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Some sheds look good, but a lot look pretty ordinary. It seems that most shed manufacturers are concerned solely with the structural integrity and strength of the product, which is a good thing of course. However the visual aspect of the exterior of the shed is often not too pretty.
So what can you do about that? There are a few things that will make a big difference without too much cost or effort on your behalf.
The most obvious way of improving the look of your garden shed is to in fact hide it. How do you hide such a big item? Just grow plants either around it, if you have a garden of a size that will allow that, or on it, as in a creeper or other climbing plant.
Lets assume you choose the second option, growing a creeper on the shed. This will effectively hide the shed and make it blend into the surroundings. Presumably the shed is somewhere near a boundary fence, which means it is probably near a tree or similar plant that grows to a reasonable height. A creeper will give the exterior of the shed the same or similar colour and texture to plants around it, effectively hiding it.
You can also grow smaller plants around the base of the shed, or perhaps at one end of the shed depending on its position in the garden. Also grow a larger plant at one of the sheds corners. This will break up the silhouette of the shed and make it something the eye doesnt automatically know is a shed.
Of course you will know theres a shed there, but it will tend to have moved into the background.
If you have enough space in the garden you can properly hide sheds with a nice fence or line of plants that suit the rest of the garden. By creating a shed area that is out of sight you can also use the area for other unsightly items like the wheel barrow, worm farm, compost heap and fire wood.
Another option is to make a feature of the shed. Effectively do the opposite of the hiding options described above. Paint the shed with some bright colours. Attach random items to the external walls to make them a feature of the yard.
This option may or may not work and will depend on your creative talents to some extent. But the nice thing to know is that its your shed and your house. You wont get into trouble by having a go and you may just have some fun doing it. If things dont work out you can always revert to the plant option.
Lastly, some garden sheds are already quite nice to look at. If this is the case with your shed but you want to improve it further, try adding features like window shades or shutters, a door step with a nice mat or a flower basket under the window filled with flowers. You might also consider painting the roof as this will lift the whole shed. Try a few different colours in small patches to see the effect.
