Houzz Call: Show Us Your Hardworking Garden Shed!
Somewhere between an outdoor closet and a grown-up’s playhouse, the garden shed gives homeowners that extra space they crave without their having to invest the time or money other construction projects require. In many cities sheds smaller than a certain square footage don’t even need building permits. And unlike many rooms of the house, a shed can function pretty much however you want it to.
Have you built a backyard shed or greenhouse? We want to see it. Did you use a kit or build a custom structure? Whatever it looks like, whatever you use it for, we want to see it and hear how you’ve made your space work hard for you.
Homeowners: Upload a picture of your backyard shed or greenhouse in the Comments section below and tell us what it’s used for, how you’ve organized it and how you make it work for you.
Designers: Post a picture of a shed you’ve designed and tell us how you’ve designed the space to make it work very hard for your clients.
The nice thing about building a shed is that you can start entirely from scratch — but you don’t have to. Creative director and motion designer Philippe Vendrolini purchased a kit greenhouse from Sturdi-built as a starting point for his backyard office. Adding all-weather siding, Ikea wall shelves, engineered wood floors and some comfy furniture, he transformed an off-the-shelf greenhouse into a custom backyard workspace.
See more of this backyard office
Some sheds are multitaskers, handling a bevy of outdoor needs. This hardworking shed in Santa Barbara, California, has its homeowners covered. Constructed of corrugated plastic siding, FSC-certified wood and salvaged windows, the 90-square-foot structure holds tools on wood shelves and a pegboard wall and accommodates outdoor projects with a built-in tabletop; the household’s garbage bins are also stored underneath the counter.
See more of this creative, compact backyard shed
Other sheds make room for all those hobbies that don’t quite fit in the house. Joel Bird took that idea to another level in his award-winning North London garden shed. In addition to creating a space where he could paint and make music, he turned the shed’s roof into a productive vegetable garden. There he grows everything from potatoes to chili peppers, spending as much time lounging on the roof as possible (sometimes even bathing up there). Solar panels power the shed’s lights, and a custom drainage system keeps plants watered.
See more of this award-winning shed
Sometimes what’s needed is storage, and there are garden sheds that offer plenty while looking good. Architect and homeowner Lenore Davies built this shed to store outdoor cushions and accessories. For added interest she installed reclaimed-wood doors inside out and planted a living roof.
Sandy and Jim Gorman built their New Hampshire shed as a place for potting and storing garden tools. Expansive windows and whitewashed wood interiors make it a space that embraces being out in the garden, in addition to storing the tools to maintain it.
See more of this New Hampshire shed and house
Now show us!
Homeowners: Upload a picture of your backyard shed or greenhouse and tell us how you use it and what its most useful feature is.
Designers: Upload a picture of a shed you designed recently and tell us how its innovative details work for the homeowners.
More: How to Add a Backyard Shed for Storage or Living
