A new generation of homeowners has meant a shift in home design trends. Millennials and Generation Z alike have been shifting their preferences for interior design and renovation, leading not only to new aesthetics being celebrated but also many old trends being left behind. One of the most interesting areas within which these trends are taking place is within the garden.

Outdoor areas have grown in demand with homeowners seeking a private garden for the access to nature it provides, as well as the potential it offers for home expansion. This has seen the cost of properties with gardens attached rise significantly, adding pressure on buyers to get the most out of their home investment. 

A result of this shifting value is that many traditionally celebrated aspects of garden spaces are being lost. No longer is the tidy lawn being championed when the same space can be used to grow vegetables or host dinner parties. In the same way, the usefulness of a garden shed is being scrutinised with modern homeowners struggling to find a reason to keep these outbuildings around.

Technology Shifts

Garden sheds once gave a home to the large and cumbersome tools needed for garden maintenance, with lawnmowers being a prime example. However, many such devices are now being offered in more compact ways, alleviating residents of the need for a shed space. Robot mowers are not only effective ways of maintaining a lawn, being solar-powered and compact, but can also be concealed beneath outdoor furniture and in compact spaces.

As the cost of other tools, such as pressure washers, increases, homeowners are less likely to purchase and own their own products. Instead, there is a growing culture of renting such items. This is not only motivated by cost-saving decision-making but also environmental conscientiousness, with homeowners less often seeing the need to justify permanent ownership of larger tools.

Different Utility

Many gardens have room for only a single outbuilding and, in the wake of teleworking popularity, the need for spaces like outdoor offices far outweighs that offered by garden sheds. More homeowners are turning to establishing log cabins and summer houses in their homes as a way of expanding their living spaces and, often, having a place to work that is separated from the home.

Such needs are not only involved with remote working but also guest stays and creative pursuits too. Airbnb, along with other room-share websites, have enabled many homeowners with extra space to accommodate guests and generate extra income more easily, partly contributing to the popularity of garden guest houses.

Changes in Aesthetic

Gardening used to require a number of tools and chemicals to practice. Now, however, lawns are being swapped for wildflowers and flowerbeds for no-dig vegetable patches, all of which help alleviate the need for gardening equipment. So, while some will still need the occasional tool to help cultivate their wild space, fewer are requiring an entire shed for their garden needs.

This shift in aesthetics is also one that moves gardens toward a landscape of sustainability, with many sheds being replaced with environmental assets, such as compost systems and solar panels instead.