Don't Forget Style When You Are Shopping For 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 don't 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 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.

Even though they are pretty small investments compared to your house and even the expense that many people invest in their landscaping, garden sheds can add an incredible amount of style and function to your backyard. Though the popularity has ebbed and flowed over the years, and utility versus style have also flipped back and forth as to primary focus, there is no question that garden sheds will be a popular backyard fixture for years to come.