50 Creative Garden Shed Ideas

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 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.

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Garden Shed Ideas

Before we dig into the shed ideas, this checklist covers some things to consider when choosing a shed design.

This checklist covers things to consider before choosing a shed for your garden.

Before you start, look up local bylaws and find out if a building permit will be required. These are common for buildings that go overhead and you may need to submit plans to get approved.

Want to See the Sheds?
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Checklist for Choosing a Shed

1Purpose

What will you use your shed for?

• Storage | For what
• Office
• Playhouse
• Potting shed
• Crafting space
• Sleep

2Size & Storage

• What size fits your space? How much can you afford?
• Knowing what you will use it for will also help determine the best size and layout.

3Materials

Do you want wood, metal, a plastic composite, or some other material? If you are placing the shed near your home, it’s nice to have related designs, or common elements that tie everything together.

• Siding | wood, vinyl, other
• Roof | flat, pitched, sloped
• Paint | wood stain, color(s)

4Style

• Do you want a barn shape, traditional, modern, farmhouse or eclectic style?
• Do you want it to match or blend in with your home or other buildings in the garden?

5Entry

Beware of tiny shed doors! If you are storing a large lawn mower or building materials, be sure the doors are wide enough for easy entry and exit.

If you have a ride-on mower, you’ll need a ramp and double doors.

6Windows

Adding windows removes some indoor storage space but they do provide natural light. And, they make a shed look homier, rather than like a big box of wood.

7Heat, Electricity, and Water

Will you need power or water at the shed? If so, plan for these before building. If you’re hiring an electrician or plumber, they will need to put in the lines before you start building.

8Insulation

If you might use the shed as a cabin/office/bunkie/hiding spot, consider first whether it’s legal, and then if it’s worth adding insulation for warmth. Or at least rough things in so you can add it later.

9Placement

Get strategic with your placement: you probably want the shed handy for accessing tools, but also consider using it to provide extra privacy (block out the view from a neighbor’s yard).

Also consider whether it will block sunlight and create shade in part of your yard. You can save on materials by building the shed against your house.

10Floor

Will your shed have a foundation or flooring? Ready-made sheds from home improvement stores are often sit right on the ground and have dirt floors. If you want something else, you’ll need to have it ready after the electricity and plumbing are roughed in and before you build.

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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.

50 Garden Sheds

1Blue 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.

2Wood 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.

3Rustic Garden Shed

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

4Blue She Shed

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

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Recommended Books

5Two 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

6White 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.

7Wood 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.

9Taupe Shed | No Windows

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

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10Black Shed with Porch

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

11Blue Shed with Barn Doors

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

12Barn Style Shed with Punch Out Doors

The door design on this shed emphasizes the barn shape.

13Narrow Shed with Upper Window

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

14Wood Shed with Window Boxes

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

15Rustic Western Shed

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

16Tall Vertical Shed

Interesting design with upper windows for lots of interior light.

17Wood Shed with Double Doors

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

18Shed Makeover

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

19Cut Log Garden Shed

An old fashion shed style with cedar roofing.

20Scallop Roof Shed with Porch

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

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21Window Greenhouse Potting Shed

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

22Blue Shed with Deck Front

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

23Wood Shed with Z Door

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

24Taupe Shed with Wide Doors

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

25Painted 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.

26Wood Shed with Wood Panels

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

27Quaint Shed with Pitched Roof

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

28Shed with Log Cut Walls

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

29Red and Gray Shed

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

30Garden Shed with Arched Doors

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

31Garden 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.

32Narrow 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.

33Blue 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.

34Small 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.

35All Wood Shed with Barn Roof

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

36House Shed with Red Door

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

37Board 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.

38Asymmetrical Shed with Windows

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

39Old Stone Outbuilding

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

40Brown 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.

41Tall Blue Outbuilding

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

42Stained 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.

43Multi-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.

44Mustard Wood Stained Shed

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

45Dutch 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

46Wizard 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).

47Harry Potter Shed with Turret

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

48Old Door Potting Shed

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

49Small 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.

50Wood 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.

I hope you found ideas for your shed.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