When the Only Space Left Is Down the Side of the House

Not every shed goes in the backyard. Sometimes the backyard isn't the right fit: wrong dimensions, wrong access, wrong sight lines. For this London homeowner, the side yard was the answer. A narrow concrete pad running between the house and the fence, just wide enough to make something work. The challenge was building a structure that could live in that corridor without feeling like an afterthought.

The goal was straightforward storage, but the build still had to look intentional. This is London, Ontario, and the property already had a clean, maintained feel. A cheap box wedged against the brick wasn't going to cut it. What it needed was a Cube Shed: compact footprint, flat roofline, modern proportions.

Iron Ore from Every Angle: How One Colour Ties a Whole Build Together

Iron Ore is a colour that changes depending on the light. In full sun it reads as a deep charcoal with a faint warm undertone. In shade or overcast conditions it pulls closer to a true dark grey, almost graphite. Up against the red brick of this London home, it creates a contrast that works in both directions: the brick looks warmer, and the shed looks sharper.

The left and back walls are clad in 7/8" corrugated steel in Iron Ore, with matching steel trim and flashing running the perimeter. The corrugated profile adds horizontal movement without competing with the flat roofline. The front wall is 1x6 horizontal tight-knot pine tongue and groove, stained to the same Iron Ore tone. In photographs, the two materials are nearly indistinguishable. In person, you can read the texture difference up close, but the overall effect is a shed that looks like one deliberate thing, not an assembly of parts.

The door is a 36x80 full frosted glass outswing, framed in Iron Ore with standard black hardware. The frosted glass softens the look of the entryway without opening the interior to view. The black lever handle is the only contrast point on the entire front face, and it earns its place.

A Flat Roof Built for Where It Lives: TPO Membrane and River Rock in a Tight Space

The roof on this build is TPO membrane finished with river rocks, and that choice matters more in a side-yard installation than it would elsewhere. A structure sitting tight against a house, in a corridor that channels water and debris, needs a roof that can handle what lands on it without trapping moisture or requiring ongoing attention.

TPO membrane is heat-welded, fully waterproof, and UV-resistant. The river rocks on top serve two purposes: they hold the membrane down against wind uplift, and they create a drainage surface that moves water off the roof rather than letting it pool. In a side yard with limited drainage options and no overhang, that matters. The roofline sits at maximum allowable height for a structure of this type, giving full interior clearance while keeping the profile clean from the street.

Custom Cube Sheds Built for London, Ontario Homeowners

London homeowners deal with a specific set of backyard realities: older neighbourhoods with narrow lots, mature trees, existing concrete pads that weren't designed with a shed in mind, and property lines that leave less room than you'd think. This build is a direct answer to that situation. A Cube Shed in a side yard, on an existing pad, installed in a day with no disruption to the surrounding property.

If you're in London and looking for a custom shed builder who can work with what your property actually gives you, this is the kind of project Backyard Escape Studios does regularly. We serve homeowners across London and the surrounding area, including Lambeth, Byron, Whitehills, Masonville, Old South, and Hyde Park. We also build throughout Middlesex County and into the broader region, including Strathroy, St. Thomas, Woodstock, and Ingersoll. If you're searching for a modern shed company near London ON, or a custom shed installation in southwestern Ontario, we're the team to call.

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