Custom built garden sheds are enjoying a bit of a renaissance. I’m not sure what the trigger was but we are being contacted regularly by customers that are looking something a little extra when it comes to their garden shed. The old ubiquitous stand by sheds that are sold by the dozens in hardware stores don’t seem to be cutting it this year.
This year our customers all want to put their own personal touches on their shed. In years gone by I would get calls about putting together pre-purchased garden shed kits for clients. The calls would all be the same. The clients just wanted four walls and a roof and a door that could be padlocked. The calls I’m receiving this year couldn’t be more different.
Some of my clients want to make their garden shed into a design element that carries on an old English garden cottage theme, some want a rustic hunting lodge theme, others are looking for a zen garden contemporary style. On the other end of the scale are clients who want to install a totally green eco shed, made with recycled materials, and customized to take advantage of all off-grid components possible – a solar panel and backup batter to run the lights, and a multi barrel rain water system to collect runoff from the sheds roof and gutter system.
One woman asked if I had seen a popular reality TV show featuring a family with eight children. I had not. She went on to explain that in a recent episode a carpenter built the children crooked houses as play houses. She wanted a crooked house theme for her garden shed. She said it was both practical and whimsical and it would make me the most famous shed builder in the area! She is trying to locate a copy of that episode for me.
Other special requests are for customizations specifically designed towards the gardener. For example, useful customizations include adding hooks and shelves suited to garden tools, and a parking spot for the wheelbarrow or push mower. Some clients even want a potting table with a sink and a water hookup to allow for easier re potting and clean-up. And of course, along with this, extra storage for potting equipment and supplies also needs to be built-in.
Regardless of what you need a backyard shed for, whether it is to add a bit of extra outside storage space, or whether you need a garden workshop, remember that you shouldn’t be limited to a plain looking press board shed reminiscent of the 80’s. As people discover their outdoor spaces once again, backyard decor has become as important as interior design. Put some thought into the style of your garden shed and you will have a great focal point to base your garden design on.