31 Cool Shed Ideas to Stimulate Your Senses - Zacs Garden

31 Cool Shed Ideas to Stimulate Your Senses

Upside Down Boat into Shed

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HAVE YOU BEEN thinking about building a shed in your backyard but are a little stuck on design ideas?

I know just how hard it can be to come up with the perfect shed for your next backyard project.

There are so many different plans available, it can be a bit confusing.

To help you make the right choice, I have pulled together 31 photos of some very cool shed ideas to help you make the right choice whether you are looking for a workshop, a place to keep your firewood dry, or simply a clean dry storage space for your junk. These ideas might not be the most practical, but they have a cool factor.

1. The Public Bike Locker

Great Open Air Storage for More Than Bikes

Open Air Shed

While this simple open air shed was originally built to provide secure out of the rain bike storage, there is no reason you can't adapt it to store firewood, hay, or anything else you need to keep relatively dry.

The flat roof and multi-post design can handle heavy snow loads, while the open-air design offers plenty of ventilation.

2. The 100% Organic Shed

Just Like Mother Nature Intended

shed door designs - inside

This one looks a lot like the grass huts used in Africa or in medieval times. The sloping thatched roof is completely waterproof and the open air sides make it an ideal place to store firewood while it seasons.

You can source all of your materials locally, making the 100% organic design very affordable. These sheds are actually very easy to build.

3. Sheds That Blend In

No One Ever Said Your Shed had to be Visible

small stuff storage

If you are looking for a "stealth" shed, one that tends to blend into your backyard design rather than stand out like a sore thumb, it's not that hard to fit your shed into its surroundings.

If you are lucky enough to have a small hill in your backyard, you can butt the shed up against it and then cover it in vines such as honeysuckle and then surround it with shrubs. In a year or two, no one will hardly be able to tell it exists.

4. Thatched Roof Shed

Once Again Proving Mother Nature Provides

shed door designs - inside

Thatch has been in use as a waterproof roofing material for centuries.

If you want a shed that will keep everything dry but is fully biodegradable and eco-friendly, consider building an all-wood shed like this little beauty and then adding a thatch roof to it.

You might be surprised not only at how affordable this type of shed is but also at how great it will look in your backyard.

5. A 360 Degrees Around Shed

No One Said Your Shed had to be Square or Rectangular 

shed door designs - inside

Sheds seem to come in all shapes and sizes, yet the vast majority seem to be either square or rectangular in shape. Why not go for something completely different and build a round shed.

You can store just about anything in a round shed, in fact, you may find somethings are easier to store in one. On top of which your neighbors will get a good chuckle out of your choice.

6. The Rustic Style Shed

Old School Looks New School Security

Old shed

If you are lucky enough to have trees on your property that need to be cleared, you have the perfect material for this type of shed.

You can use whole or split logs for the walls and then wooden shingles for the roof, giving your shed a completely rustic look while saving money making use of materials that might otherwise have gone either into the woodstove or the scrap pile.

7. The Upside Down Boat

Ahoy There Matey!

cool shed ideas - upside down boat

Have you ever seen how many boats end up in the scrapyard when they are no longer functional? This particular shed takes a boat hull and turns it upside down.

Talk about a well-sealed watertight roof. All you have to do is add a door to the transom (rear end of the hull) and any windows you might need. What a great way to repurpose a scrapped out boat.

8. The Drive-In

Cruise On In

shed door designs - inside

More like a standalone garage than a shed, when you add a garage style door and ramp to your garden shed you can create the perfect drive in shed.

This one has more than enough room for your riding lawn mower, bicycles, motorcycle and more. The solid design features plenty of windows on one wall for when you need to work in your shed and a standard roll-up garage door for added security.

9. The Modern Shed

Easy to Build Design 

Cool Shed Ideas - Modern and contemporary shed style

In all reality, a shed doesn't need to be fancy. This modern design features a single slope roof that slopes away from the front door and solid timber siding for added security.

You can add a sliding door with a padlock for added security or a man-door if all you are doing is storing your garden tools inside. This type of shed can be placed anywhere and completed in a weekend.

10. The Straw Shed

More Than the Cowardly Lion, it Makes a Great Shed Wall

cool shed ideas - upside down boat

While you may not have seen many buildings or sheds made with straw walls here in the U.S., you might be surprised at how many other countries find straw to be the perfect building material.

Formed into bales or blocks, straw is not only weatherproof, it is capable of providing a lot of insulation. With a tin or thatch roof, your straw shed can be used for firewood, garden tool storage, and many other things while costing you very little.

