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4 Creative Ideas for Painting Your Garden Shed

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With some clever use of paint, you can help your garden shed either blend in seamlessly or become a bold standout feature! Let us inspire you to create your very own garden shed masterpiece.


she shedGarden sheds were once unloved, spider infested, and hidden at the bottom of the garden, but a new trend of ‘man caves’ and more recently the ‘she shed’ has elevated the common garden shed to a whole new status. We are now decorating our sheds to show taste and personality, and using them for DIY projects, crafting or as a relaxing hideaway. It can be scary to experiment with colour inside the home, but when it comes to garden sheds you don’t have to worry what others think and can show your more fun side. Adding colour to a garden shed can lift a garden design from ordinary to extraordinary. So here are a few tips and tricks to help you add a splash of colour to your garden shed!

Quick Note! - Before you go splashing colours on any walls, make sure your building is not in a conservation area or is a listed building as some restrictions may apply to the colours you are allowed to use. It also might be a good idea to check with your neighbours, especially if the shed is in view of them. The last thing you want is to upset your neighbours.

Adding a Statement Colour

Colour wheelThe predominant colour in gardens is green; green trees, green grass and green plants, so to create a bold statement pick a complementary colour to green. Complementary colours are colours opposite one another on the colour wheel. So what’s opposite green on the colour wheel? Think reds, pinks and purples. By using these colours, you make the green look even greener and add a wonderful splash of colour to your garden.

Did you know? Some of the greatest writers, such as Rudyard Kipling, Agatha Christie and Roald Dahl wrote in their garden shed.

Colour Inspiration

When going for a theme in a garden, such as a seaside theme, it can be obvious to go for blue tones but here are a few more colours to inspire a theme in your garden.

  • Deep royal blue is often the colour associated with Mediterranean climates. It tends to blend in well in a garden, but also offers a punch of colour and personality.
  • Strong magenta pinks are a colour to use with caution, but used well can make a garden pop. Soft pink when over used can make a garden look babyish and girly, use sparingly.
  • Rich plum blends in well with the deep greens of a garden, but has a hint of playfulness.
  • Lavender gives a garden a soft spring feel.
  • Bright red is especially suited to Asian influenced gardens.
  • Hues of yellow and orange can inspire happiness, but can be extremely tricky to use in the garden due to there already being so many of these colours found naturally in the garden. If you are confident with colour play around with different shades but start small. 

Stripes and Spots

Garden shedThe panels on a garden shed lend themselves perfectly to painting alternating stripes of colour. This is easy to achieve even if you're terrible at art, just simply paint along each panel with a different colour. Why stop at stripes; use the lid of a paint can, making sure there is no wet paint on the lid, as a template to draw circles and give your shed a polka-dot makeover!

Top Tip - Make sure to plant around the border of the shed to prevent it from looking as though it had just been plonked into the garden. Do this by placing planters or pots around it or digging a border and filling it with flowers and shrubs.

The Subdued Option

If you aren’t brave enough to show the world your eccentric side or if you are a believer in the classic garden shed look, here are a couple of subdued ideas you can try:

  • Try painting the outside with a neutral colour and then a bright pink or orange on the inside for a fun pop of colour.
  • Paint the shed a dark green or brown, which will help it blend in with its surroundings.
  • Choose colours that sit close together on the colour wheel such as blue; this will add a hint of colour without going mad.
Remember, there are no rules (unless you’re in a conservation area)! Have fun and be proud of your garden shed. If you're not happy with the end result you can always start again with a fresh coat of paint!

Garden featuresTop Tip – Use the main colour used on your shed to paint flower pots, garden furniture and other garden features. This will help to pull your garden design together and give some consistency to your colour scheme.

Make sure to visit our how to guide on ‘how to paint a wooden shed’ and also our Pinterest page on ‘Garden shed inspiration’ for more visual motivation for your garden shed projects.

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