A B&Q she-shed!

For some time now we've had tumbledown shed in our garden. It was here when we moved in 19 years ago, and somehow we've never had the time or money to do anything about it. But things became critical when the shed started to sag alarmingly, and our neighbour made it clear that the ivy cascading over the roof into their garden was becoming annoying. Time to act. Here is the 'before' shot....

After a long trawl online, I'd found a replacement at B&Q. I chose this one mainly because of the log store, and the fact that it's the same size as the existing shed, so we wouldn't have to build a new base for it. For the princely sum of £212, it arrived within two days of ordering. 
I asked the friend of a friend to build the shed for me, as I knew the instructions would defeat me. He fitted it in between other jobs and the shed quickly took shape.

It's an unattractive part of the garden with an oil tank, shady areas, and a not so nice fence, so I wanted the shed to look as good as a shed can. 

A lick of paint helps - so many to choose from, but in the end I went for a Homebase French gray.

Then it was time to add some decorations. I used this beautiful plasma cut rusty wreath from my friend, artist Jeni Cairns. I found a tiny olive tree at a local market for £5 and potted it in an old dolly tub which I bought at a car boot sale last year for a tenner. A vintage 'Auction' sign from the US was the final touch. We've made a little stone path to the door, and re-seeded the grass around the edges. Some plants in pots at the corners, and it does look so much better, and will keep our logs dry for winter. 

I added some succulents for decoration too, as they seem to be pretty much foolproof. 

Unfortunately, there's no electricity inside my shed, or I might move in, just in time for the start of the football season :) 

Have a good week.