Put a length of wallpaper or piece of cardboard of a colour on the shed.
Then stand back and decide. The fence could be lightened with growing plant colours to harmonise.

The pale milky green colour is very popular and very attractive but I'm with you, I like natural wood colour myself, especially if its in a smallish space and near the fence - unless you also paint the fence....

Hi, what about a clear wood preservative, and just let it age naturally ? Derek.

You have a nice new shed so that's the main thing. It will bring much joy and value to you gardening experience. If "Him" likes bright colors, why not make him happy? It will come back to you. Some shade of off-white with, you said it, sage green trim would like attractive.

Have a look at my photo's , there is a newly painted garden shed that I painted in Cuprinol 'seagrass' - it looks more like light blue on the photo but it is a soft pastel green. Each to their own when it comes to personal choice.

Funny, I was going to say seagrass myself, that's a nice colour, a particularly nice light, creamy green. How about posting photos of it in situ so its easier to judge regarding colour?

Seagrass? Sage Green? I can't tell the difference Amsterdam as per google. They both have quite a variance.

As sheds need treatment/painting frequently then if you don't like whatever colour you start with you can change it. My shed is next to a hedge so we used a deep green. I think it's quite a difficult decision because if it's part of the garden then should it a feature???

Well, you've all given me plenty to think about. Thank you. I'll take a look at yours Amsterdam as soon as I finish this.

Photo now taken above.

Seagrass is the colour I meant by "pale milky green"
I reckon its a choice between making a feature and matching the fence to blend in. .

Personally I'd paint the same colour as the fence and then grown plants up... but I'm not into sea green and the like for sheds or fences; each to there own...

After seeing the structure, I recant. I wouldn't paint at all except weatherproofing.

Having seen it in situ, same colour as the fence is probably best...

It's new wood construction, but in time will take on it's own natural weathered charm just as the fence has.

There are lots of shades of brown in wood preservative treatments.

I'm thinking a golden oak stain, maybe a shade deeper, well sealed, with a white or pale grey trellis on the right corner, with annual vines on the trellis.

You can probably only see the edges of the roof from ground level but you could install a 'green roof' . I think (and obviously each to his own) that given its prominent position I would also go with a shade or two darker and have a low growing shrub (that doesn't get too wide) under the window and depending on aspect, have either climbers or a taller shrub on the sides. A clematis climbing up and over the roof will give you interest from your bedroom window!. Before we moved to a bungalow I used to spend hours looking and planning the garden from the bedroom. Stupid really as it's completely different at eye level. Don't forget to post again when you've made your decision. Happy Christmas.

Ok, thank you everyone. Most of you echoed my own thoughts so I shall do my best to stick out for a fence matching colour. I already have a clematis against the back fence but it only went in last year. I also have a honeysuckle there which I want to grow over the roof. To the right of the shed in the picture there is a Robinia Red Robin, one of my favourite shrubs, which will get bigger as it matures. Planting around the front and lower sides is also in the planning stages.

So, again, my grateful thanks. I shall post another picture, in the late Spring hopefully, though some of the plants will be newly installed.

Just another thought - if you put a trellis on it might be a good idea to fix it so it can be laid down again when the shed needs another coat of coloured preservative or whatever.

I think its lovely. Leave it as it is.

I agree w Diane. Let it reveal it's own color as it weathers.

It's not that I don't like the ochre colour, just that it makes the shed stand out and, to my eyes, makes the garden appear even smaller. Which it now is, of course. We'll come to an agreement eventually and we have all winter to think about it anyway. Maybe by then I shall be happy to leave it - or not.

Having had a look at the clematis and honeysuckle, I can see they are so far to the to the back now that I shan't see, particularly the clem. them so will have to move them forwards come the Spring. Or maybe put the clem elsewhere but it's a white one which I thought would brighten up the fence. Oh well, it will all get sorted eventually and, anyway, what is gardening if it isn't chopping and changing all the time?

I wish you all a very happy Christmas and New Year. Don't get on the bathroom scales until at least the end of January!

Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy new year to you and yours too... here's hoping its not as scary as 2016 has been!