Bluestone Backyard: Build Yourself a Little Storage Shed!

This post is in partnership with Lowe’s! Thank you for supporting my sponsors!

Remember how I said there were two major priorities with the Bluestone Cottage backyard? One was privacy—which has now been addressed with the addition of my big fancy fence.

The other was storage! Nothing will ruin outdoor tools and supplies faster than leaving them outdoors over a Hudson Valley winter, and they don’t belong in this little house without room to spare. So let’s tackle it!

I feel like a broken record here, but let’s remember this is a SMALL SPACE. A garden shed is a wonderful, functional luxury to have, but any kind of freestanding structure would have just felt huge and out of place here, I think. There are more compact against-the-wall-or-fence options available out there (like this kind of thing), but I couldn’t find anything that felt right—even something small is going to be a relatively big feature of this yard just due to the size.

So I built one myself! And you can too! Before we really dive in: I’m showing you what I did, but if you’re thinking of taking on a similar project, play around with it! You can adapt the basic concept with your own materials choices and dimensions. I really tried to distill the structure, materials, and tools down to the very basics—not even a nail gun in sight!

Indulge me for a second, because the story of this shed actually starts way back when I bought the house. It had this shoddy fence in the front with 5/4 x 6 decking boards spanning between posts, which I unceremoniously took down.

As one does, I figured the pressure-treated fencing boards could be reused, so I went and build myself a little floating deck in front of the house. Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! It provided the step up to the front door, and seemed like a clever and cute idea at the time. A place to plop a couple chairs and watch the world go by, in lieu of a front porch. I painted it black and that was that.

And then I ended up hating this little deck. Whoopsie! It was a weird size and shape and, let’s be honest, it just feels severely unlikely that anyone would choose to sit here of all places. I accepted that the deck was a mistake and resolved to get rid of it. SOMETIMES I NEED A COUPLE TRIES TO GET IT RIGHT, OK?! So I dismantled it last week.

Looking at this pile of wood, and the amount of money I just spent on the new fence (worth it, I think, but not cheap), it dawned on me: there is my shed. I am rich in garbage wood. I bet I can build a shed without buying a single new piece of wood. Let’s find out. 

If you, unlike me, are not rich in garbage wood, new versions of everything I used are of course available at Lowe’s!

I like to work with salvaged wood in a particular way, and it starts with cleaning it up. Old screws and nails sticking out can be hazardous and don’t allow you to stack the wood neatly, so before I do anything I grab the drill and hammer and nail pullers (I like these pliers for that—a pair is ALWAYS in my toolkit) and take all that stuff out. Then I stack my wood neatly in size order, which helps me use the material as efficiently and with as little waste as possible—for instance if I need a 4′ length, I’ll grab the board that’s 50″ instead of the board that’s 90″.

The next step is to build the base, which I did with the help of some deck blocks repurposed from the deck. I love deck blocks! I put them directly onto compacted soil, but a more functional person may have laid out some 6 mil plastic and a few inches of gravel, leveled and tamped, and had an easier job placing their deck blocks and a more stable base for them to sit on and a vapor barrier to extend the life of the wood. POSSIBLY.

I placed my deck blocks 24″ on center, and you can see how nicely framing lumber (I used 2x4s) fits into the top of the block. You definitely want pressure-treated wood for the floor framing, both because it’s close to the ground and because it’s in direct contact with the concrete deck blocks. The joists need to protrude at least a few inches beyond the deck block so that trim can cover it later.

Once I was comfortable that everything was positioned correctly, I dumped a couple inches of drainage rock around the deck blocks, which should help prevent weeds.

On the sides, I screwed in a couple of 6″ sections of 2×4 perpendicular to the joist. This gives you something to secure your trim to.

For fasteners, I used these Grip-Rite Primeguard Plus Polymer deck screws in the 2″, 2.5″, 3″, and 3.5″ sizes almost exclusively throughout the project. I know this sounds weird, but they are GREAT screws. I also used them for the fence—they drive in easily, rarely need pre-drilling, are suitable for soft and hardwood, and the star head keeps your bit from skipping and stripping the screw. For the drill and driver, I love my Porter Cable set I’ve had for the past few years. My exact models aren’t made anymore, but it looks like this is the newer version sold now. I can’t stress the importance of having a good drill and driver set enough!

