This post is for everyone who’s been asking for a shed update now that we finally painted it to match our white house. It took a year, but we got there. While we were at it we swapped the light fixtures and added window boxes, because I can now honestly say I’m extremely passionate about sheds. If I had a dating profile, “shed enthusiast” might be in the bio.
This affection for sheds is a pretty big personality shift for me as an adult. It’s a recent revelation to discover I actually like them.
There was a time I didn’t care for sheds — I may even have resisted them. I remember arguing with John about using half of the beach house’s tiny backyard for a shed. For a whole year we lived with everything that should’ve been stored in a shed scattered throughout the house. Sand-covered beach chairs, umbrellas, paint cans, bikes and yard tools cluttered the foyer and laundry room, and it was not ideal.
After a year of that chaos I relented and let John build his beloved beach-house shed. Once it was there I realized sheds are not just practical, they can be downright charming. I loved the pink shed so much I joked I could move in and never leave.
For me, it came down to the details — the lights and the window box made all the difference. Those finishes changed my whole shed perspective. Now I champion sheds: they add serious storage without sacrificing beauty, increase privacy, and help a yard feel cozy and intentional. A couple of thoughtful details like attractive fixtures and a window box can completely transform the vibe.
So we finally primed and painted our Richmond shed after postponing it for a long time. Here’s a shot of the shed during priming, back before the leaves changed color.
This image captured the calm before an unexpected hornet discovery — a memorable moment in the process.
At that stage the primer gave the shed a bluish cast rather than the crisp white trim we planned. For the doors we used the same soft French blue that’s on all three of our house’s exterior doors — the color is Tranquility from Benjamin Moore’s Affinity line. Matching the shed doors to the house doors helped tie the structures together.
Painting the shed to match the house and using the same door color created an instant sense of unity between the two buildings. They even share the same roof shingles, which further connects the look.
Over the years the original lights started to feel too Craftsman and boxy for the long rectangle of the shed, so we chose fixtures with softer, curvier lines to balance the straight edges. I love the pulley-look of the arms and the oversized round bulbs we added — they lend a friendly, vintage-y touch.
We bought the window boxes from the same place we used for the pink shed. They’re made of no-rot material, are straightforward to hang, and include a self-watering feature. You pour water into a tube at the top and it slowly dispenses moisture into the soil for days, which makes maintenance easier.
This is the view from my kitchen window while I wash dishes. I’m not mad at it. At this point I definitely have Shed Fever — think “Bieber Fever” but with sheds instead of pop stars. The shed feels like a delightful anchor for the yard that I can’t imagine living without.
Placement matters: our curved backyard backs up to two neighboring houses across the woods, and one of those yards used to be quite visible in winter when leaves dropped. Once the shed was in place, it instantly changed the view and added privacy. We haven’t seen their yard since the shed arrived; instead we now look out at this cute little structure that stores all sorts of tools and supplies. It’s a tidy separation that makes both yards feel more tucked-in and private.
Our shed truly transformed the backyard — functionally and aesthetically. It provides storage, privacy, and a charming focal point that makes the whole space feel more finished and intentional.
That’s the story of how my appreciation for sheds blossomed into a full-on love affair. Small details made the difference, and now the shed is a favorite feature of our yard.
P.S. You can read the original post about getting this shed back in 2016 for the full backstory. There are also separate posts about the beach house shed, how we organized this shed, and how we organized the pink house shed. If you’re curious, we even have a post about the duplex sheds.
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