Friday Finery: Skipjack Pod

This rather lovely curved interior of a Skipjack Pod from Hully, which also comes with optional glass-fronted façade, is this week's week-ending Finery.

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Cabin: Into the Woods With A Clueless Craftsman by Patrick Hutchison

One for the shedworker's bookshelf, Cabin by Patrick Hutchison is out next month from HarperCollins and has a bit of a Henry David Thoreau but with larger dollop of humour. It’s about outdoor living, renovation and DIY, the beauty of living and working in nature and the outdoors as well as Mr Hutchison's love for cabins.

Here's what the publishers say:

Working unhappily as a copywriter in the Pacific Northwest, scouring social media for ‘cabin porn’ in his spare time, Patrick came across an advert for a tiny, dilapidated cabin nestled deep in the forests of the Cascade Mountains. Scraping together his last few dollars, he bought the place for $7,500 and set about making it his own. Cabin is a beautifully written account of restoring a rural home with almost no woodworking experience, aided only by the kindness of friends, a collection of vicious power tools and countless cases of beer.

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master, bespoke garden rooms and offices designed, manufactured and installed throughout the UK

Cosy Garden Rooms shortlisted for Micro Business of the Year Award

Large congratulations to the fine folk at Cosy Garden Rooms who have been shortlisted for Micro Business of the Year at the East Midlands Chamber Business Awards 2025/26.

"As a small team, there is seven of us, we focus on designing and building the best garden rooms possible," said a spokesperson. "We are genuinely happy to be recognised for the Micro Business of the Year award, which looks at our growth and impact. We are pleased to be representing the small business community in the East Midlands."

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Shackleton's cabin opens to the public

The Shackleton Experience in Athy, Kildare, has reopened to the public following a €7.5 million redevelopment with the actual cabin in which polar explorer Ernest Shackleton died of a heart attack on the ship ‘Quest’ during the Shackleton-Rowett Expedition in 1922 taking pride of place.

The attraction combines the largest collection of Shackleton artefacts in the world with interactive exhibits. The cabin had been used for many years as a garden shed in Norway, after the cabin was removed and the ship adapted for whaling. After it was donated to the museum, it was painstakingly restored by historical conservator Sven Habermann, based in Connemara.

While the cabin itself is relatively untouched thanks to the cold conditions in which it was kept, the interior has obviously required more work and has been refurnished to a state as close as possible to its existence under Shackleton's command, with sections of the bed and drawers remaining as original features. 

More details and photos at the Irish Examiner.

Photo courtesy Kildare County Council

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Zahradní pavilon

A tremendous build from Byró Architekti a garden pavilion near the Vltava River which can be used as accommodation but also has a splending moveable outer wall and charred cladding. It is entirely off-grid, with solar panels on the roof. Lots of splendid photos of it at the link above.

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master, bespoke garden rooms and offices designed, manufactured and installed throughout the UK

 

Dog grooming garden office business

Further proof that shedworking is a flexible option comes in the form of Smart Modular Building's recent case study of a dog grooming business based in one of its 2m x3m Key Studio models. Features include a double door, medium oak laminate, and LED downlights, with space fo a professional grooming table and drying equipment, stainless steel dog bath, and easy-to-sanitise surfaces, plus separate client access from the garden. According to the owner:“It made it possible to run my business the way I always wanted, separate from my house, perfectly equipped, and totally professional. It’s given me space to grow, without the huge cost of renting. I couldn’t be happier.”

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by Booths Garden Studios, the UK's No.1 supplier of zero maintenance and portable garden studios

 

Modern Tree Houses

A new title for your shedworker's bookshelf, out later this month, Modern Tree Houses fom Tashchen, with words by Florian Siebeck, illustrations by Marie-Laure Cruschi, and plentiful illustrations about all sorts of tree houses. Here's the bumph from the publisher:

A forestful of lofty lodges beckons nature lovers and design enthusiasts alike. From children’s playhouses and luxury escapes to eco-friendly homes and urban hideouts, these elevated masterpieces—crafted by architects like Baumraum, Manuela Hardy, BIG, and Snøhetta—reimagine how nature and buildings can coexist harmoniously.

The book features 62 pretty elaborate examples of what it calls 'nature's penthouses' from around the world.

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Monday's posts are sponsored by Smart Modular Buildings, the UK's best garden room company