Inspirational Outdoor Garden Sheds

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 do 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 clients are looking for an artistic design while others are more focused on functionality. Some want to make sure the water drainage off the shed can channeled into a rain water catchment system. Others want the sides covered in a trellis and are concerned that drainage from the roof be directed away from the roots of their climbing plants.

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.

Another woman called and wanted a garden shed for gardeners. She had some very specific ideas in mind. She wanted an outside potting table with running water. She wanted a small bank of drawers that would be used for storing seeds. She also wanted an area inside her shed that could accommodate a chair so that she could read her gardening books and magazines.

Garden sheds; be they wooden or metal, functional or whimsical are all the rage this year. Outdoor living is very popular. Over the past decade we have seen innovations in BBQs and outside patio furniture. We have seen the popularity of backyard decks soar. We have seen the advent of bug zappers and outdoor space heaters. It was only a matter of time before garden sheds took the spot light.