Backyard Shed

I got a new shed this past week, and I couldn’t be more excited. I just had to share it with you.

Since moving into my home, I’ve been working on beautifying my landscape. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been focusing my time on my backyard. Two years ago, I got a retaining wall. Last year, I got a fence (to keep the deer out). This year, I got a shed, and I’m planting like crazy! Landscaping is a big project and can come with a big price tag. I’m doing a little each year to bring my vision to life.

I have a plan for the backyard, and a shed was always part of that plan. With other things in place and money saved, this was the year of the shed.

Sidenote: I haven’t shared much of my backyard here on the blog (I promise to share more soon). However, I often give garden tours on my Instagram page. My most recent garden tour is saved to my highlights.

The Design

The shed was built by Riverside Structures. They are out of Corry, PA. (If you happen to be looking for a shed and live in the area, they do work up near Erie and all the way down to Pittsburgh.) They were great to work with!

For the design, I incorporated elements from some of the other sheds they have built. Some of the made-to-order changes included

• raising the height of the walls to seven feet, 
• making the roof a steeper pitch and having it extend one foot on the sides,  
• adding shutters and window boxes, and
• adding the double windows, little roof, and shelf on the right side of the shed. 

I think all of these details took the design up a bit and helped it feel a bit more custom. I’m sure I’ll add more unique details as inspiration strikes.

I added the cupola myself after the shed was built. The roof of the cupola is copper and will patina over time. It will also get a weathervane (I’m still waiting for it to arrive) that is this adorable cat-and-mouse design. I couldn’t be more excited about the weathervane as it’s going to be the perfect crowning touch.

The shed does need to be painted. Originally, I had planned to paint it white to match my house. However, I’m really loving this warm gray taupe color, so I’ve sort of had a change of heart. My plan now is to:

• paint the trim work white (which will tie in with the cupola and the color of my house), 
• paint the shutters black (which will tie in with the roof and match the shutters of my house), and
• paint the walls a warm gray taupe color (which will be something a bit different and work well with the stone in the retaining wall). 

I think it’s going to look so pretty, and I really enjoy the fact that it’s a bit different but still complementary to my home. (I shared a picture at the end of this post of the painting in progress.)

Its Purpose

As much as I would like to turn this into a living space or a craft shed, it needs to be functional for me.

I want a place to store all of my gardening tools, lawn equipment, extra soil, potting things, etc. With that being said, I still want the shed to be cute! Ha.

More to Come

Either way, I couldn’t be happier with my new little backyard structure. I’m going to take my time as I work on getting it painted. (In fact, I already started last night, and it’s looking so good.) With a busy schedule for the next month, it might take more time than I’d like, but there’s no rush.

I also plan to add some landscaping to tuck the shed into place, but that may wait until the fall or next year. We shall see! Either way,  I’m thrilled to have this new addition to my backyard, and I can’t wait to see how it all transforms with the finishing touches and landscaping.

I’ll be sure to update you as my new little shed evolves.