Bright She Shed Makeover

My mom has the cutest little shed behind her house, but for the past two years it’s been mostly empty—dusty, cobwebby, and full of random buckets and holiday decor. Meanwhile, her spare bedroom had turned into storage overload after downsizing from a house with a basement and extra room.

Since she loves to garden, sew, and craft, we had the idea to turn the neglected shed into a bright and functional she shed—complete with shelves for bins, hooks for tools, and a long workbench for planting, potting, and creating with the grandkids.

We started by painting the inside top to bottom using my favorite paint sprayer (no thinning needed, and you can spray at angles—game changer!). I tackled the hot, high ceiling first, working my way down the walls. Pro tip: don’t tip the sprayer past 45°, or you’ll be cleaning more than paint.

I used a high-hide white paint-and-primer combo, but quickly realized my “one gallon per room” theory wasn’t cutting it. Three gallons later (don’t judge), this 10×20′ space looked crisp and clean. Painting went fast with the sprayer, and once dry, I moved on to the grey porch paint for the floors—rolled on to avoid overspray painters tape chaos.

With the walls and floors done, I swapped out the outlets and light fixtures, added soft white Edison-style bulbs in cute cages, and brought in the kids to help clean and organize. We built shallower shelves so my mom could reach everything easily, and added an L-shaped workbench under the window with storage underneath for rolling bins.

A rough-cut pine shelf went up above the table for pots and tools (and a little kid art display), plus we added hooks for keys, garden bags, and even winter hose storage. It’s now a clean, bright, airy she shed that finally puts the space to good use—and honestly, I kind of want one for myself now.

If you’re staring at a dark, cluttered corner and wondering what it could be—start with paint, add purpose, and you might be surprised how magical it can feel.