Next, I used pressure-treated 1×6 to wrap the base. You could go with 1×8 if you wanted the skirting to hit closer to the ground. It’s screwed in through the face of the trim board and into the ends of the joists.

Then I reused the old decking boards as the floor of my platform! Just lay it down and screw it in. I left about 3/4″ of overhang on the front and both sides.

Congrats, you have just built a very tiny floating deck!

Let’s! Build! Some! Walls! Easy walls. Not really even walls. More like…sides. I had some 4×4 pressure-treated posts from the fence that I took down a few weeks ago (the fence panels weren’t salvageable, but the posts were fine!), so I cut those down to size and toe-nailed them into the base. Except with 3.5″ screws, not nails. Like so: (It’s helpful to pre-drill this.)

One screw to keep it upright and in place is all you need at this stage, because you need to be able to level and square the posts. Measure the outer dimensions post to post at the base and build a header.

For the top plate/header, I sandwiched two 2x4s together with 2.5″ screws, drilled in every foot or so on both sides. Then it sits on top of the posts—a little tricky to maneuver by yourself, but I managed OK!

Level up your posts and secure the header to the posts.

On the back side of the posts, I ripped a 2×4 in half and secured it flush with the inner face of the post to act as a nailer for my sidewall cladding. This left about 1 3/4″ between the outer face of the post and the outer face of the nailer, although this placement depends on the thickness of your cladding. With normal wood siding, you’d want about 1″.

Opposite the nailer attached to the post, I attached nailers to the fence! I did this by screwing them in from the backside of the fence, one 2.5″ screw through each board. This had the added benefit of fixing any waviness in the fence—as some boards will naturally want to bow out and some will want to bow in—creating an even, solid wall. Above the nailers, I mounted a 2×4 which is the same length as the header beam, also secured from the backside of the fence. This is the ledger board for the rafters, and the height depends on the desired pitch of your roof—I went low-slope because I wanted to keep the doors as high as possible but still keep my shed below the fence line.

*Note: I’m relying a lot on the structure of my fence to make this work, but your circumstances may vary. That doesn’t mean this project can’t be done, but you may have to add some additional support to the backside to add strength and stability, or just build it as a freestanding structure.

Now that you have a basic structure, you want to make certain your posts are nice and level, which you can do by securing temporary braces between the nailers. Add additional 3 1/2 screws to the base of the posts to lock in their positioning—I like two screws on each of the four sides, pre-drilled with a 1/8″ bit.

CAN I UNBURDEN MYSELF AND TELL YOU A SECRET? I don’t *really* know how to cut roof rafters. I have seen it done. I have helped do it. I have designed several roofs and overseen their construction. But I’ve yet to take the time to reallllllly learn how to mark and cut a rafter, which I didn’t fully appreciate until I set to work and realized I only kind of knew what I was doing. WikiHow has supplied a very nice step-by-step that walks you through it much better than I can.

I pretty much ended up making a series of test-cuts to find my angles, successfully made one rafter, and then used it as a template for the rest of my rafters. OBVIOUSLY do not just wing it if you’re building a large structure or something that will take on a significant load. I used my jigsaw to cut out the bird’s mouths.

Secure the rafters to the top plate in a few places. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to add hurricane ties for added security!

Yay, framing is done! We’ll return to the roof in a moment. Standby.

Let’s put up walls. This can be done in a variety of ways and a variety of materials, but I still had all these salvaged pressure-treated decking boards I was excited to get rid of. I thought maybe it would be fun to install them like wood siding? WHY NOT. You could use regular wood siding, plywood siding panels, kinda whatever you want within reason. I fastened them with 2″ screws rather than nails for added strength.

Like siding a house, you need a little starter strip to kick your first board out to the correct angle, and then the rest of the boards follow suit. I think this one is about 3/8″ thick, and it’s just an off-cut of a pressure-treated 2×4.

