Ugly metal shed

16 years ago

Hello! I am a recent addict to cottage gardening. I am spending my winter days planning and daydreaming about what I am going to do in Spring - so exciting!

Anyway, I have this ugly metal storage shed that previous owners plopped right in the middle of my yard close to the back fence. On the west side, it is very shaded because I have a HUGE oak tree that shades that part of the yard. This shed is rust and white with a rust and faded green roof. I am thinking about making it into a playhouse/fort for my two kiddos (ages 8 and 9) an wondered if you had any ideas or PICTURES for inspiration!

Thanks!

Sooz in OK

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Comments (18)

princess_mimi
16 years ago
I'm sure that folks here will have some great ideas but you should check out the Garden Junk forum too. Junkers have made all kinds of trashy stuff into beautiful, useful things. I know that I've seen lots of pictures of redone sheds there. Just do a search. Good luck with your blank slate!

~~Mimi
teacher_mom2
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you, princess!
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Is it painted now? What color? Is it corrugated metal? If you like the cottage garden look how about a homemade potting bench, or if there is a door in the middle, a bench on each side of the door, loaded with potted plants or garden art, pots with trailing vines or a bucket full of twigs. These benches have a low shelf under the main counter, and higher shallower shelf or two above the counter. Very easy to make with scrap wood. It is supposed to be crude and rustic. You only have to make it as deep as a book shelf, if you are just using it to hide the shed. Otherwise the counter is as deep as a kitchen counter, and the same heighth. The shelves below the countertop are as deep as you wish, and the shelves above the countertop are normal no deeper than bookshelves. The countertop is usually boards laid across the frame with a gap between to allow water to drain through. You can stain it for a woodsy look, or paint it white, or green, and even crackle finish or use faux finishes. put garden items, or pots of flowers on shelves. Lean a wagon wheel against it. Decorate it up with pots of vines. Painting a metal shed might not be bad, especially if it is already painted. For instance, a deep green with white potting benches in front, or a grey-taupe color, with dark wood stained benches in front for an English Tudor look. I had to repaint aluminum storm window frames last summer because they had already been painted and the paint was flaking off. I just slabbed on white Painters Touch all purpose paint by Rustoleum from Sears. I like that paint. It is easy to use, cheap,grabs the metal and dries hard. It looks so much better than half painted and peeling. When you are painting something beat up and lousy what does it matter?
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You did good on the paint color- the shed blends in perfectly with the foliage and gives it a real woodsy feeling. It's really difficult to choose good paint colors for me. I ended up buying a whole set of acrylic paints which I mix and put up on the walls, then I go find a paint chip to match and order the paint. I've wasted so much money buying truly ugly paint! I also built a dry creek bed for drainage and it works beautifully. The water used to come in under the front door and flood the living room; now it sweeps around at the front of the property and down my neighbor's gravel driveway, where it percolates into the soil and waters his big sycamores. I'm looking forward to seeing your creek bed. I recommend looking at Wanda's front yard to get good ideas. She built a spectacular dry stream bed. I used stones that are too small for mine, and it looks a little rinky-dink. Renee
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Some time ago there was a good thread on this topic on this forum. Here is the link: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/restoration/msg032230316739.html Here is what I wrote - others wrote even more - worth checking out: RE: need ideas for shed and garden restoration Posted by: ginger_nh z4 NH (My Page) on Sat, Mar 6, 04 at 13:31 I've seen pictures is many magazines and books re decorating old garden sheds. Typically they use old chairs, apple ladders, trellises, antique bedsprings, etc as trellises for vines. Also hanging a collection of old garden or farm tools(hoes, rakes, scythes) or anything that has a nice form for visual appeal like old maple sap buckets, zinc flower buckets, hand tools, old wheels. Surrounding the shed with lots of containers with both flower and vegetable plantings. Painting the door a striking color(cobalt or periwinkle blue, lime green, red), leaving rest of shed as is. Windowbox and shutters if you have a window. Adding a weather vane or collection of metal objects along the roof line. Planting sides of shed with tall 5'-8'+ annuals like hollyhocks, sunfloweres, amaranthus, purple millet, nicotiana sylvestris, or Indian corn. And of course, putting an old seat or bench of some sort to one side of the door. If you go to the Garden Junk forum they will probably have more ideas. Or do a search there. Luck! Ginger
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louisianagal
16 years ago
Wow - I love rusty stuff! My husband is always wanting to take a wire wheel and buff the rust off and repaint but I won't let him do it! One idea is to use some metal garden art in front or attached in some way to the shed. Maybe some kind of window box too. Are there windows? Or trellises made from old metal. We have a place in Tupelo that has great rusty metal garden stuff some look like bed headboards. If you plant around it or put a little fence and stepping stones it can make all the difference. I bet if you googled garden sheds you would find lots of pictures and ideas. Good luck.
teacher_mom2
Original Author
16 years ago
Here is a pic of the hideous thing! LOL!

Here is a link that might be useful:
keesha2006
16 years ago
maybe ugly now..but a diamond in the rough...please share when you redo..we LOOOOVE pics..

