Shed Painting Ideas | Garden Shed Paint Colour Ideas

Whether your existing paintwork has seen better days or you just fancy a change, updating your shed with a fresh coat of paint is an easy way to inject your outdoor space with a little extra design interest. Far cheaper than replacing your shed and achievable in a single weekend, these shed painting ideas are a great way of introducing a design theme into your garden and creating a coherent space.

Opt for soothing neutrals and coordinate with your fence panels or experiment with bold colours and stencils – the options are endless! We’ve put together a few of our favourite garden shed paint colour ideas to get you feeling inspired.

All you need is a dry day, shed paint, brushes and rollers, and a little imagination!

1. New England neutrals

Opt for pale whitewashes or paint shades the colour of a stormy sea to recreate the calming décor of a New England beach house. Pale blue, grey, cream and white shed colour schemes will compliment every style of home – from quaint cottages to contemporary minimalist architecture. To create a coherent feel throughout your outside space, carry your shed colour scheme across fencing and any other exterior woodwork. Light shades will reflect sunshine, helping to make your garden feel bigger and brighter.

Top tip: Take a look at our guide on how to paint a shed for everything you need to know to achieve a professional finish.

2. Wood stain for a rustic touch

Staining a wood shed is a fantastic way to protect the wood against the elements and will also leave you with a beautiful, traditional-looking outdoor storage solution. Wood stain is available in a range of shades, from dark oak to pine. Where possible, find a colour that closely matches the shade of your garden furniture or decking to create a coordinated feel throughout your garden.

Top tip: If you’re planning a full shed revamp, read our tutorial on how to felt a shed roof.

3. Create contrast

If you have an eye for bold design, this is the perfect shed colours idea. Experimenting with contrasting shades is a great way to add a flash of colour to your garden and works particularly well if your shed doubles as a home office or DIY workshop. Start by choosing your main paint colour – this is what you’ll use for the majority of your shed exterior. This could be a muted neutral or pale pastel, or a brighter shade if you’re after a more vivid contrast.

Next, you’ll need to choose an accent colour. A pale grey shed exterior is a great background for everything from zesty greens to warm oranges and pinks. If you’ve gone for a bolder base shade, colour wheel theory may come in handy; colours that are opposites on the colour wheel contrast particularly well. Alternatively, a bright white will stand out against a dark background. Use your accent colour to paint the interior of your shed and the inside of the shed door. You can also add intrigue by taking your accent colour around window frames, roof trim and any other features.

Top tip: Read our shed organisation and storage tips for advice on keeping your space clutter-free.

4. Gorgeous greens

Perfect for a smaller garden or for ensuring that a large shed doesn’t dominate your outdoor space, a green colour palette will create an organic, natural feel. Opt for sage green or a pale duck egg for a more contemporary take. Alternatively, evergreen-inspired greens will add a sophisticated edge. Continue the green theme by placing planters filled with sculptural grasses and pretty perennials alongside your shed. This will really help to make your shed feel like part of your garden’s design and not just a handy storage solution.

Top tip: If you’ve caught the DIY bug, try this DIY planter project which can be built on the roof of a shed, bike shelter or log store.

5. Add personality with stencils

If you want to create a real focal point in your garden, then this is the project for you. Start by painting your shed white or a pale shade, so that your stenciled designs can really stand out. Use paper cutouts to create your stencil for more intricate designs or mark out more geometric shapes with masking tape. From racing stripes to a leafy print or free-hand abstract shapes – the choice is yours! With your stencil in place, you can get painting. Avoid overloading your paintbrush, as this can cause the paint to bleed around the edges of your pattern.

Top tip: Explore our guide to painting a feature fence for another fun garden project for a sunny day.

Hopefully our garden shed paint colour ideas have you feeling inspired – all that’s left to do now is get started! Share a photo of your finished project or let us know your own shed painting ideas @Homebase_UK.