The garden shed is no longer just a place for spiders to gather and your lawnmower to reside. It may be a humble building of ship lapped timber, but it can be transformed from ordinary to extraordinary with these fantastic ideas.
Shed to GARDEN DINING ROOM
But, take a look at online prices and you will see that summerhouses come at a price. If you have hundreds to spend then go for it but if money is tight, stick with a decent sized garden shed and make it into a fantastic summerhouse.
You may not have a huge expanse of glass but choose a shed with double doors and you have an expanse of wide open space from which to enjoy the garden.
As well as perusing garden dining sets from Rattan Direct, consider adding a few accessories such as solar lighting, bunting and a few cushions and throws to give it a homely feel.
At the upper end of the scale, you can make it into an even cosier retreat by insulating the shed and boarding the walls and roof with MDF boards. Paint white and decorate with bunting for a modern, fresh finish.
Shed to WINTER RETREAT
This type of shed tends to last much longer than a cheaper version, so it is worth buying a good quality shed over an inferior quality summerhouse.
And because the structure is so strong, you can make alterations without too much of a problem.
Winter is not a season that we associate with sitting in the garden but with a log burner in a shed, you can enjoy the winter landscape!
Choose a small log burner and make sure that the flue is fitted correctly – probably best to get someone qualified to do this for you – and then position two armchairs or a sofa, if it will fit, in your shed. Enjoy the flickering flames and relax, and take a good book or why not have a snooze?
Shed to GYM or SHE SHED
Find a new home for the lawnmower and convert your shed into a workout space. Many garden shed companies create buildings for all kinds of purposes and a garden gym is just one.
If you are updating your current shed, you need to make sure the foundations on which it sits, and the floor are strong enough to take the weight of gym machines and the extra ‘bounce’ that comes with exercising.
Or, if Pilates or Tai Chi are more your thing, empty the shed, give it a really good clean, insulate the floor and lay a top layer of flooring like a quality lino or laminate and you have your own workout area, complete with a view of your delightful garden.
You can also use your shed as a "She Shed" where you have your own girl time! If you've never heard of a "she shed" before, it's like a man cave but for women! Check out this post on how to make a she shed for yourself!
Shed to OFFICE
However, working from home presents a few difficulties that need to be resolved: lack of space being the most prominent concern.
And the solution could be a room in the garden.
However, out of all the ideas, it is not the cheapest and also takes the longest to create;
1. Check the structure of the garden shed, if sound you can continue; if not replace with a new garden shed
2. Employ a qualified electrician to ‘plumb in’ mains electricity from your home – extension cables and leads are not safe!
3. Fix up the Wi-Fi connection – you might need an extension from your router (your sparky could help with this)
4. Insulate the walls, floor and roof
5. Fix up MDF boards to act as walls and ceiling
6. Fit sturdy locks on doors and windows
7. Decorate and accessorize
8. Move into your new garden office!
How could you put your garden shed to better use?
Rattan Direct is an online supplier of high-quality garden and conservatory furniture, perfect form turning your shed into a comfy garden room.
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