From Shed to Chic
The final few weeks of autumn provide a good opportunity to focus on maintenance tasks and tidying up ready for a winter’s rest – but it’s not time to kick back just yet! Our garden sheds put up with a lot. For most of us they are a dumping ground for tools and garden clutter, however, with just a few simple tweaks you can have a shed to be proud of that actually does its job in helping you to store and stay organised.
Step 1 - Clear the clutter
Before you can start upcycling your shed you need to clear the clutter and clean the dirt ready to start anew. We recommend taking everything out of the shed first, so you can effectively sweep the floors, mop, dust the cobwebs and clean any windows. Once you have a clear space you’re ready to start organising it. Throw out or recycle unnecessary packaging, give tools a clean, dispose of any out of date seeds and chemicals and sort through things you need versus things you never use - try selling unwanted items on places such as Gumtree or eBay, one person's trash is another person's treasure after all! Plus, the extra pocket money can go towards your new shed to chic project.
Step 2 - Get out the paint brush
A fresh lick of paint can make almost anything look brand new again, and a garden shed is no exception. Wood finishes for inside and a wipeable, weatherproof paint for the outside can make all the difference to your yearly maintenance and the longevity of your shed. Why not try something a little more fun and paint your shed in a bright colour or match it with your planting scheme outside? It’s sure to become a talking point!
Step 3 - Plan ahead
Once all the mundane spring cleaning tasks are out of the way you can start transforming the inside of your shed. One useful addition if you intend to sow seeds at the end of winter is to have a potting bench. Your new indoor workstation will give you plenty of room, and shelter from the weather, as you plan and sow for the new gardening season. Organising your seed packets by month to sow and planting groups will save precious time when it comes to getting out in the garden again. Top tip: Using pegs to hang seed packets to a strip of ribbon on the back of the shed door will give you easy access to your seeds whilst keeping them tidy and well organised.
Step 4 - Get organised
Sheds aren’t usually very big, and maximising every inch of the space you have by adding in a few hooks and well-placed shelves will give you more room to move around in, and make it easier to locate your tools. Get your gardening gear organised by tacking a few hooks into the wall to hang those easily-tripped-over items like watering cans. Round plastic tubs with lids are ideal for keeping things like small tools, fertilisers, gloves and waste bags stowed away, and they're stackable too. The Hoselink Quick-grip Tool Organiser is another useful gadget ideal for sheds and garages as it neatly stores brooms, rakes, spades and forks flat against the wall. You can keep your watering accessories to hand with the Handy Shelf equipped to hold up to three Hoselink-fitted sprayers, whilst small items or spare parts can be stored on the shelf above. If you have boxes of screws or drill bits lying around then why not get organised and divide them amongst glass jars? Re-used jam jars make ideal containers to store screws of every size. Pop on a label and tuck away on a shelf for a simple storage solution. You can also peg together matching pairs of gardening gloves so you never have to go looking for that missing glove again!
Step 5 - Give your shed the five-star treatment
Before you get busy in the garden again, why not give your shed a final few flourishes to make it a comfortable haven for rainy days spent sowing seeds? Insulating your shed for hot and cold weather, installing a light or adding electricity so you can make a coffee or run a heater are all ways to make your shed a sanctuary. Simple finishing touches such as a cushioned chair, coat hook or portable radio will make spending time in the shed a joy.
Happy transforming!