I found this part very exciting. WILL I HAVE ENOUGH WOOD?! WILL THIS LOOK HORRIBLE? LET’S FIND OUT!

OK SO YES IT DOES LOOK HORRIBLE but most things do at this stage so please HOLD YOUR HORSES.

We have a platform. We have sidewalls. We have rafters. Let’s do this roof thing. How’s a cedar shingle sound?

First step: decking! With asphalt shingles you’d want a solid piece of plywood or OSB, but for cedar shake you want skip sheathing, where there are gaps between the boards to promote airflow around the shingles and extend their lives. For this I used 1×3 pressure-treated lumber (fun fact, I think Anna gave me this lumber out of her basement when she moved to New Mexico…4 years ago), fastened to the rafters with 2″ screws. I cut myself a 4″ block to use as a spacer between decking boards.

It’s all happening! I installed one more decking board down at the end of the rafter tails after this photo was taken.

Before installing the shingles, I added a 1×6 fascia (secured to the end of the rafter tails and flush with the top of the skip sheathing). I also used 1×6 to wrap the sides (the rake fascia) at this stage.

I picked up this pack of cedar shingles from Lowe’s and a box of 4D galvanized nails and went to work!

NOTE that these shingles are relatively inexpensive because they are Grade C—meaning they have knots and imperfections and are really recommended for siding, not roofing. You would NOT want to roof a house with these, but they’re fine for a little outbuilding thing like this.

Please also note that it is best to have a very enthusiastic assistant on the ground overseeing your work.

At this stage, you’ll want to install drip edge and flashing. I…uh…skipped the drip edge because…uh…I just did. You could adapt this shed to attach to the sidewall of a house or other structure, but you want to properly flash under the sidewall siding.

The first course of shingles is important to get right! You want to overhang the front fascia about 1.5″ and the rake fascias about 3/4″. You also want to space the shingles about 1/8-1/4″ from each other to allow for expansion. I used a paint stir stick as my spacer to get the hang of it, and then I eyeballed it.

The first course gets TWO layers, or sometimes three. The name of the game is to offset your seams by at least 1.5″, and place your nails about 3/4″ from the edge of the shingle and at least 1.5″ from the bottom of the next course. That sounds hard because numbers, but it’s not that hard. It’s kind of fun! All the shingles are different sizes, so you have to focus on what you’re doing.

Before beginning a new course, snap a chalkline to demarcate where the bottom of your next course should fall. I chose a pretty standard 5″ exposure—meaning the part of the shingle you still see once successive courses go up.

I’m not really sure about the best way to treat the joint where the roof meets the fence in this situation…you can’t really flash it nor can you just leave it alone. I ripped a cedar 2×4 to 1″ thickness on a table saw, and then ripped the sides to the same angle as my rafters. This will cover the top nailed edges of the shingles, like half of a ridge cap.

Where the fence meets this ridge cap piece, I used a little adhesive-backed foam weatherstripping to help really seal the gap.

Then I secured it through the backside of the fence. As you screw it in, you should see the foam joint shrink away as the wood is pulled together. Then I ran a bead of silicone caulk over the joint and called it a day. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

FINALLY, time to build those doors! At this point, I was really running out of wood. But also steadfast in my mission to not buy wood. So far, I have only bought the cedar shakes.

My rough opening was about 80″, meaning two ~40″ wide doors. But stashed in my garage was a decent supply of 36″ pieces of pressure-treated 1×6, so BY GOLLY I made one door wider than the other so I could use those boards. The frame is scrap 2×6 lumber that I ripped to 2.25″ on the table saw. It’s just a box with wood planks screwed to the front. Because I was just using up everything I had left, I decided to do a random varying width, figuring it would look fine and maybe a little interesting?

Before hanging the doors and wrapping this party up, I power washed the old wood, let it dry, and broke out the stain! I used my old faithful—black Cabot Solid-Color Acrylic Deck Stain—which goes on just like paint but acts more like a stain and shouldn’t peel. I’ve had great results with it over the years. The old deck boards were painted with a porch paint, and obviously there’s still a fair amount of paint on there, so I’m curious how that will hold up. It didn’t have any issues with drying or adhesion, and I really think it’s gonna be fine. It’s pretty forgiving stuff.