11. The Large Thatch Roof

Once Again Natural Materials are Used for the Win

shed door designs - inside

If you haven't noticed a trend yet, then let me explain. Thatch is a natural material and can be used in the construction of just about any kind of shed.

This particular design incorporates a large roof and very short walls. It might look a little like it belongs on Gilligan's Island, but offers a great place to store firewood, hay, and many other items. The massive roof is sure to draw the admiration of anyone who sees it.

12. The Smurf Shed

This Shed is Small but Mighty

shed door designs - inside

Add a quaint touch to your backyard by creating a small shed made from a variety of materials. Consider using whatever you happen to have at hand for the walls, wood, bricks, logs, and then add a thatch roof.

Add a panel door and a window or two and you have the perfect place to get away from it all or store your favorite garden tools.

13. The Phone Booth

When Was The Last Time You Saw One of These?

phonebooth_to_firewood_shed

Most of us can barely remember what a phone booth looks like, but if you look around long enough, you can still find them in junkyards across the country.

Not only were these a nice dry place to get out of the rain when you needed to make a call, they are also a great place to keep a small supply of firewood dry or your most commonly used garden tools out of the weather.

What a brilliant way to repurpose an old item into something very useful.

14. Tall Buildings

Multi-floor Storage Lets You Hang Onto More Stuff

Cool Shed Ideas - Modern and contemporary shed style

If a single story shed simply isn't going to give you enough room to store all of your junk, consider a multi-story unit.

In this picture is an old farm building with three levels, each of which has a loading door that was once serviced by a rope hoist. You could store your ATV, motorcycle, lawn mower or bikes on the ground floor, turn the second floor into a workshop, and the third floor into storage.

15. Choo-Choo Train Rolling Storage

Storage Shed to Go, This One is On Wheels

shed door designs - inside

Railroads have been using rolling sheds virtually forever. These sheds have wheels that let the railroad move them to where they are needed.

While your shed doesn't need to be quite this big, if you are not sure where you want to locate it or perhaps need it in different spots of your yard throughout the year, consider building it on wheels.

16. The Crayon Shed Pack

Like a Pack of Crayons,This Row of Sheds is Very Colorful

shed door designs - inside

So who ever said you had to stop at one shed? Why not build yourself and your family a row of small colorful sheds instead. This way everyone can have a shed of their own or you can have a shed of a different color for each type of storage you need.

Blue for the bike, green for garden tools, red for family bicycles, etc. They are sure to brighten up your backyard and neighborhood.

17. Create Your Own Room for Wine

Create Your Very Own Outdoor Wine Cellar

shed door designs - inside

While most wine cellars are located underground as this makes it much easier to maintain a steady temperature, no one says this is the only place to build one.

You can build a neat little wooden shed like this one that can do the same job. Remember to insulate the walls and roof well to stabilize the temperature.

Wine stores best in the dark so no windows are needed, instead, concentrate on finding a shady place for your shed and add in heat/air conditioning.

18. Inside Out

Bring the Outside World Inside

shed door designs - inside

When you have large pieces of equipment to store and work on, this open air plan may be just what you need.

By adding huge doors on both ends, you make it easy to get in and out of your shed with larger vehicles or equipment when they need to be worked on.

You can also build this shed without doors if you prefer for ease of access.

19. Mustard Yellow

Pitched Roof and Wild Colors Make a Great Garden Shed

shed door designs - inside

Your garden shed does not have to be boring, in fact, most cool sheds are bright and colorful. While this one is mustard yellow in color, you can choose a different cool color to make your shed a focal point in your garden.

Add in a window or two and a single door with window to create a garden workshop for your favorite projects or to create a pool house.

20. Best Friends

Why Have One Shed When Two is a Better Deal

sheds_onstilts_water

So you started out with a single shed thinking it would give you all the storage space you need and soon found out it wasn't enough. Instead of going out and building one much bigger shed, why not build a second similar size shed?

You can build them beside each other or across from each other. You could even create a covered porch or walkway to join them together. The possibilities are as endless as the pile of junk you need to store.

21. Toys

You Can Never Have Enough Sheds

shed door designs - inside

If your family is like mine, you can never have enough outdoor storage space. Providing your local codes allow for it and your neighbors aren't likely to complain, you could potentially build a shed for each member of your family.

You could also build a number of these little sheds to accommodate different needs such as storage, art studios, and workshops.

22. The Forest Chapel

Bringing the Spirit of Life to Your Backyard

forest_chapel

Made to look like a miniature forest chapel, complete with mini-bell tower, this amazing looking shed will look good in any backyard under the trees.

It offers more than just good looks, the steeply pitched roof and all wood construction offer you a shed that can stand up to heavy winter snows and keep everything safe and sound. You could even add a weathervane to the bell tower for fun and authenticity.

