Best modern garden sheds for up-to-date outdoor storage

Treat your garden to an innovative store that offers more.

Modern garden shed

by Jill Morgan |
Updated on

Be prepared to be wowed with your contemporary garden storage options with the best modern garden shed. The humble garden shed has come a long way from a simple wooden box with a door to store your outdoor paraphernalia. The modern garden sheds available now offer a far smarter solution so that you can keep things tidy whilst making the most of your outdoor space.

Contemporary outdoor storage takes the bog-standard shed concept a step further with clean lines and modern designs giving you cool aesthetics, while the practicalities are taken care of with thoughtful features and functionality. Many modern materials demand far less upkeep too, which is always a bonus.

Best modern garden sheds at a glance:

Best as a garden feature: Forest Retreat Grey Luxury Garden Shed - View on Shed Store
Best for storage space: Highline Garden Shed - View on Biohort
Best for easy organisation: Wooden Multi Store Shed - View on Primrose

From nifty shed-summerhouse hybrids to greenhouse-shed combos via good-looking garden cupboards, today's clever designs mean you can get savvy with shed organisation ideas and enjoy garden style as well as outdoor storage.

The best modern garden sheds:

Best as a garden feature

Modern garden sheds are increasingly being designed for their good looks as well as their practical storage capabilities, and this high-spec building is made to be noticed. With red cedar roof shingles and smooth weatherboarded sides, it makes an idyllic garden feature, so don’t hide this lovely design away in a corner. It’s also available in cream and grey, and the two opening windows and half-glazed door mean the interior is light and airy too. The Forest Retreat Grey Luxury Garden Shed is pressure-treated, comes with a 15-year guarantee, and no further maintenance treatment is needed.

Pros

  • Weatherproof
  • 15-year anti-rot guarantee
  • Includes delivery and installation

Cons

  • Requires professional installation
Size:<meta charset="utf-8"></meta>6' x 4'
Material:Pressure-treated wood
Guarantee:15-year anti-rot guarantee

Best for storage space

The trend for sleek design and urban style finishes has finally emerged in modern garden shed form. Forget the traditional timber format with a pitched roof, these cutting-edge structures are bold and beautiful, and you can fit a lot more in them!
Made from maintenance-free coated steel, this dark grey metallic Highline Garden Shed has a 20-year guarantee and also comes in silver or quartz grey. It’s easy to assemble too, and the high-level glazing and advanced locks offer better security.

Pros

  • Traditional looking
  • Advanced security system

Cons

  • Side canopy not included
Size:6 sizes available from HS: 155 x 275cm to H5: 275 x 315cm
Material:Hot-dipped galvanized, polyamide-coated steel
Guarantee:20-year guarantee

Best for easy organisation

Flexible storage solutions have become increasingly popular indoors, and they’ve now made it outdoors too. More and more modern garden sheds are boasting separate smaller compartments or internal dividers so you can stash cushions and barbecue equipment separately from gardening paraphernalia, without it all merging into a messy tangle. Some structures include an open storage area that doubles as a handy log store. This Wooden Multi Store Shed has five compartments and comes pre-coated with primer so it’s ready for a top coat of paint. We're a fan of the open area too, which is so handy for stashing those often-used tools.

Pros

  • Flexible storage with different compartments
  • Made from high-grade European pine

Cons

  • Requires top coat treatment
Size:6' x 6'
Material:FSC European pine cladding on timber frame
Guarantee:N/A

Best for zero maintenance

Not a fan of having to repaint your wooden shed? Technical manufacturing improvements have led to sturdy resin designs with all the detail and beauty of a traditional wooden shed but none of the upkeep. If it gets dirty, just hose it down! These resin panels won’t crack, warp or move like timber, ensuring that doors will open smoothly no matter what the weather. Relatively lightweight to handle and comes with its own floor, the Keter Darwin Garden Storage Shed is easily erected in a few hours and according to one customer review offers "plenty of room." Renting? This shed is also easy to dismantle and re-erect elsewhere.

Customer review: "Very happy with our purchase, the shed looks great with plenty of room for all our storage needs."

Pros

  • Long-lasting
  • Great value

Cons

  • Some reviews say it is tricky to build
Size:6' x 8'
Material:Evotech Composite
Guarantee:15-year guarantee

Best small space solution

Outsunny shed workstationOutsunny

Sentry box sheds are a real feature in the market right now, they’re the perfect place to stash tools and pots, and they look good too. With a tiny footprint but tall stature, you can easily squeeze one into the smallest space, and they’re useful as a secondary spot to store often-used tools, in addition to a main shed. Many designs are a blank canvas inviting you to divide up the space with shelves, and add hooks and rails as you see fit, but we love this Outsunny Garden Wood Storage Shed with Workstation on account of its genius fold-down work surface. Plus, the built-in half-width shelves mean long-handled tools can be easily accommodated.

Pros

  • Amazing value
  • Great build with plenty of shelves and hooks

Cons

  • Has limited storage space due to small design
Size:H182 x L78 x W52.5cm
Material:Wooden with Asphalt roof
Guarantee:N/A

Best summerhouse hybrid

BillyOh Penton Corner Summerhouse with Side Store
Price: $1,047+

billyoh.com

Don’t have room for a summerhouse and a shed? Then you need a hybrid design, combining space for lounging, whatever the weather, with a separate storage section. Ratios of sitting and storage areas vary widely with this type of garden structure so you can choose the best format to meet your needs and your plot. The BillyOh Penton Corner Summerhouse with Side Store is made to be slotted neatly into a corner and can be customised with a full-size wooden base and choice of roof covering and timber shelving.

Pros

  • Luxury design
  • Large windows
  • Large storage capacity

Cons

  • Large footprint
Size:11' x 7'
Material:Wood with option for pressure-treated
Guarantee:10-year anti-rot guarantee

FAQs

What to consider when shopping for a garden shed

Style - Garden sheds come in various styles and designs that can complement the aesthetics of your garden. We're focussing on modern choices here, but there's still a huge variety in styles. What would best suit your outdoor space?
Size - It's an obvious consideration when shopping for a shed, but make sure you do your measurements to see if the shed will fit the place you want it to sit - and check them twice, considering things like roof overhang. If you don't have side or separate access to your outside space, ensure you'll be able to get the shed through your house.
Base - Although some of the sheds we're highlighting come with some kind of flooring, plastic sheds need a sturdy and stable pre-installed base to sit on. This can be a paving slab or concrete base you create in advance or an additional purchase which you need to factor into the overall cost.
Ventilation - In order to avoid damp, and even worse, mould, a decent airflow is recommended to ensure the contents of your shed are protected. Depending on what you're storing, shed contents can be valuable if you're talking bikes, garden equipment and tools, so it's worth your while to protect them.
Light - We'd advise opting for a shed with some kind of built-in windows or skylights so you can see the shed's contents clearly so you can quickly and easily grab what you need without fumbling around in the dark.
Maintenance - Consider how much time you can spare to maintain your garden shed. Wooden sheds will require some kind of treatment, varnishing or refreshing with a fence paint, at least once a year. Metal and plastic options are much less hassle.

What to read next:

Best tool shed to keep your gear safely stored

Best metal garden shed for minimal maintenance

The best wooden garden shed and how to choose one

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Jill Morgan writes regularly for Modern Gardens, and loves everything to do with gardens, plants and outdoor living.

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