*with new pressure-treated wood, it should be allowed to dry out for a season before painting or staining, but all this wood has had plenty of time. 

Painting things black is so satisfying. Try it sometime!

I added additional framing about 8″ from the top and bottom on the inside of each door for my hinges to screw into, and then mounted them with these heavy-duty gate hinges from Lowe’s. Then I made an astragal on the table saw and added it onto the door on the left, which covers the small gap between the doors.

Time to finish this thing off! I added these pretty gate handles and this pretty hook latch! You could swap the latch for something that could really be locked, of course.

To the inside of the doors, I added these Kobalt Storage Rails, which I love. There are a bunch of coordinating hooks available that snap onto the rail and can be moved around and rearranged, and I think they’re great for landscaping tools and other garage/shed/basement type things. The rails are a really hard plastic, but they cut down easily on a chop saw.

Throw in some shelving, some assorted stuff, and…we have ourselves a scrappy lil’ shed! I think it’s kinda cute!

Not too shabby, right? Bridget pointed out in the comments on another post that a shed should be able to store a bike, which I had admittedly not considered before—so thank you Bridget! As such, I have installed a bike for the purposes of demonstration, and honestly because it’s a cute-ass bike. You could definitely fit a lot more stuff in here than I’ve shown, and I can imagine adding a lot more hooks and stuff on the inside to keep everything organized. Grandpa style!

(BTW, don’t freak—that gravel is a base layer, not the final look!)

Obviously between the gappy fence and doors, the shed isn’t completely weather-tight but I feel like it’s close enough for the things you’d want out here? We’ve had a couple big rainstorms since I put things in here, and everything has stayed dry.

Here’s the Kobalt storage rail in action! I’ve been disappointed by stuff falling off of so many overcomplicated tension-based organizational rail things over the years, and I’m so glad I found this well-designed one that’s affordable and takes about 30 seconds to install. I have some at my own house, too!

I mounted these stainless steel shelves to the fence (also a hand-me-down from Anna, the gift that keeps on giving!), figuring that if water ever did get in, it wouldn’t accumulate on the shelves. Then I put some assorted backyard-y things on them!

I like how my funny fence-turned-decking-turned-siding worked out. I think it has nice texture.

I can only take so many pictures of the same little backyard shed, so I think that about wraps it up! It’s already so nice to have a place to put things as I work on the rest of the yard, and I’m happy to have a place to stash outdoor items over the winter!

Speaking of! I think we have crossed a threshold in the Hudson Valley. It’s still August but the past few days have felt suspiciously fall-like, and the forecast seems to suggest that it’s staying that way—which I’m not mad about! I think this means I can start planting earlier than I thought I’d be able to, and then this yard isn’t too far off from being done!

About Daniel Kanter

Hi, I'm Daniel, and I love houses! I'm a serial renovator, DIY-er, and dog-cuddler based in Kingston, New York. Follow along as I bring my 1865 Greek Revival back to life and tackle my 30s to varying degrees of success. Welcome!

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74 Comments

  1. 8.29.19
    Kerry said:

    I love this shed! Dang Daniel, you have style dripping off your fingertips. Thank you for also making it look so do-able. Well done!

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks, Kerry! :)

  2. 8.29.19
    Paula said:

    I love how you’ll make something as simple and utilitarian as an outdoor shed nice to look at.

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks! I try, haha! It’s more fun that way!

  3. 8.29.19
    Sara L. said:

    Adorable! One of my favorite things about you is how much stuff you reuse in all of your projects. I try to do that in my own life, but I’m just not as handy as you are! I’ll keep trying. Anyway, fantastic little shed! Can’t wait to see this backyard all finished.

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks Sara! We all just gotta keep trying, ya know? Luckily I like the added little challenge of it—like a puzzle where you can cut the pieces!

  4. 8.29.19
    Felicity said:

    Must build something this weekend just so I can paint it black…

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Something! Anything! haha!

