I have always wanted a garden shed that is both beautiful and practical. You know the type – like the ones you see on Instagram, where there are rows of hand-thrown antique pots, balls of rustic garden twine and stylish details like vintage seed packets on display. Of course, in reality, my shed was a dumping ground for old plastic pots, half-used bags potting soil and nasty bits of lawnmower. Yes, it was useful for garden storage, but, accessorised with dead spiders and mice, my shed was far less than fabulous.
It was time for a big makeover on a small budget, with cheap and easy DIY projects to upgrade my garden storage.
I started by emptying all the tools (and the mouse) and getting rid of anything I didn’t want or need, taking a bunch of stuff to the dump. It was an amazingly healing process and forced me to finally process my stash of treasure. I then vacuumed up all the debris and replaced a broken window pane before I got to work turning my boring garden shed into a vintage hideaway with some DIY shed ideas.
(Image: Ellie Tennant)
1. Paint Exterior Walls
I wanted my shed to blend into the garden, so I painted the exterior a smart, understated dark grey: evening coat of Choice couple. This instantly transformed the shed, turning a nondescript wooden structure into something much more stylish. i used FrogTape, available from Ace Hardwareto get neat edges around the windows and gave the walls two coats of paint for a rich, deep color.
(Image: Ellie Tennant)
2. Paint Interior Walls
I’m not going to lie by painting it within of a shed is a labor of love. It takes ages and it’s weird because the wood isn’t smooth like a plastered wall. But even though it took me days, I have no regrets because my formerly dark and gloomy shed is now airy and bright. I actually wish I had taken the time to treat the knots on the pine boards with knot solution first because there are a few unsightly yellow spots here and there.
I used exterior wood and Pure Brilliant White Weather Shield metallic paint in a quick satin finish from Dulux. It took a few coats to get a good finish, but the result is a much lighter space that looks and feels a lot bigger than before. The white walls also provide a nice backdrop for my vintage collection gardening tools and backyard tat.
(Image: Ellie Tennant)
3. Clean the floorboards
I thought about painting the floorboards white to match the walls, but knew that with muddy boots zipping in and out, it wasn’t a practical option. Instead, I decided to just clean the floorboards using water and a scrub brush. They looked much better when a layer of dirt had been removed. Once the floorboards were dry, I put a mat down to protect them from mud and leaves.
(Image: Ellie Tennant)
4. Sort storage
I moved two simple potting benches into my shed to act as benches. I had previously made them from lengths of wood as greenhouse backdrops, and they were easy to put together. Wooden planter tables are not cheap, but if you want to buy instead of DIY, they are available economical potting benches to be found if you are ready to hunt.
(Image: Ellie Tennant)
For gardening tool storage, I installed a long, narrow wooden ledge along the length of the shed wall and screwed hooks into it so my tools are easy to grab when I need them. Pots can also be stored on top. As DIY garden storage goes, this was so quick but created so much space.
(Image: Ellie Tennant)
I found this vintage metal French cookware wall holder at a thrift store and couldn’t resist it. Although originally intended to hang spoons and ladles in a kitchen area, with some metal S-hooks such as those from Amazonit is ideal for storing hand tools such as forks and trowels, garden twine and scissors.
(Image: Ellie Tennant)
I wanted a rustic but sturdy shelf, so I used a piece of recycled scaffolding board to create a frame, supported by two metal shelf brackets I found in a skip. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.
(Image: Ellie Tennant)
To store seeds and smaller items, I used some apothecary drawers I already had and pinned some favorite seed packets to the wall.
(Image: Ellie Tennant)
5. Finishing touches
Details matter, so I used Clear water slide sticker, available from A-SUBan inkjet printer and a blank wooden keyring rather like the ones from Walmartto make a stylish ‘Potting Shed’ door key tag. Granted, it sounds a little grander than it really is, but fake it till you make it!
(Image: Ellie Tennant)
As a final flourish to my chic shed upgrade, I picked up a cheap oil painting of some red poppies at a thrift store. It wasn’t in great shape but that means I’m not precious about living outside and it brightens up the inside of the shed.
(Image: Ellie Tennant)
Now my shed is such a homely space – a cozy place to sow seeds, plant plants and just hide away with a hot drink on a rainy day. I even take my laptop there sometimes to work with the spiders! With a comfortable counter-height stool (similar to the one at Target), a vase of fresh flowers and my favorite vintage gardening books in hand, my stylish shed has become one of my favorite places in the garden to hang out.
Yes, it would be faster and easier to buy one swish new IKEA garden storage cabinetbut was it more rewarding to do a budget renovation and transform my garden storage? You bet!
(Image: Ellie Tennant)
