Editors' Picks: Steal Ideas from These Sensational Sheds and Outbuildings

Make the most of sheds and outbuildings! Create a DIY getaway right at home. Here's some inspiration via thisoldhouse.com

Shed bonus room
Shed bonus room


A garden shed can be more than a place to store rakes and trowels. It can serve as an extra workspace, a hobby room, or even a retreat, a place to get away from it all. Whatever activities go on inside, a primary consideration should be what it will look like on the outside, to ensure it's a landscape enhancement, rather than an eyesore. Garden writer Sharon Lovejoy built a sheltered workspace with a traditional look that enhances her home's vintage charm. With multipaned windows and board-and-batten siding, the shed at looks like a cottage retreat, just steps from her home. Take a tour of her gorgeous outbuilding in "The Ultimate Bonus Room Just Might be a Shed."

Cape remodel
Cape remodel


In this remodel of a 1960s Cape, charming sheds that mirrored the design of the main house were also alled. An oversize door and a birdhouse tucked in the gable (see larger) reinforce the garden shed's dollhouse proportions, echoed in a second shed added nearby, complete with a bath. The space also served the outdoor dining area: With plates, forks, and salt and pepper close at hand, there are fewer trips back and forth to the kitchen. The other side of the shed features a beautiful outdoor shower. The new pool house features clever built-ins-just like the main house-while echoing the existing garden shed's cunning size and style.

From garage to comfy rec room
From garage to comfy rec room


For one Southern California family, a garage renovation evolved from a casual playroom for their two young kids to a well-appointed media room geared just as much to grown-ups. "When we started, we wanted a place for the kids to play their Wii Sports, which takes a lot of room," says the wife, and the seldom-used outbuilding near the pool offered a solution. See more of this garage remodel in "From Garage to Comfy Rec Room."

Reader redo
Reader redo


"My wife, Carmen, and I love the outdoors. We garden, watch birds, and entertain on our deck. But the past few summers have been rainy, and the mosquitoes have been relentless. We'd try to eat dinner outside, only to retreat into the house," says DIYer and TOH reader Karl Junbluth in Iowa. "We decided a screened-in room was the best way to solve the problem and would also provide a focal point in our garden." See how they did it and take a video tour!

Reader redo
Reader redo


"When my husband and I moved into our home, in 2001, we inherited its sad, lonely shed. But while planning my new hosta garden, I saw that the outbuilding had potential as a focal point in the center of all that leafy green," said homeowner Lynn Boughton of Michigan. "So I mapped out a renovation plan, including lots of windows and salvaged materials; reusing old things is a passion of mine." Take a look inside!

MORE: Best Shed and Outbuilding Before and Afters of the Year