  5. 8.29.19
    Ashley Masset said:

    LOVE! Perfect size for a small house/yard. And like Sara said – its so inspiring how much you reuse. Not just for frugality, but for the environment. Great job. I also want to add that I’m glad you have this sponsorship with Lowe’s – I love seeing the projects that you come up with and if they help you make that happen I’m happy to support the brands that support you.

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks Ashley! ME TOO! They’re amazing to work with and their support has allowed me so much freedom to actually get projects done that I really need and want to do! Clearly I’m having a difficult time balancing these sponsored posts with the un-sponsored ones (I’m working on it! I’ll keep trying!), so I appreciate that this community of readers has been so positive about these posts as I continue to figure this whole thing out!

  6. 8.29.19
    Mom said:

    Love this cute little thing. I do have to add that some of this is over my (and maybe your readers’ heads). Like I felt like I needed a vocabulary lesson to follow some of those things, but just keep on working your magic, I’ll catch up. Love you.

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Haha, sorry Mommy! Feel free to call me any time you’d like to go over construction terms. As I’ve learned many times in my blogging life, I might be wrong but I will be wrong with confidence! Love you.

  7. 8.29.19
    Marlena said:

    Thanks for sharing! Without a doubt, your work always reminds me that *work* is what goes into making things beautiful and functional. Bravo!

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks Marlena!! It’s true, it’s true! I’m flattered that my stuff makes you think of that. :) :)

  8. 8.29.19
    Kathy said:

    This is amazing! I love your attitude about the whole thing. “I could’ve bought a shed but fuck that I’ll build a shed also I don’t want to buy new lumber for the shed so if that means one door is bigger than the other, FUCK IT!” I also love the way the black looks against the natural color of the fence. I’m very excited to see how this turns out!

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      HAHA! That’s pretty much exactly how I said it, too! If I need short summaries of my posts when we redesign the site, are you available? :)

    • 8.29.19
      Kathy said:

      For you, always! Truncated posts are only a problem if you don’t have funny summaries. See below:

      “My bathrooms were competing as to which one could be called the murder bathroom so I took one out of the running.”
      “I built cabinets because none of the IKEA options brought me joy.”
      “My closet is cute enough to make me feel like I have my life together JUST LET ME HAVE THIS.”

      ;) ;) ;)

  9. 8.29.19
    Bonnie said:

    Nice! I actually think it’s good that there’s air flow from the fence. Especially if there may be flammable items in there some day (think lawnmower gas can.)

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Good point! Let’s pretend I was thinking the same thing, haha!

  10. 8.29.19
    Emma said:

    Ack, it’s so cute! I really appreciate how resourceful you’re being about storage in this small house & yard. Finding storage space relates in some way (at least in my mind) to reusing. You don’t need to buy a bunch of new things for every project, and you don’t need a 3,500 square foot house to have functional storage. Good reminder as the rain forest burns to the ground, etc.

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Totallllly! Being able to effectively reuse things always starts with some decent organization so you know what you already have and can access it easily. I’m SO GLAD I prioritized getting some kind of system going in my basement early on in my reno—I’m sure I’ve saved hundreds (probably thousands!) of dollars on materials and supplies that I would have re-bought by accident. And it feels good to put things back into productive use! :)

  11. 8.29.19
    Elizabeth said:

    Do you remember the episode of the Simpson’s where Marge finds a Chanel suit on deep discount and then proceeds to remake it into a dozen different outfits? That’s you and those fence/deck/shed boards. ;) it looks awesome!!

    • 8.29.19
      Brittany said:

      This is seriously the best reference! It truly is admirable how much you reuse old materials, Daniel. The shed looks great!

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Haha! Ya know, I don’t think I’ve EVER watched a full episode of the Simpsons!! For some reason we weren’t allowed to as kids…I swear it was the ONLY prohibited TV show in our house, and as an adult I wonder if that’s just because my mom thought it was annoying and didn’t want to hear it. But I like Marge’s style, hahaha!

