---
title: "Before & After: Simple Upgrades Wake Up 5 Tired Sheds"
date: "2015-04-16"
modified: "2015-08-18"
authors:
  - name: "Jennifer Noonan"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.bobvila.com/authors/jennifer-noonan/"
url: "https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/before-after-simple-upgrades-wake-up-5-tired-sheds-48748/"
categories:
  - "DIY"
  - "Easy DIY Projects"
  - "Exterior"
  - "Repair & Maintenance"
  - "Sheds & ADUs"
tags:
  - "color"
  - "outdoor structures"
  - "storage"
---

# Before & After: Simple Upgrades Wake Up 5 Tired Sheds

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/shed_-_cover.jpg>)

### Barely Recognizable Remodel

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/shed_1_before.jpg>)
*homedepot.com*

This baby blue [backyard](<https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/10-easy-budget-friendly-backyard-makeovers-44638/>) shed had seen better days. Though completely functional, it was a curb appeal nightmare. The beat up paint job and the fact that the outbuilding seemed to just float in space was not doing this yard any favors.

### After

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/shed_1_after.jpg>)
*homedepot.com*

With a modern [paint job](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-paint-ikea-furniture/>) in dark charcoal, this shed now serves as the anchor for a patio. The side of it even creates a “wall” for this outdoor room, complete with decor. It’s an oasis for this family, and the envy of everyone on the street.

### The $12 Makeover

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/shed_2_before.jpg>)
*harborbungalow.blog spot.com*

On the face of it, this [shed](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/shed-plans/>) looks like a tetanus shot waiting to happen. Some homeowners might have wondered if the tiny building should just be scrapped.

### After

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/shed_2_after.jpg>)
*harborbungalow.blog spot.com*

But what an amazing difference a coat of paint can make! And it required nothing more than what was already on hand at the house. A $12 [hinge](<https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FRvf2ke9CFg/UHhXMypaqOI/AAAAAAAAAes/6JByPSImv8M/s1600/prettyshed.jpg>) and handle kit finishes off the doors. That may be the best return on investment anyone’s ever made!

### Adding Function (and beauty)

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/shed_3_before.jpg>)
*instructables.com*

Many [pre-fab](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/kit-homes/>) sheds look like they just fell out of the sky and into a yard, with no thought about integrating them into the landscape.

### After

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/shed_3_after.jpg>)
*instructables.com*

This pre-fab shed gets the star treatment, with a paint job, the [installation of shutters](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-install-shutters/>), and a ramp for wheeling in lawn mowers or wheelbarrows. Surrounded by simply landscaped beds and a small patio, it becomes an attractive focal point.

### Fantastic Painted Accents and Awning

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/shed_4_before.jpg>)
*generalsplendour.blog spot.com*

This barn-style shed served a stint as a backyard tiki hut. But with [weeds](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-kill-weeds-naturally/>) encroaching and ants setting up house inside, its party days were over.

### After

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/shed_4_after.jpg>)
*generalsplendour.blog spot.com*

It's unbelievable how $40 worth of paint, [trim](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-paint-trim/>), and decorative accents could transform this space. The awning adds a a finishing touch at no cost—it's simply a repurposed yard tarp, attached to a wooden frame. Flanked by some fresh plantings, this brilliant makeover gets 5 stars.

### Gutted and Repurpose

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/shed_5_before.jpg>)
*instructables.com*

Never mind about the exterior. The interior of a pre-fab shed is no stunner. If you want to use it for a [workspace](<https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/11-ideas-for-working-remotely-when-you-don-t-have-a-home-office-48561/>) or art studio, rather than a garden tool storage space, you’ll need to soup it up inside.

### After

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/shed_5_after.jpg>)
*instructables.com*

That’s exactly what happened to the inside of this shed, now a bona fide art studio. After adding a [window](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/2505-replacement-windows-101/>), running some electric, and insulating it, the owners finished it off with drywall and trim. Paint and shelving were the final touches that made this the perfect work retreat for a full-time artist.

## Author
A confessed DIY junkie, Jennifer Noonan writes about home improvement, gardening, and all things do-it-yourself. The recipient of degrees in International Relations and Library & Information Science from Syracuse University, Noonan has worked in media and related fields for over 15 years, including her time at [MTV Networks](<https://www.paramount.com/about/brands/mtv>), where she served as Manager of Digital Programming at [Nickelodeon](<https://www.nickelodeon.com>). Today, Noonan lives in Delaware with her husband and daughters, where she is ardently teaching the next generation how to use power tools.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-noonan-ab62a05/>)