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Dig This Garden Shed Makeover for Less Than $300
New paint, accessories and raised vegetable beds turn a drab outpost into a colorful charmer
Desperate to update the unsightly shed at the end of their driveway, Joseph and Robin Amorello planned a redesign themselves, on a budget. The couple wanted extra space for gardening at their home in Topsham, Maine, but didn't want to pay a fortune to get it. By doing the work on their own and making smart purchases, they spent less than $300 from start to finish.
Salvaged furniture, brightly colored accents, a supply of free compost and heirloom seeds helped the couple keep this project inexpensive but attractive. This labor of love is now blooming with endless edible plants and offers a spot for soaking up the sun. "The real money was spent on Advil after shoveling all of that compost!" says Robin.
Salvaged furniture, brightly colored accents, a supply of free compost and heirloom seeds helped the couple keep this project inexpensive but attractive. This labor of love is now blooming with endless edible plants and offers a spot for soaking up the sun. "The real money was spent on Advil after shoveling all of that compost!" says Robin.
| Although getting rid of the expanse of gravel and adding visual interest were the couple's main motivations, Joseph and Robin both love to garden and wanted a space for growing their favorite plants. Joseph is Italian and loves to plant tomatoes, cucumbers and basil. Robin wanted a special spot for shade-tolerant plants. Creating a lush haven around this 12-foot by 16-foot shed was the perfect solution. |
| Spatial planning comes easily to Robin, since she's a kitchen and bath designer. After she and her husband came up with the idea, she whipped up some plans right away. "By the end of that weekend, I had drafted the plans and ordered the hardware to assemble the raised beds," she says. "I was out there in my wellies on Monday morning beginning the process of removing all that ghastly gravel." |
| Right now, the interior of the structure is a simple garden shed, but Robin's hoping to refurbish the entire thing next year. For now, the front deck lets the couple enjoy the warm weather and their expansive garden. |
| "Variety is our mantra," says Robin of their garden. "We grow a little bit of a lot of things." This year the couple's planted beets, two different kinds of kale, several types of beans, garlic, onions, strawberries, swiss chard, parsley and many other edibles. |
| BEFORE: Originally, the shed was less than gorgeous at the end of the driveway. Robin and Joseph gave it a fresh coat of stain first for an instant update. The deeper color eliminated faded spots and helped the rest of the color palette evolve. |
| AFTER: The bottle-green trim was toned down with a more neutral green. The brightly colored accents were spur-of-the-moment additions that provide a touch of whimsy. "My feeling with color is that it can be easily changed," says Robin. "Try it! If it doesn't work, you can always paint over it." |
Almost all the couple's outdoor furniture was salvaged. The beach chairs were found shoved in the back of the shed. Robin gave them a coat of exterior latex paint to brighten them up and add some durability. The wicker table was found at the town dump and freshened up with spray paint. The trellises were purchased from Lowe's and then repainted.
| BEFORE: Fixing up the actual shed was the easy part. The hard part was getting rid of the gravel, leveling and building the beds, and then filling them with soil and compost. "It was a lot of heavy lifting," says Robin. |
| AFTER: The new garden was built completely from scratch; most of the work was done in spring and summer 2011. Joseph and Robin added 185 square feet of planting space to the shed, plus about 35 square feet for the shade garden off the back of the deck. More: Inspiring Ideas for Your Backyard |
Ideabook published on June 28, 2012.
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I'm planning on designing the interior this winter, so hopefully there will be some photos in the spring.
Charmean Neithart
Just never though about reforming it before.
imposible better!!.