  12. 8.29.19
    Mandy said:

    Looks fabulous- the black is an inspired choice. I really like the way you re-use and re-purpose stuff in such a creative way

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks Mandy! When it doubt, paint it black! :)

  13. 8.29.19
    Chris said:

    That black stain looks so good. You’d never clock it as re-used (or re-re-re-used) wood. Very cool.

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks for saying so, Chris! I am admittedly rarely a fan of anything that screams “I AM MADE OF RECLAIMED WOOD!!!” but I love using reclaimed wood! It can be a real challenge, haha.

  14. 8.29.19
    Sara said:

    I could not love this project more. Such an incredible use of space and materials!

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks Sara! :)

  15. 8.29.19
    Laura said:

    This is fantastic! Resourceful! Looks great! Functional! Might want to add some insect screen or something at the back wall so bugs/bees don’t get in and make a nest through the fence slats – hard to tell if they’re wide enough for a bug to fit through. The fence inside the shed will also weather differently than the rest of the fence. Not a big deal, but something to consider if you ever take the shed down (or just leave it forever!!).

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Ohhhhh, screening! Smart!!! Thank you, Laura!

    • 8.30.19
      NestFan said:

      That reminds me of some videos on youtube that I fell down a rabbit-hole watching recently – google them, they are fun to watch – of a bee removal guy who comes and takes bees away from various odd places they’ve made their hives in (don’t worry – he rehomes them) – one was of him removing a hive from the inside of a backyard shed … the same shed he had removed hives from a few years earlier. Fascinating creature, bees.

  16. 8.29.19
    Ann said:

    Thanks for showing the hanging system — it looks like the exact thing I need. Only lots more of it. I can see it mounted across studs so the hangers are on front and the space behind the rack (between the studs) is available for long stuff like tall tools, lumber, etc.

    I like your little shed!

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      That’s a good idea! I have two sections (50 inches each) hanging on the back of my garage under the eaves for rakes and shovels and stuff, and it’s worked out great! I just mounted it higher for longer-handled things. Putting that stuff IN the garage is the ultimate goal but I have to use up more wood first, hahaha.

  17. 8.29.19
    Robin said:

    GREAT use of materials for a very functional small shed! I love the final look!

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      Thanks Robin!

  18. 8.29.19
    Ryan said:

    I’m so inspired to build a shed, except I have a 20s garage that I use as a giant shed already. But maybe some one else I know needs a shed. I just helped my sister take apart a raised garden bed that wasn’t working anymore and it was made out of wood she found in her garage so I took a bunch of it to use to build a fence panel behind said garage to keep the dogs from partying in the neighbors back yard. There is 6′ behind the garage so for a second there I was thinking I could build one of these sheds as a barrier behind the garage but that might be too much storage. Who do I know that needs a garden shed?

    • 8.29.19
      Daniel said:

      TOO MUCH STORAGE?! Nonsense! Haha. But seriously, I want to build one onto the side of my garage now because I have too much renovation stuff (mostly old lumber, lol) in the garage that I can’t fit most of the gardening stuff! And then I think I’m totally insane because one person without acreage or farm animals should not need a garage and basement AND a shed and I really just have to clear more out of the garage but how long with THAT take and I do have a bunch of leftover deck blocks now….so perhaps I am not the best person to ask, haha.

  19. 8.29.19

    I LOVE SHED. It’s so cute. And now I want to find something to put cedar shakes on, because that looks like SO MUCH FUN!! And I’m so happy my wood scraps are still finding new uses.

  20. 8.29.19
    Lori said:

    CUTE AS HELL and I especially love the roof. If I didn’t have side yards that are only 6′ deep, I would be copying you this weekend because my garden tool situation is out of control.

    I also vouch for the awesomeness of those screws and have the same Porter Cable drill & driver set. And a PSA for everyone else out there who lacks giant man-paws: Porter Cable is particularly great about making their tools with a comfortable grip!

    Waiting with bated breath to see what you decided to do about the whole pea gravel situation, NGL!

  21. 8.29.19
    monica said:

    Love this! Long time reader just had to comment today to say how much I enjoy your posts! Amusing, interesting, just the right length. Clear that you don’t take any of this too seriously – A true talent and unusual in the blogging/DIY/whatever world you are part of!

