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7 ways to organise your garden shed #shedspo

Is it time to dust away the cobwebs and get your garden shed under control? I recently tackled this job and it’s made such a difference to free up valuable space in my garage by moving tools and gear into the shed — and to be able to step inside the shed without tripping over things! Here are 7 ways to organise your garden shed.

Related article: How to in the garden: Composting guide for beginners
Related article: In the garden: Summer gardening guide

1. Declutter

You had to know this would be on the list! There’s no point in organising things you no longer need or want — it’s only taking up valuable storage space.

It’s easy for clutter to accumulate, making it hard to find what you need. That’s why decluttering your outdoor shed is an important task to do regularly.

The simplest way to do this is to pull everything out of your shed and start sorting into piles. By grouping all ‘like’ items together, such as all gardening products or all tools together, it’s easier to see how much you have and to make quicker decisions on whether to keep, donate or throw away.

Be environmentally conscious when disposing of things from your garden shed. Many materials, such as paint or chemicals, can be taken to recycling points where they can be used for energy recovery and the containers cleaned and recycled. Planet Ark has a fabulous tool here where you can enter your postcode and what you are wanting to dispose of, and it will let you know about all the recycling points in your area.

Of course if your outdoor shed is in disrepair, the first step may be to invest in a new shed. You can find many chic options on the market now to buy or build a new shed altogether. For example, The Shed Company has stylish residential sheds in a range of colours and sizes to suit contemporary homes.

Shed makeover 1
Newly made over garden shed

2. Pick up a bench that doubles as a storage rack

We all use our garden sheds slightly differently but it’s hard to go wrong with a good work bench — and better yet, one that doubles as a storage rack!

A bench provides a sturdy work surface so you can work productively. Depending on the type of bench you pick up, it can be a lot more than that though! The one I got (pictured below) is from Pinnacle and has adjustable shelves, a solid timber top, and the option to add on accessories.

Before doing this garden shed makeover, I had some makeshift shelving that I created with blocks and planks of wood but it took up more space than it offered. As a result, I barely used the shed to store things and my garage (and laundry) became a dumping ground for things that should have been stored in the shed.

Tip: look for a bench that’s adjustable so you can change it as your needs change (such as adding or removing shelves).

Metal cabinet

3. Get a lockable cabinet

Whether you’ve got young children and want to keep chemicals out of reach, or you’re using your garden shed to store valuable tools that you want to keep safe and protected from the elements, a lockable cabinet is another winning storage solution idea.

Cabinets can be a great way to organise your tools. Some come with specific compartments or your can use additional storage solutions, like boxes, to ensure everything has its place. Available in all sorts of sizes and configurations, you’ll be sure to find a cabinet to suit your space and needs.

Tip: triple check your measurements before buying any storage solutions! Look out for brackets or other obstructions inside your shed which may reduce the amount of space you have. I only just squeezed the work bench and cabinet into my shed without a millimetre to spare!

Black metal cabinet

4. Install a pegboard for tools

Pegboards keep all of your most-used tools and items neatly within easy reach. You can buy these as single sheets and in various sizes so you can configure these however you like to suit your space. I attached two boards together for plenty of hanging space.

You can also find various brackets to slot into the pegboard. Short or long, with one or two prongs, there’s sure to be a solution for whatever it is you want to hang!

Pegboard ways to organise your garden shed

5. Use a drawer unit for smaller tools/hardware

Do you keep all your screws and brackets in tubs where it’s impossible to find what you need?

I picked up a metal organiser with plenty of compartments to separate screws and other hardware. To know what’s in each drawer, I made some vinyl labels (with my Cricut machine) but there are plenty of online stores that do custom vinyl labels if you want similar.

Metal drawer unit ways to organise your garden shed

6. Take advantage of vertical space with hooks

So often when we organise a space, we think about how to maximise floor space and often overlook available vertical space.

We already mentioned pegboards above but another way to take advantage of wall space is with larger brackets to hang bigger tools and gardening gear.

Brackets for tools

7. Use tubs to keep smaller items organised

Just as I love using baskets inside the home to keep smaller things organised and tidy, in the garage and garden shed I’m also a big fan of using storage tubs.

Look for ones that are stackable so you can maximise the height of shelves and personally I prefer coloured tubs (rather than transparent) as it minimises visual clutter.

Shelving unit ways to organise your garden shed

Have these ways to organise your garden shed inspired you to give your shed a makeover? Do you have more tips to add to the list? I’d love you to share them in the comments!

Check out more ideas for the garden

Disclaimer: some items pictured were gifted.

Gina Beschorner Style Curator

Welcome to Style Curator, your destination for daily interiors inspiration, styling tips, reno advice, home tours and DIY projects!

We're on a mission to help you create a home you love. And with plenty of tips and tricks, tutorials and other home inspo, we give you all the tools to achieve it!

I’m Gina, Founder and Interior Designer, and you can read more about Style Curator here.

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    3 COMMENTS

    1. I just watched the video again and realised what I thought was a garage is your back fence!
      It did look like the back of a colour bond garage.
      Susan

    2. Hi Gina,
      I need to replace my garage as it is unsafe. I also want a garden shed behind it. I looked on your website for garages/carports for inspiration with no luck, but found your garden shed article. The photo of the back of your garage that is higher than the ground of the shed is my exact situation against a fence on the left side of my property. Can you please tell me who supplied your garage and shed. I have been looking for quite a while at sheds and garages but have no recommendations and need a great company.
      I’m in Sydney and love all your emails I’ve been receiving for a few years now. I’m also in need of a driveway so know you had yours done ages ago and will look at that as well.
      Regards
      Susan

      • Hi Susan, thanks so much for your lovely comments, so kind of you! I got this Treco shed from Oldfields in Sydney and they installed it for me. You can see their website here https://oldfields.com.au/ although they seem to have removed information about garden sheds. It’s worth contacting them to see if they still offer sheds as they were fabulous and it’s great quality (they also had the most stylish range of designs I could find).

        Our garage is made of brick and is connected to the house – you can see it behind us in this outdoor cinema video https://stylecurator.com.au/how-to-create-an-outdoor-cinema/ – but we recently got a carport installed for our rental and I got a local builder/carpenter to build it. Perhaps you could ask friends and family for any recommendations or, as weird as it sounds, search Facebook/Facebook marketplace. I found a referral for a person who installs Colourbond fences on Facebook marketplace and he was amazing. Sorry, I don’t have any Sydney trades I can recommend!

        Hope this helps and all the best with these projects 🙂

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