23. The Piece of Cake

Looks Like a Frosted Piece of Cake But is Super Strong

metal_and_wood_shed_door

If you are like me, you want your shed to be a little different from the run of the mill shed everyone else in your neighborhood already has in their back yard.

This little beauty has strong brick walls and a flat roof. You can build it from adobe bricks or cinder blocks depending on where you live.

Not only is this design perfect for storing your valuables, but hiding under the cake-like paint is the perfect storm shelter for you and your family.

24. Picture Frame

Why Not Create a Personalized Shed

artwork_shed

Just because your shed has four walls doesn't mean they should be blank. If you look at some of the cool sheds in these pictures, you will find the coolest ones are hand decorated.

No matter what size or shape your shed happens to be, at least 2 or 3 of the walls offer you a great canvas to work on personalizing your shed. Add a single mural or a series of paintings to completely personalize your shed.

25. The White Christmas

Strong Enough for a Sleigh to Land On

white_christmas

If you live in an area where it tends to snow a lot, you need a garden shed that can stand up to the snow load. This means having a steeply pitched roof designed to help the snow slide off and plenty of roof trusses to support the weight.

If you are not sure about how to adjust for snow load, you may want to talk to a local contractor or two as they can help you determine how strong your shed roof needs to be.

26. One Man's Trash

Is Another Man's Treasure

ones-mans-trash

If you are like most guys, and I am, you probably have a ton of "junk" your wife doesn't want in the house or garage. Why not throw up a small, secure shed like this one just for you.

Create your own storage unit, workshop, man cave, or better yet a combination of all three. Park it next to or behind the garage and cover it with "antique" signage for effect. Just be sure to add a good lock on both sides of the door.

27. The Guest Shed

Perfect for Your Mother-In-Law

Nice_guest_shed

The last time you had family come to visit, they turned the living room into a bedroom and interrupted your entire world. Why not build a tiny house out in the backyard just for them?

This cute little shed offers room for a bed, a table and chairs, and a few other amenities and makes the perfect place for your mother-in-law or any other guest to stay for a few days at a time. It even features a porch to sit out on in the evenings where your guests won't be underfoot all the time.

28. The Combination Shed

Sticks and Stones Do More than Break Bones

wood_and_stone_combination

One of the least expensive ways to build cool sheds is to make use of the many materials you probably already have on your property.

Instead of creating an annoying rock pile while clearing your property or digging in those gardens, use the rocks, some cement, and logs to create a garden shed that is not only cool to look at, but will provide you with years of secure storage.

29. The Picnic Shed

The Perfect Hideaway in Your Back Yard

picnic_garden_shed

Add a deck to your shed and create the perfect place for your next family staycation. You can store all of your outdoor furniture, your grill, and many other items inside this roomy shed and then bring them out when needed.

Add in a few amenities and you have the perfect place to hang out when you need to get away from it all and can't afford to leave home.

30. The Family House

It's Bigger on the Inside

family_house

Be sure to check your local codes first but then you can build a shed that doubles as a tiny house complete with most, if not all, of the amenities and gives your family a comfortable place to stay when they visit.

Just be sure to put a time limit on their stay or you might never get rid of them. Tiny houses are all the rage and make a great place to stay while you build your house or as the perfect getaway when you need a break. See this shed builders website here

31. Playhouse

Not Just for the Kids

playhouse

Most kids love to play house, especially when they are young. This little shed looks just like a house and may spend the first few years of its life keeping your kids entertained.

Once the kids have outgrown it, you can turn the playhouse into one of the coolest sheds in your neighborhood by adding a lock to the door. What a unique to repurpose the playhouse and save yourself from having to build another shed.

Just a Sample of the Cool Sheds I Have Seen

This is just a sampling of the dozens of totally cool sheds I have come across in my search for the perfect shed for my backyard.

There are many others, all you have to do is drive around your neighborhood, visit another town or state, and keep your eyes open. You never know when you might see a shed that looks great and is just what you need.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at the pictures of these very cool sheds as much as I have enjoyed collecting them and that they have inspired you to go the extra mile in creating the perfect shed for your backyard.

Other Thought Provoking Shed Ideas

Have you ever thought of:

  • Building your shed with wheels?
  • Using an old shipping container as your shed?
  • Building your shed with brick and stone instead of wood?
  • Roofing your shed with clear perspex to let more light in?
  • Building your shed in an hexagon or round shape instead of a square?
  • Painting your shed with bright mix colors?
  • Building your shed like a dollhouse?
  • Building your shed like a Lego house?

In Summary...

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