  22. 8.29.19
    Bonnie said:

    It’s a beautiful little shed! And I’m fascinated with those deck blocks!

  23. 8.30.19
    Kelly said:

    So excited to see another post. That’s a lovely shed, and a great reuse of materials ! Your choice of stain, shingles and hardware made it look fantastic (and functional). No one would guess it was made of “garbage wood.”

  24. 8.30.19
    joe said:

    Looooooove

  25. 8.30.19
    Chris Uebbing said:

    Part of me wishes I did not have a garage so I could have this cuteness in my own backyard. Whomever eventually buys this house (cough, cough) is going to be one lucky individual!!!

  26. 8.30.19
    Bridget said:

    Great job, Daniel! The shed looks amazing and it is inspiring to see you reuse the wood. Now I wonder if I can convince my neighbor to let me repurpose some old extra fence panels she has to make a fort for my son. Ha!

    Also, I wanted to say thanks for the (unnecessary) shout out about the bike storage. It honestly made my afternoon…I had been having a rough day and it put a big smile on my face. We have a similar shed in our tiny backyard in NoVa for storing bikes and yard tools. I have enjoyed following you since your Manhattan days and look forward to all of your inspiring projects ahead. Best wishes on the Bluestone backyard!

  27. 8.30.19
    NestFan said:

    Very nice shed! When I saw the title of the post, I wondered why you think this little rental house needs a shed. Then, as I read, I saw it was you rebuilding the deck and using up old wood, having a good time learning some new things like cutting rafters, so what’s the harm? And I enjoy reading along and learning some new things about construction, which I like knowing, whether I’ll use the knowledge – I also have never seen those deck blocks, so good to know.

    Then, when I saw the photo of what you put in the shed, I remembered that, this being a single-family house, a renter will be required to shovel their own snow, and rake their own leaves, etc. (whether or not they are also into gardening), and l liked Bridget’s suggestion that one could store a bike or two in there, as I’d be hard pressed to find room for bikes in that house, and it all makes great sense. I stand corrected – that house needed a shed!

    (Though, since you’d have to clear any real amount of snow from in front of the shed to get to the snow shovel inside, I’d still store the snow shovel in the basement during the winter – but I’m lazy that way.)

    • 8.30.19
      NestFan said:

      Also meant to say your fence boards look gorgeous in the photos here.

  28. 8.31.19
    greta said:

    I think the size and design surprised me the most–I just assumed it would would be taking up more space in the yard. It is so cute, flexible and efficient. I love your pretty latch, but I think it also needs a sturdy lock.

    • 9.7.19
      NestFan said:

      Yes, I was going to say the same about a lock being needed, as where I’ve lived unlocked bikes (and often locked ones) don’t stand a chance of staying put. Unless this little town is like the little town a friend moved to in in Pennsylvania – she leaves her garage/shed open all the time, with its small boats, and bikes, and all sorts of recreational equipment out there for anyone to see. And gets mad at me when I lock the kitchen door when I’m in the kitchen (she does lock the house doors at bedtime, but not the garage/shed.) Insists nobody breaks in around there. Boggles the mind of this city person.

  29. 8.31.19
    Adriana Gores said:

    Daniel, Love this so much. I may have missed it but did you mention the overall dimensions of your scrappy shed? We are trying to figure out a similar structure for our driveway and this would be a great starting place size-wise. Thanks!

  30. 8.31.19
    James said:

    The houses drain pipe is pointed directly at the shed. Perhaps redirect it or add extension to carry the runoff in another direction?

  31. 9.1.19
    Bernadette said:

    Your Bluestone Cottage updates and upgrades are wonderful! Unlike almost every other blogger, your sponsored posts are so authentic. I appreciate that your Lowe’s sponsorship makes these projects possible (and that you’ve been a huge fan of the store for years). If Lowe’s wants to fund the full reno, I am here for it!

  32. 9.2.19
    lisaanne said:

    grandpa style rules!

