If the contents of your garden shed are in as much of a muddle as mine, you’ll want to know about the weatherproof backyard cabinets Ikea just dropped. They’re slimline, stylish, and their sturdy shelves and strong hooks make organising your garden clutter so much easier. Space to stack garden tools? Tick. Room for outdoor sofa cushions? Tick. Handy spot to leave your favorite trowel? Tick.

Every April without fail, I empty the contents of my garden shed onto the lawn, and organize and declutter as I carefully stack everything back in. Every May, without fail, I despair that my shed has somehow reverted to its rummage-sale status. So the idea of having backyard storage that allows the clutter to be organised, and stay organised, is a garden game-changer. Because, while I have a small garden, I still have big storage needs.

Ikea's new steel cabinets look far sleeker than your average shed, too, so slot seamlessly into your garden design. They’re intended to be used indoors as well: that’s how stylish they are. Heck, you could even blur the boundaries of inside and outside by using the same cabinet indoors and out, which is such a clever way to make a small garden feel bigger.

Article continues below

What Garden Storage is Best For You?

There are two avenues to explore. Ikea's new shelved SUNDSÖ cabinet is a mid-height option the size of a typical slimline kitchen unit. Made from durable galvanised steel powder-coated in a choice of three colors – a nicely neutral off-white, a bold anthracite and a bonny blue – this storage unit has two adjustable shelves and a sleek design that seamlessly incorporates the handle into the door.

Adjustable feet compensate for any uneven paving and a nice feature is that the door can be hung to open to the right or left, super-useful if you're squeezing storage into a small outdoor space such as a balcony. For a larger patio, positioning two or three of these cabinets alongside each other would bring a handy surface area, both to display planters and as a serving area when guests come over.

This cabinet coordinates with the SUNDSÖ folding bistro set, metal patio table, and chairs.

Then there are four new additions to the modular KOLBJÖRN range of indoor/outdoor garden storage units. The low open-shelf unit is frankly nice enough to use as a patio coffee table, while a head-height three-doored cabinet offers plenty of room for garden tools. There are also two larger shelving units that combine the three-door unit with existing products in the KOLBJÖRN range, offering comprehensive backyard storage with open or closed shelving.

Made of powder-coated galvanized steel, these units are available in a neutral beige colorway.

After Ikea's privacy screens proved such a best-selling success earlier this year, I'm predicting these smart cabinets will be this summer's most covetable garden addition.