that no matter what you plan to use your new shed for, you need to keep the clutter under control.
#23 Garden Shed Office Ideas
On Office with a View
If you count yourself among the lucky few who work from home, why not create the perfect office getaway.
For years people have been taking over the spare bedroom, the garage, the attic, the basement, or just a convenient corner of the house and turning it into office space.
Why not build a nice garden shed office instead? You can go all out, insulate the walls, add a nice big picture window, heat, air conditioning, all of the creature comforts needed to make your shed into the perfect office.
The best part is that since your office will now be out in the backyard, the rest of your family is less likely to bug you while you’re working.
It’s Your Shed, Have It Your Way
The most important thing I have learned in my search through all of the various shed design ideas is that there is no one singular shed design that is perfect for everyone or every need. I hope that these ideas and suggestions will help guide you towards buying or better yet building the perfect shed to fit in with your needs and your backyard.
I hope you have enjoyed reading these suggestions for great shed ideas as much as I have enjoyed putting them together for you!
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