For the HGTV-watching, Pinterest-pinning, Houzz-obsessed consumer, there’s no longer any reason the backyard shed shouldn’t be a part of the overall landscaping statement—at least that’s what an increasing number of homeowners seem to expect.
Today’s sheds are being designed to add new value to homes through a style that matches the home’s aesthetic and offer, in some cases, much more than a simple storage facility.
“With the advent of websites such as Pinterest and Houzz, shed interiors are being customized a lot more to reflect an environment that fits with the main residence,” says David Ballinger, designer and founder of MetroPrefab, a New Jersey-based manufacturer of modern storage solutions. “More often than not, the outdoor room is where the homeowner has a blank canvas to decorate and be really creative.”
Appearance is Everything
Jason Ellis, chief designer and co-owner of Kanga Room Systems, a Texas-based designer and manufacturer of unique outbuildings, has found that quality is key for his customers.
“What we’ve seen is that there is a demand for a shed, whether it is modern or traditional, but something that is of a high quality not just in the construction but in the aesthetic as well,” Ellis says. “There is a growing desire to be able to put a shed in your back yard that you’re not trying to hide because it’s ugly. Most of our customers are people who really care about their back yard and are looking for something that is going to add [value] as opposed to just a place to store stuff.”
“Aesthetics are more important than ever,” agrees James J. Rule, president of The ShedQuarters Inc., a shed builder based in East Peoria, Illinois. “We tout how our buildings can add to your property value. We also help customers understand they are going to look at this building every day in their back yard for a very long time. It is important to make it not only functional for what they need, but also beautiful. No one wants a metal shed that will soon rust and become an eyesore in their backyard or their neighbor’s backyard.”
Kanga Room has set out to differentiate itself by selling a product that might have been unheard of a decade ago: a modern shed. The company’s sleek, contemporary styles are a differentiator among local
competitors, but it’s an increasingly popular look for storage buildings in other metropolitan areas.
“We are primarily focused on delivering a more modern aesthetic in the shed mainly because there’s not as much competition in that area,” Ellis says. “There’s not a lot [of competition] out there, at least in terms of the quality that we’re doing with the modern look. We use mostly all fiber cement board on our sheds—which is a bit higher quality siding than what a lot of shed companies are using—mixed in with some cedar and natural wood cedar accents.”
Kent Lapp, CEO and principal of Wood-Tex Products in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, agrees that an eye-catching design is increasingly a selling point for today’s sheds. But unlike Kanga Room’s uniquely modern styles, Lapp’s customers are looking for a more traditional aesthetic.
“Recent years have certainly brought on new designs, fancier styles, etc. And these are popular. But the biggest sellers are still the more basic styles and designs,” Lapp finds. “At the end of the day, most (not all) customers want something that looks great, is functional, and is affordable.”
Rule also has found that the basics are often the most popular. And, he adds, “Price is an issue that is more important to customers today. Ten years ago, it wasn’t such a determining factor on which shed to buy, but with prices continually on the rise, how we all spend our money has to be on the front burner.”
Still, with the growing focus on an attractive outbuilding that can be integrated into the landscape, color is becoming more common, versus the blank slate of unstained siding.
“We’re seeing trends toward painted sheds versus pressure-treated, unstained siding,” Lapp says. He adds that vinyl siding remains popular in the Northeast, Southeast, and in some areas of the Midwest as well.
Rule agrees, “Many of today’s homes have the earth tones, and customers want that for their shed as well. We paint our displays those colors to help make it easier for a customer to visualize that building in their own back yard.”
For customers looking for a shed that can be a part of their unique landscape, color options and customization are a strong differentiator.
“We changed our process about five years ago to reflect what the market wanted: an easy-to-build kit that you could easily paint/customize and put your personality into,” Ballinger says.
The ShedQuarters launched its own do-it-yourself shed kit recently in response to what Rule sees as an exploding trend. “Customers are tired of going to the big box stores to purchase a DIY shed kit only to find out it is like a 100-piece puzzle and some of the pieces are either wrong or missing,” Rule says.
Evolving Functions
Among the more unique design trends popping up today is the shed-turned-home office—one reason that homeowners are expecting more from their shed’s design.
“When we started our business in 2010 that was our primary market, the growing backyard office, hobby room-type structure,” Ellis says. “We’ve seen that do nothing but grow for a number of different reasons.”
Ballinger adds, “There’s always high demand for home office sheds—we refer to that as the 30-second commute.”
These manufacturers are finding that homeowners in metropolitan areas are often willing to trade storage space in the house for a great location. Then once, for example, kids come along and the home office becomes a nursery, the savvy homeowner might look for a small outbuilding rather than putting up a full home addition.
“I think it’s a necessary niche in populous areas where the housing market is good,” Ballinger says. “If someone sells their own home to upgrade, they will also have to pay more—the real estate deals are getting harder to find with more cash buyers in the marketplace. The hobby shed for retirees is a reality, as is the shed office for the 30- to 40-year-young professional.”
“We’ve seen that demand grow every year that we’ve been in business,” Ellis adds. And, he says, the customers are willing “to spend a little more money for something substantial, finished out and able to add to the value of the property.”
“We believe the trend will continue as people become absolutely tired of commuting and entrepreneurship grows,” agrees Tim Vack, general manager for Modern-Shed Inc. in Seattle.
One Fading Color
It seems fewer shed builders are using “green” products as a selling point—because everyone is doing it. These builders have found that yesterday’s focus on sustainability is no longer worth a mention on marketing materials.
“It’s tough not to build green in this day and age,” Ballinger says. “Materials are largely recycled and from renewable sources. That’s the standard we’ve had for a few years, so it comes up less and less in conversation as it’s already the standard in the industry.”
Vack agrees, “It seems the green movement has dissipated some. We rarely get asked about what we use in our product as green anymore. What is important is natural light, which we provide very well with our clearstory/transom glass and a huge array of window offerings.”
However, one component of going green is using locally sourced products, and for Corey Council, owner of Clinton Custom Sheds in Fulton, Illinois, that remains a strong distinction between his products and the local big box store.
“I try to buy as much locally as I can,” he says.
“I’ve really only got one competitor in town and that’s a national chain, so a big selling feature for me is that my materials are purchased locally so the money stays here.”
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