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.

Homeowners who are shopping for garden sheds this year are looking for something to make a statement, something to continue their landscaping theme, or a shed which custom fits their backyard hobby. The simple shed-in-a-box with four walls a roof, and a window with nail on shutters is no longer sufficient.

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 call I received was for a particularly whimsical style of shed, recently made popular on the reality series ‘Jon and Kate plus 8′. The 3 little crooked houses that they had built struck a chord with many people, and that is the new most popular request – adding some whimsy and imaginative style to backyard sheds is on the top of the list.

The other clients that are looking for customized backyard sheds are concerned about functionality more than style. The green thumb house owners are looking for a place to store all their gardening tools and landscaping supplies, as well as provide a space to do some potting and start seedlings in the spring. There are many others with different hobbies that would like a custom built studio for such things as stained glass, pottery, and painting. All of these are ideal uses for a cute backyard garden shed.

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.

Tags: design, garden, garden shed, gardening, home, home-improvement, house, Landscaping, shed, storage building, storage shed

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This entry was posted on Friday, July 10th, 2009 at 4:17 am and is filed under backyard, gardening. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.