She Covered Her Wooden Backyard Shed With Stone Strips: Now It Looks Like Part of a Mediterranean Villa
Wooden boards covered the backyard shed, creating a plain timber backdrop behind the outdoor cooking area. The horizontal cladding matched the nearby fence, but the owner wanted something closer to the pale stone walls found in Mediterranean courtyards.
Instagram creator @oesinterieurdesign from Ede, Netherlands, took on the transformation herself, using cream-colored stone veneer strips instead of rebuilding the shed. The project began in April and involved preparing the wall, attaching individual pieces, and filling the joints with sand-colored mortar.
The finished surface has irregular stone shapes, textured faces, and pale joints that replace the appearance of timber with a limestone-style finish. What began as a wooden garden structure now forms the backdrop for an outdoor kitchen.
Wooden Cladding Covered the Original Shed
Horizontal timber boards ran across the shed, with two small ventilation grilles positioned high on the wall. A black-framed door sat beneath the wooden pergola, while bare sand covered the ground before the outdoor area received its finished paving.
The adjoining slatted fence used a similar wood tone, leaving little contrast between the shed and its surroundings. The existing structure remained in place for the renovation.
Outdoor Kitchen Sat Against the Timber Wall
White rolling workbench held a black kamado grill, wooden storage crates, candles, and potted plants. Brick paving covered the patio, with a horizontal timber fence on one side and the shed wall behind the cooking station.
The grill and workbench already provided a functional outdoor cooking area. Changing the wall surface would give the space a different character without moving the main cooking setup.
She Attached Stone Strips One Piece at a Time
Work began with a suitable solid substrate and primer before the stone strips were bonded to the wall. The creator chose Klimex Nevada Crème veneer from Hornbach, using irregular shapes instead of rectangular tiles.
The progress photographs show adhesive spread across the prepared surface, with individual pieces pressed into place and gaps left between them. Stones of different sizes break up the rows, avoiding a repeated pattern across the wall.
Blue protective sheeting covered the patio, while loose veneer pieces and a mortar bucket remained within reach during installation.
Irregular Stones Replaced the Horizontal Wood Pattern
Once the veneer covered the wall, large angular pieces sat beside smaller stones that filled narrow spaces. Their rough faces and uneven outlines created the appearance of a fitted stone wall rather than a tiled surface.
Dark joints remained visible between the cream pieces at this stage. The contrast made the shapes stand out before the final mortar softened the gaps.
Sand-Colored Mortar Changed the Appearance of the Joints
After the adhesive had dried, the joints received sand-colored grout mortar. A narrow applicator filled the spaces between stones, reaching around pointed edges and the smaller pieces set between larger ones.
The lighter joint color reduced the dark outlines visible during installation. It also connected the cream surfaces into a more uniform wall without hiding the irregular stone pattern.
Finished Wall Became the Backdrop for the Outdoor Kitchen
Cream stone now covers the shed wall from the patio to the roof trim, with a small wall light installed above the cooking station. The pale mortar blends with the veneer, giving the surface the appearance of a continuous stone finish.
The outdoor workbench has a dark brown finish in the completed setting, with the black kamado grill on the left and wooden crates stored beneath the shelves. Potted herbs occupy the countertop, while a light curtain hangs beside the pergola.
The stone finish contrasts with the timber posts and slatted fence, bringing a Mediterranean-style element into the existing backyard.
Before and After Show What Changed
Side-by-side photographs show the same cooking area against two different wall surfaces. Warm horizontal boards dominate the original scene, while the completed wall features irregular cream stones with joints that blend into their edges.
The project changed the shed’s exterior appearance without replacing the garden structure. The creator has also prepared a 13-page DIY guide covering materials, preparation, installation, and costs for people interested in attempting a similar project.
Would you have kept the original wooden wall, or does the Mediterranean stone finish look better?
Images and project details courtesy of @oesinterieurdesign.