How to paint a shed

A garden shed can be one of the most eye-catching features in a garden. If your shed is visible from inside your home, it’s even more important to get the colour choice right.

Painting your garden shed is also an excellent, practical way to revive and refresh your outdoor space. This simple project will create a durable, weatherproof coating to protect the wood against the elements.

Choose Intelligent Exterior Eggshell for a garden shed that will stand the test of time and look beautiful for years to come.

How to choose paint colours for sheds

Choosing a colour to paint your shed should be a fun process where you can unleash your creativity and add vibrancy to your garden. If you’re looking for a little guidance, we’ve put together some of our expert colour tips.

It’s important to consider colours that will pair well with the natural hues in your garden space. Reds, blues, pinks, neutrals, and yellows all combine well with green.

Birdhouses: Spearmint, Carmine, Garden

Wall: Dark Lead Colour

Delicate blues such as Celestial Blue will create a traditional, country garden feel, whilst a stronger, deeper shade like Hicks’ Blue offers more impact. For a classic colour combination that’s easy on the eye, select a playful pink such as Carmine, which will complement green foliage beautifully.

If you’re leaning towards yellow, you could choose a cheerful colour like Indian Yellow or Giallo to create a bright and joyful colour highlight. Or opt for muted, earthy yellows such as Yellow-Pink or Bassoon for a scheme that is more tonal with its natural surroundings.

If you’re looking for a good neutral option, try shades with green undertones like Normandy Grey, Tracery II or Portland Stone. These timeless stones are all natural colours, making them ideally suited to exterior use.

Pair paint colours for a standout shed

Consider using two paint colours in combination to highlight features on your shed. Choose complementary shades in different strengths for a classic, sophisticated finish.

Acorn is a bright, pale green that provides a fresh backdrop in this scheme. The deeper, muted green, Windmill Lane, pairs beautifully as an elegant accent shade on the windows, doors and panelling.

Outer shed walls: Acorn

Trim & woodwork: Windmill Lane

Alternatively, try a combination of greys and blues to create a cool effect within a more contemporary garden scheme. A sophisticated, silvery shade, Urbane Grey pairs well with Royal Navy window frames. Incorporate Mister David on furniture for an element of vibrancy.

For painting concrete sheds or summer houses, use our robust yet beautiful Intelligent Masonry Paint.

Wall: Urbane Grey

Window Frames: Royal Navy

Chair: Mister David

Paint your shed in a natural complimentary hue

If you see your shed as a more practical space, you might prefer it to be less noticeable in your garden. Consider painting your shed in the same colour as an adjacent fence or wall. Or allow it to disappear into the surrounding foliage with an earthy shade.

Invisible Green is a natural deep green that was recommended by the landscape gardener Humphry Repton to blend exterior elements with the background vegetation. It’s therefore an ideal colour for disguising your garden shed alongside its surroundings. The dark grey, Scree, also has a rustic feel that pairs well with natural wood and leafy backdrops.

Far Wall: Yellow-Pink

Cladding: Scree

Woodwork: Loft White

Read our guide to painting fences for more exterior painting ideas

Experiment with darker shades

There’s much more natural light in your garden than indoors, so you can afford to experiment with darker tones. Consider a gorgeous deep blue like Juniper Ash, which contrasts beautifully with an accent of Atomic Red on the bench.

Wooden shed: Juniper Ash

Metal garden chair: Atomic Red

To showcase brightly coloured garden furniture, paint your shed in Lamp Black to create an impactful backdrop. Contrast with furniture in vibrant shades like Trumpet, Orange Aurora, Turquoise Blue and Canton.

Shed paint: Lamp Black

Metal chairs: Turquoise Blue

Wooden stool: Trumpet

Choosing an exterior paint finish

Once you have chosen your colour scheme, you will need to choose the right finish that will protect your shed for years to come…

We recommend Intelligent Exterior Eggshell, our quick drying, low odour finish for outdoor woodwork and metalwork. With a tough, water-based formula that can be tinted to all Little Greene colours, it’s equal parts practical and beautiful. Its low 15% sheen has a soft and smooth appearance when used to paint garden sheds. It’s also self-priming, so you can apply the first coat of paint directly onto new or bare wood.

If you would prefer to use an oil-based paint with a low sheen, use Tom’s Oil Eggshell. Its oil base provides superlative coverage and penetration, making it extremely hard wearing.

Explore our range of shed paints and exterior finishes

A Guide To Painting a Wooden Shed using ‘Intelligent Exterior Eggshell’

Priming and preparing your shed

Ensure that the shed surface is cleaned.
Previously painted woodwork must be thoroughly cleaned and sanded, removing any loose or flaking paint. Apply wood filler to create a smooth surface where necessary.
Ensure that any resinous knots in softwood and all hardwoods are sealed with Aluminium Wood Primer or knotting compound.
If you’re making a drastic colour change or painting onto previously painted wood, apply one coat of Intelligent ASP. This All Surface Primer will help you achieve your desired colour with fewer topcoats, whilst priming the surface ready for painting.
If you plan to create a contrast between two colours, use masking tape to define the edges before painting.

Painting your shed

Ensure the wood is completely dry before painting. Remember: damp wood should never be painted.
Stir the paint thoroughly before use. Evenly apply the first coat of Intelligent Exterior Eggshell and allow it to dry.
Your shed will be dry to the touch within 2-4 hours. But you will need to wait 16 hours before applying the second coat.
Apply a second coat of Intelligent Exterior Eggshell. We recommend two full coats of Intelligent Exterior Eggshell to achieve full depth of colour.

Browse our selection of exterior paint finishes

Alternatively, explore our gallery of exterior inspiration to seek more shed paint ideas.