When you think of a garden shed, what easily comes to mind is a dusty, cobwebby, small, and dimly lit building in your backyard. You might not even remember that it is there until the spring and summer seasons come and you think of tending your garden or mowing the lawn. That is the time when you usually get the tools from the potting shed and get to work on your garden.
There are times you have misplaced something and there is no other place you haven’t looked into except your drab looking shed. Searching for missing tools may be one of the few times when you make a visit to this obscure place in your yard.
Most often, your shed just stands there, forlornly in some corner of the yard or at the back of your house. It is where you throw and stack discarded things like broken furniture, dilapidated mower, rusty appliances, and other unwanted stuff.
But your garden shed has more potential than you’ve probably explored!
Why do you need a garden shed?
A garden shed can serve a lot of purposes. Mostly, it provides additional space where you can put away your garden essentials such as the lawn mower, garden shears, spade, and shovel. Bigger sheds can even house tractors and cars.
Sun and rain can make your garden tools rusty if they are left in the open. If left around the yard, some unscrupulous individuals may ‘borrow’ them without your consent. So, to protect them from the harsh elements, there should be a proper place to store them.
Likewise, these unattended garden tools can be hazardous and can cause accidents. If you have kids at home, they might chance upon them, regard them as toys, and accidentally hurt themselves or their playmates. A tool left carelessly on the ground may also cause injuries to you or anyone in your household. Hence, a shed is a perfect place to keep your tools when not in use.
A garden shed is also the best place to store farm implements and equipment which have no place inside your house. This way, you’d no longer need to run inside the house to get what you need when you work on your farm or garden. You can store whatever you need, such as work boots and raincoats, in your shed where they can come in handy and accessible.
Appearance and functionality
There are two essential factors that can make for a perfect garden shed. These are appearance and functionality. Sometimes, you would take it for granted that the barnlike shack where you put your tools and other equipment is so much a part of your home. You just avoid looking at it as much as possible. However, if it looks like an eyesore to you, then it would most likely also appear as such to your neighbours and visitors. You may have a magnificent house with a breathtakingly beautiful garden. However, if there sits on a corner what looks like a tiny hovel, the small eyesore would ruin the entire image of your property.
Picture-perfect garden shed
You do not have to tolerate a shabby looking garden shed just because it provides extra storage space. You can improve its appearance and add appeal to the rustic image of your cosy cottage. A steel garden shed can likewise be in sync with the contemporary design of your new house.
There are a lot of ways to make your garden shed not only picture perfect but also one of the most essential structures in your property. You can beautify and enhance its use as much as your imagination allows.
First, paint it with bright colours and your garden will be like a burst of sunshine. Assemble a garden set on its side or put a renaissance statue here and there, and you create an idyll image. Build a porch in front or around the shed and you have a warm, inviting atmosphere. Make it blend with its surroundings like trees and flowering plants. Incorporate it with the whole scenery to create a charming effect.
More than just a shed
There’s more to garden sheds than just being storage areas for your mower, shears, clay pots, and an assortment of garden supplies and things. With a little bit of imagination and a lot of creativity and resourcefulness, you can transform it into a beautiful haven for you and your family.
When it comes to functionality, there are a lot of ways you can stretch the usefulness of your garden shed. Adequate shelving units, cabinets, and wall hangers are just some of the essential features of a regular garden shed. You can put work tables and benches inside. Electrical outlets for your electrical items are also essential. You can add a sink and your shed will be perfect.
Here are some ideas that can help you decide on how your shed can be more useful aside from providing storage space.
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Greenhouse
If you are a garden enthusiast, you can indulge in your passion by building a potting shed cum greenhouse. You can plant seedlings and put pots in a row where there is plenty of sunlight which you can achieve by installing skylights. There are also ready-made garden sheds that have windows to let sunlight in for your precious plants.
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Guest room
Sometimes special occasions require guests and friends to sleep over at your place. If you have limited rooms and accommodations, a concrete shed or one made of sturdy logs can double as a guest room. Thus, if you anticipate relatives and friends coming over frequently at your place, a properly insulated garden shed cum guest house is what you need. Make it as liveable as possible and provide your guests that wonderful, homey feeling. If there is adequate space, you can even tuck in it a tiny but nice and serviceable bathroom.
