A London Backyard Finally Gets the Right Storage Shed

Every backyard has a corner that never quite gets used, until it becomes the place where the bikes, tools, and overflow from the garage all end up. That was the situation in this London, Ontario yard, tucked along the side of the house on a narrow strip of grass next to the fence.

The homeowner wanted a straightforward storage shed, something that could hold the everyday overflow without looking like an afterthought. Backyard Escape Studios installed a 10x10 Essential Shed built for exactly that job: solid, low-maintenance, and sized to fit the space without crowding the yard.

The result is a shed that does its job quietly. It sits close to the fence line, out of the way of the lawn and gardens, but it still reads as a considered part of the property rather than a bolted-on box.

Charcoal Steel and Muskoka Brown Pine on an Essential Shed in London

The right, left, and back walls of this Essential Shed are wrapped in corrugated steel siding in Charcoal, a dark, low-sheen finish that holds its colour through London's freeze-thaw winters without fading or chalking. Against the greenery of the yard, the Charcoal reads almost black in shade and picks up a graphite sheen in direct sun.

The front wall breaks from the steel entirely. It is finished in 1x6 horizontal tight-knot pine, tongue and groove, stained in Muskoka Brown. The warm, honey-toned wood grain gives the front face of the shed a completely different personality than the sides, more like a small cabin than a utility building.

Putting the steel on three sides and the wood only on the front is a practical decision as much as a visual one. The steel resists weather and needs almost no upkeep on the sides that get the most exposure, while the wood front, the side people actually walk up to and see close up, gets the warmth and texture that make the shed feel intentional.

The roof ties both finishes together with a black single-ply asphalt membrane, laid at a low modern slope that sheds water toward the back and keeps the whole structure looking clean from every angle of the yard.

A Sliding Door That Saves Space in a Tight London Yard

The standout detail on this build is the door. Instead of a hinged door that swings out and eats up yard space, this shed uses a 48 inch sliding door on an exterior barn-style track, finished in Charcoal to match the steel sides.

That choice matters in a yard this tight. A swinging door would have needed clearance into the lawn or the garden bed beside it, but the sliding door glides flat against the front wall instead, so the full width of the opening is usable no matter what is planted or parked nearby.

The door also carries three single-ply frosted glass panels stacked vertically. They let daylight into the shed without giving anyone a clear view of what is stored inside, which matters for a structure sitting close to a shared fence line and a neighbouring yard.

Storage Shed Installations Across London and Middlesex County

This kind of storage shed build is especially common in established London neighbourhoods like Old South, Byron, and Oakridge, where lots tend to be narrower and side-yard space is at a premium. A compact, well-finished shed like this one lets homeowners reclaim garage space without adding onto the house.

Backyard Escape Studios installs storage sheds, garden sheds, and custom backyard studios throughout London and the surrounding Middlesex County area, including St. Thomas, Strathroy, and Ingersoll. Homeowners further out in Woodstock and the broader southwestern Ontario region also turn to BES for the same combination of solid construction and a straightforward, hassle-free build process.

For anyone in London weighing a storage shed against a garage renovation or an off-the-shelf kit, this project is a good example of what a properly built, properly finished structure looks like once it is installed and settled into the yard.