  33. 9.2.19
    RT Boyce said:

    For use as bike storage, it should probably have a solid lock. (At least in my neighborhood, bike theft is a problem, even inside an attached garage or in a backyard.) The shed could also serve as winter storage for a folding table and chairs, to keep them out of the ice and snow.
    I love the way the black shed sets off the natural wood fence. The wood of that fence is SO pretty.

  34. 9.4.19
    Mandi said:

    This looks so nice! I love how the black plays with the color of the fence and the shingles. It will blend into the background but won’t seem like an afterthought because of your execution and color choices.

  35. 9.5.19
    Sterling said:

    These doors turned out magnificently. Love the asymmetry, love the matte finish of the stain, love the staggered widths of the boards. Really nice.

  36. 9.7.19
    Jane said:

    I seriously love EVERYTHING you do. Well done.

  37. 9.13.19
    Sarah said:

    I keep thinking fence shed, fence shed- fence shed! But it is against the rules in my city. Any structure must be five feet from the fence line. But it seems brilliant to me, looks beautiful here! May you never be asked to dismantle it!

  38. 9.20.19
    Ann said:

    Genius. You’re a genius artist with beautiful outcomes all. the. time.

  39. 10.13.20
    Tanya Wersinger said:

    I am so excited, you have given me some inspiration to build. I love your step by step instructions, pictures included. I only know how to do something if it spelled out bit by bit, thanks so much!

  40. 4.24.21
    Kelly said:

    Hi. I scrolled through comments and may have missed this. Could you advise on dimensions? Floor base, height of back vs front and sides? I think this may be the perfect storage shed I’m looking for and am curious to the specs and if I need to modify? Thank you. First time project builder here. (Wish me luck)

    • 5.6.21

      Sorry for the slow reply! It’s about 7 foot wide, 2 feet deep and about 7.5′ at the back and 5.5′ at the front. I was kinda just making it up and feeling it out as I went!

  41. 5.30.21
    Manuel Salas said:

    I’ve been looking for something like this to build and the size is perfect, thanks

  42. 6.17.21
    Donna Augustyn said:

    Thanks for the comprehensive tutorial Daniel! That’s exactly the type of shed I want to build.
    Appreciate you!
    Donna

  43. 8.31.21
    Janet said:

    I missed where you said how you sealed up the triangular shapes left where the side wall boards overlapped each other, leaving a small gap at the end?

  44. 5.18.22
    Evanthia said:

    Daniel, I love this shed. What are the final dimensions? Thank you!

  45. 7.3.22
    Michele Del Gaizo said:

    I really love the comments as you did each step,might do something similar (don’t have all tools/know how)4 locking up my mobile home oil tank,just in case someone wants to illegally siphon my oil while I’m at work. In this economy it is a real possibility. Thanks for the great idea! Do more stuff:)

  46. 3.21.23
    Marilee said:

    OMG I think this Dinosaur has found ‘ her people”,
    I exhausted every outdoor storage possibility search without success until scrolling reluctantly through Pinterest and found YOU. Your little recycled shed was exactly what I was looking for. What I found even more interesting was all of the many first comments were female ,obviously there’s more to us than just cooking, cleaning and bearing children , often not as satisfying as your little shed project that will house my gardening tools that won’t fit in the garage because of all the shit stored by the husband and son, even the Van is out in the cold…….could a carport be next?
    Can I adopt you

  47. 3.31.23
    Danielle said:

    Hi Daniel – I just saw your shed project and I am so inspired. I would love to create a version of it in my tiny backyard, but rather than cedar shake for the roof I was imagining using corrugated metal or polycarbonate. Would you have any tips or ideas for going that route? Same rafter/sheathing situation? Thank you for sharing your work and ideas!

  48. 5.2.23
    Greg J said:

    Nice. I’m also installing a gutter and downspout along the front of mine.

  49. 6.11.23
    Kay said:

    How much wood would you guess to buy if your not lucky enough to have a handy stack

  50. 9.30.23
    Robert Palmer said:

    She’d looks great in fact I’m building something similar as a attachment to my shed. Only thing I can say is the slats on the doors are gapped watch out for bees getting in a building their own nest