The color of the house is always classic. I think blue with white trim is classic. Green will help it disappear in the yard, as do neutrals. That said, it doesn't look like it's in great shape. There appears to be trim missing on one window and the door looks like it might have some rot on the bottom.

You could add trim

Traditional Shed · More Info

My first question is what does she use it for? Is it a place just to store ”stuff”? I think you need to assess it’s physical condition before starting on any painting project. In addition to the condition of the shed itself it appears that the fence & surrounding landscape ( or lack of ) should be addressed also. Looks like a big project that needs to be done in stages.

What color is the house? Matching the house colors is easy and makes the shed look like it was built to coordinate with the house.

Old paint needs to be tested for lead before starting to scrape and sand. If the shed was built before the mid 1970's, it would be good to test it. Test kits are under $15 at big box stores and on amazon.

I'd paint it, trim and all, SW Muddled Basil so it disappears into the corner of the property.

Test kits for lead have extremely high false-positive rates. If you get a negative test, you can be sure there is no lead. But it you get a positive test, well, maybe there's lead, maybe not. If you're worried about lead, send paint chips off to a lab, don't buy an on-line kit.

THat puppy steals the show . I do not bother testing for lead usualy outside just wash it well and do 2 coats of good primer and paint . You can for sure hve some fun I love Sigrids idea . It would be fun to do matching dog house too

I think it could be adorable, once its finished. Do a good power washing to get rid of all the dirt and mildew, and put a coat of good exterior primer on it, and then paint it. A good clean up around it, and some pretty flowers, and it could be very cute. I wont suggest any paint colors, because, it should go well with the house, and we havent seen a picture of that. Dont forget when power washing to get the walk in front of it, and also the fence along the property line.

"her outdoor shed"? This shed does not belong to you and is someone elses property?

What is your point Rho???

I just looked at this agin it seems the neighbors fence is in front of the shed is that right or just really weird camera angle . If the fence is in front of the shed the shed will need to be moved to be on your daghters property which IMO would be not worth the work to do so m,Maybe just rip it out and get a new one . I guess I need to have a bit mor einfo now that I can't unsee the fence.

I doubt you could get any more charming that the inspiration photo that Sigrid posted.

Fence and shed need to connect with one color, as both are in need of an upgrade. You can ask for suggestions at your paint store, but thinking a stain may be suggested.

Benjamin Moore's Woodluxe® Solid Exterior Stain?

I'd go with a black with an undertone (this photo looks that blue is in the mix).

Maybe add a small deck area and, for sure, some solar lights.

Agree with either an olive for tidy but retiring, or something cottage-ish like a periwinkle blue or a buttery yellow, either with white trim.

What about stripes..that would look very funky and cool
Powder blue and white
Sage green and white
Make it fun and cute

Loads of stripes sheds on pin interest and Google ,check them out

What’s with all these paint suggestions without considering the underlying issue? The condition of the shed itself? Sheeesh! you don’t just slap paint on ….?

I would advise that you do not do anything without the permission of the owner, even if she is your daughter.

Move the shed OR move the fence. The shed should sit at least 5 feet inside the fence.

I go by a street that has one of these to the side of the house and it is adorable. It matches the house and during each season she has different, large wood cut outs and other things that she decorates it with. For instance the main one during summer is huge wood sunflowers. You cold do peonies, roses, whatever. During the winter its a winter/christmas theme and so on. Anyway the point is by matching it with the house she can do anything she wants and it all flows so lovely. Good Luck

For those poopooing her doing it without the owner's permission: don't assume that it's some sort of violation! Perhaps she & her daughter have talked about it (as in, "if I could I would....the shed") and mom just wants to surprise her by getting it done for her. I do this type of thing for my daughter's family quite often. It's a better gift than another sweater that won't get worn, and she appreciates that it's one less thing her To Do list.

It definitely is an interesting spot on the property for the shed but our neighbour has one along our lit line tust SOR how got grandfathered in and if he moves it he needs to remove it so there may be benefits to keeping it where it is.

I would not paint it, but rather, pressure-wash to remove old paint, then stain, a tinted semi-transparent color or natural. Using stain rather than paint, means less work now and less maintenance later.

Get another door with at least half-glass; possibly a 9-12 pane french door. More trouble, but cute, would be a dutch door.

Trick it out with easy-to-do trim: scalloped fascia, decorative window header trim, window flower boxes. One could stain or paint these embellishments an accent color.

Maybe hang old rakes, hoes and shovels on the side as ornament.

Thank you ALL! Great suggestions and honest opinions. The fence is on my daughter’s property. Previous owners installed it, I assume saved money by connecting it to the shed. Shed is just for storing large items and frankly, I think my daughter is scared of the critters that may be hanging out in it!

Now that she has that adorable puppy and will be spending more time in her backyard, I thought sprucing up the shed would be a helpful gift. Daricema was correct. Love the glass door as suggested by lazidazi. I will certainly have someone examine the condition of the shed before investing money into it, but certainly a good pressure wash could reveal the potential.

You have a lot of water management issues. Those need to get solved, not buried under a coat of paint. That won’t solve anything.

I'd clean it with a deck cleaner solution and a soft brush. Pressure washing can raise the grain of older wood and damage it.

I found many great photos on houzz to get ideas - so many variations - best to pick out your own style & taste looking at many options. Other websites like BHG also have many good photos.

I will say I jave no idea why she does nat at least move the fence to not be attached to the shed but many starange things are done for laziness. If it has to stay then so be it . I do however agree to make sure it is water tight and as close as possible to critter tight . I probably would not do a glass door to see all the stuff stored inside ,but all the rest suggested can be done Have fun

I painted my she shed COMPLETELY different than my home!! One section to Store my gardening tools, and then I have shelving for extra party ware, patio pillows etc. it’s water tight and critter proof. LOVE IT, and my friends lust it! Guess what? The backside IS THE FENCE! I had a friend build a little pergola over the window, and a weathervane on the roof. Have fun with it!!

Oh! Believe me, I AM NOT LAZY!!!

Wider picture

BTW I would not want it to match the house it can be a really fun look IMO

Base all design decisions on the dog.

Mark Bischak's comment is gold.