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.
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.
Checklist for Choosing a Shed
1 Purpose
What will you use your shed for?
- Storage | For what
- Office
- Playhouse
- Potting shed
- Crafting space
- Sleep
2 Size: Make sure you choose a style and design with enough room to store everything for easy access.
3 Materials: 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)
4 Style: Barn shape, traditional, modern, eclectic.
5 Entry: 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.
6 Windows: 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.
7 Heat, 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.
8 Insulation: 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.
9 Placement: 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.
10 Floor: 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.
Shed Building Options
- Build your own from scratch.
- Buy a shed kit.
- Buy a prefab shed.
- Buy a used shed and move it to your site.
- Renovate an existing shed in your yard.
- Hire someone to do any of the above for you.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I hope you found ideas for your shed.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
Next
- Arbors, Trellis, and Obelisk Ideas
- Clematis Trellis | How to choose the right supports
- Mirrors in the Garden Ideas