What about rustoleum brush on paint...barn red...with faux lines in brown to look like wood where the metal viens look like planking....they make that faux rubber want to do that with..one swipe and its done..be cute...the roof could just be straight red, or a cute compliment color....also when the rust reenters again (and it will, it would look decent with red/rust color. You can also sand and put that stop rust stuff on it before you paint. Definately prime too.. use old windows without glass and put black plywood behind them to create fake windows with window boxes under...or it you go fort style maybe real logs for ledges so its a bit more rustic....lean old wooden peg type ladders against it..old metal wheels or milk jugs ect...maybe a cupula or lookout tower cut thru the roof if we are talking boys..who wouldn't want to crawl up a ladder and "spy". Be cute then to make a fit pit or fire ring even..heck...make a fire pit and the adults might enjoy the space as much as the boys :) You can buy cheap menards wood screen doors so you could have ventaltion....and vent the roof with a cheapy vent..otherwise that metal shed could be a oven for mischevious kids who might fight a thrill to lock each other in during play....you could also put a overhang fake porch off the front too..it would expand the space a bit and make it look less like a old metal shed...and dont' forget to do some kind of curb appeal getting to it too..work it into your yard with a bit of anchoring it into the landscape you already have so it looks like a fort or a barn or w hatever your making...not to it looks plopped in the middle of the yard like a island. It would be fun fun fun to do....you could put "bunks" in it for camping out....Harbor Freight makes solar light for sheds..it is a flood light that extends to t he inside of a shed building and it powered by sun..I heard it works great for this kinds of sheds and it less than forty dollars. Sounds like fun to make :) Please share its progress! It would also make a great potting shed.. :) with a bit of imagination and a handy man to help out.
teacher_mom2
Original Author
16 years ago
Oh my goodness, keesha! Those are wonderful ideas! Thanks!
aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
16 years ago
Darn it Keesha, now you've got me wanting one LOL.

Annette
natal
16 years ago
My neighbor has one that looks almost exactly the same. When you magically transform yours please post a pic and I'll happily share it with her, lol!
keesha2006
16 years ago
I am sorry my typing was so bad, as always, I was "trying" to multitask..my hubby was trying to make dinner....(or rather I was directing dinner from the computer :)....sometimes it is just easier to do it myself......I was answering his questions and directing him while typing..dinner was good, but it looks like the typing suffered greatly :)..sorry if it is a difficult read...good luck with your project.
teacher_mom2
Original Author
16 years ago
LOL@natal...that's funny! You could always mail her the pics anonymously.

ha ha!
User
16 years ago
Here is a link that lots of folks refer to. Hope you find some cool ideas. Caroline

Here is a link that might be useful: Melissa's cool sheds
teacher_mom2
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks Caroline!
terry31
15 years ago
The leading manufacturer of Steel Sheds, Steel Garden Sheds, Steel Garages, Storage sheds, Garden Sheds, Steel Workshops, Metal Sheds, Metal Garages
For a fast quotation call us on 053 92 30001

Here is a link that might be useful: steel sheds
blueberryhills
15 years ago
I noticed you have a clothesline pole pretty close - if it's not in use as a clothesline - it's just begging to have a vine growing on it and some hummingbird feeders hung on it. My kiddos love their clubhouse (I'm bad to call it a playhouse and I get corrected EVERY time! lol) They have a "museum" in theirs - they keep their cool looking rocks and other "artifacts". We're also planning to move their painting easel in there - so they (well, I) won't have to worry about the mess. I've not been so brave as to let them camp in it yet.

If you're going for a fort theme - and want to hide it - you might could paint it like Camo!!! (wouldn't the neighbors love that!)hehehehe

Would the tree be suitable for a tire swing? or a rope chair?

sounds like fun!!
FlowerLady6
15 years ago
That metal shed has lots of potential and lots of life still left in it. Do keep us posted as to it's transformation. I'm sure you'll do a great job. Have fun.

FlowerLady
libbyshome
15 years ago
Just to drive us all crazy, this is the inside of someone's shed:

Libby
memo3
15 years ago
Libby that is awesome! And if it were mine, I'd leave the outside ugly so no one would ever suspect, and therefor never wish to enter. Silent paradise. Ahhhh. LOL!!

I was going to mention a couple of the things that Keesha posted. WOW, Keesha, what a great list!!

My son would have LOVED to have a club house for him and his buddies to stick skateboard stickers all over the inside of! Not to mention a place to gather all their SB parts as well as place to tear their boards apart in, so they could share parts with each other etc. The possibilities are endless! Have fun with your project ;)

MeMo
giardinierven
15 years ago
It looks almost exactly like the metal shed tennants used to store wood for their woodstove. After they moved out and left it behind, I thought I would clean it out and move it from being an eyesore near the front door to around the corner.

Yes it was light but also very flimsy... as we tried to pick it up, it crumpled. Lesson learned is unless it is screwed to some sort of sturdy frame, it needs to be disassembled to move.

Ugly metal shed

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