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Kids’ playhouse
A garden shed can also be partly used as a kids’ playhouse. Besides the closets and racks for your tools, you can make room for your kids’ toys and transform the shed into a play area. Decorate it with bright wallpaper and vibrant coloured curtains. Voila! You have created a fantasy castle perfect for your little prince and princess as well as their playmates. Here, they can have a world of their own and play with their toys as much as they want without creating a mess or ruckus inside the house. Just make sure to put sharp tools, objects, and other harmful items out of their reach. Lock them in the cabinets and closets inside the shed to avoid accidents.
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Entertainment room
Another bright idea to transform your shed into something extraordinary is to use it as an entertainment centre. Install that home-theatre system and put in a number of comfortable chairs for a relaxing movie playdate with your family. You can make your movie time a weekend treat or do it for special occasions and family bonding. Be sure to soundproof your shed so as not to disturb your neighbours if you want to crank up the volume.
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Pet corner
Just like your children, pets need a space where they can romp and run around freely. You can put their favourite toys in the shed and let them play, sleep, or do their little tricks as much as they want. Don’t forget to put away things that may cause your pets harm or injury.
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Workshop/Studio
With adequate lighting, you can use a garden shed as your work studio. If you are a professional artist, a painter, a sculptor, or you are just fond of doing these things as a hobby, your shed can be the perfect place to practise your craft and create your master pieces.
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Home office
Millions of people are hooked into home-based careers and perhaps, you are one of them. But whilst you do not have to dress up or don that power suit when you work from home, you definitely need a conducive space that would inspire and motivate you to work as productively as possible. When working on an important project, you need to focus and concentrate. In order to do this, a quiet, comfortable room is what you need. Convert your garden shed into this kind of office room. Install heating and air conditioning systems if you want it to be functional all year-round.
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Secret Hideaway
There are times when you just need a little corner away from other people. You want a place where you can switch off the outside world and no one can disturb you. You can make a garden shed perfect for such ‘alone’ moments. Put walls and windows and adequate cooling and lighting system for your comfort and convenience. You can even install a mini-bar where you can pour yourself a relaxing drink after a long and hectic day. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your drink in this not-so- secret hideaway.
Different Types of Garden Sheds
Garden sheds come in different sizes, shapes, and materials. Some homeowners build them from scratch using scrap materials like timber slats, discarded windows, and corrugated sheets. Others would make a sturdy shed made from hard timber, a log cabin, or a shed cum greenhouse in glass casing. Some wise and practical homeowners would pick a pre-fabricated cast iron shed from the store.
Choosing the Best Shed
You can make or buy a reasonably-sized garden shed, depending on the size of your property. After all, the best sheds are those that suit the owners’ needs regardless of whether they are big or small. What is important is how the shed conforms to your need and preference.
If you have a small property, you can build a tiny shed, or purchase a ready-made one. On the other hand, if you own acres of land, you can build a number of sheds for different purposes, all of which can serve you in any way you want. Whilst storing things is the primary purpose for a shed, you can always turn yours into something else.
Garage Shed
A huge shed intended as a garage for farm vehicles such as tractors and trailers should have large and tall doors (front and back) for easy manoeuvring. You can also store in it spare parts and tires, tools for your vehicles, and farm equipment.
3.75m x 4.5m
Garage Shed
$3,571
3.75m x 6m
Garage Shed
$4,570
3m x 7.5m
Garage Shed
$4,612
3m x 4.5m
Garage Shed
$3,182
3m x 6m
Garage Shed
$3,612
Decorative Lawn Shed
Some sheds are a thing of beauty. They surpass their functionality and serve as s decorative shed. A white-painted metal shed, complete with a white garden set with flowering plants and vines around it, is a perfect setting for a sunny morning coffee in your lawn.
Conclusion
Pre-fabricated garden sheds do not have to be as impersonal or as cold as the steel or other material they are made of. What will make one unique and perfect for you is what you can do with it. You can refurbish and decorate both its exterior and interior. Paint it according to your taste. Furnish it according to your preference. You can make it look as subdued or as warm and comfortable as you want.
You need not spend a lot for your garden shed. There are affordable pre-made garden sheds in the market that are available in various sizes and models. These are ideal for people who have no time for DIY sheds. Besides, if you are not really an expert in construction, you may be spending more time and resources than you ought to. An easy-to-install, pre-fabricated model will suit you best as it is cost-efficient and less time consuming to build.
For your sheds and garage needs, you can trust EasyShed to share with you their expertise. EasyShed is Australia’s leading manufacturer and distributor of easy-to-assemble sheds. Aside from the instruction manual provided in every set, they can also provide you with video and telephone instructions to guide you on assembling your shed. Browse through our sheds today!
