These warm and dry days are perfect for painting a summerhouse – and the bonus of the longer evenings is that you can sit back and enjoy your hard work at the end of the day! As we’ve been gradually ticking off DIY jobs around the house (see my house reno diaries for more), the warmer days are pulling us outside to focus on the garden. We inherited a summerhouse with our new home and it really needs some TLC. Nothing major, just a new felt roof and a lick of paint. But as it’s a focal point in that part of our garden, I want to bring some colour and style to it.
I scoured Instagram and Pinterest for inspiring and colourful summerhouse ideas and struggled to find much. There were plenty of gorgeous sheds – but not many summerhouses. Perhaps because it means something quite different in US English? I kept coming across very glam holiday homes… So I thought this post would be a great place to gather some inspiration when painting a summerhouse!
The difference between a shed and a summerhouse, is that a summerhouse will have more windows than a shed. The entire front may even open up to be used as an additional living space rather than storage for garden tools. A summerhouse will sometimes have a porch too.
I’m finding myself drawn more to the summerhouse which are painted in a single solid colour (rather than the ones that have the window frames painted a different shade). But I do love the idea of painting garden furniture or pots in other vibrant colours to reflect a garden full of blooms!
If you’re feeling nervous about going for a vibrant bold paint colour when painting a summerhouse, perhaps go for a shade that feels safer to you. You can then layer bolder colours through painted pots and furniture to challenge your boundaries! Many garden paint brands are so tough and weather-proof that you can even paint plastic garden pots. The plus-side is that tester pots aren’t a huge investment and a great opportunity to play around with colour combinations.
If, like us, you’re on a budget with your DIY projects. You could consider using a more affordable paint for your summerhouse and then get some designer tester pots to add splashes of colour elsewhere.
Another tip is to do a patch test using the paint directly to your summerhouse – and another one on top of a primer. Pop out and have a look at the differences at different times of the day to see which you prefer. And good luck!
Natalia xo