Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Hobbit house shed




Most Hobbit house reconstructions are actually quite large. This one, by designer Lili Giacobino, is actually shed-sized. Here's what she says:
"My hobbit house was a childhood dream which adds visual magic to this garden. After 6 months of renovation work I had plenty of leftover materials which were ideal to construct the floor, the curved roof and the shelves. I was also able to find some portholes on eBay from a ship that had travelled around the world. I thought these additions added a sense of adventure and a narrative to the Hobbit House project. This garden shed offers much more than just a practical space as it makes me smile every time I see it and awakens the child in me."
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Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here

Monday, August 29, 2016

Garden offices are encouraging moves to the country, says report


Homes with garden offices are becoming the most coveted properties and encouraging people to relocate to rural areas, according to a new report from Purplebricks.

Its figures underline how shedworking or working from a designated home office are encouraging increasing numbers of people to move out of urban areas - and conversely that a property which has either of these is now the proud owner of a major selling point. Overall, the report suggests that more than a third of residential properties on sale now have some kind of an office.

The most popular areas for homes with offices according to Purplebricks are:

1 Kent
2 North Yorkshire
3 Scotland border with Northumberland
4 North Wales
5 Sussex/Hampshire border
6 Norfolk
7 Suffolk/Essex border
8 Cornwall
9 Peak District
10 Cotswolds

A close look at the figures indicates that homeworkers tend to settle in spots with decent connections to larger population areas rather than locations which are totally isolated. Focusing on major cities, London had the highest number of properties with designated work spaces, with Birmingham in second place, although the majority are in the suburbs rather than the main centre.
  
Michael Bruce, the chief executive of Purplebricks said: “The attraction of working from home is clear and is proving more appealing to a growing number of people who are fed up with the daily commute to work and prefer a stroll across the garden.  The increasing cost of office space in cities and better internet connections mean that companies are more prepared to allow their staff to work from home so it's no surprise we are seeing offices mentioned as an important feature amongst those wanting to sell a property. As we witness a real change in the way people work, it seems the kitchen table just won't cut it anymore.”


Photo: Mark Waghorn Design --------------------------------------------------------------------
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Friday, August 26, 2016

Garden office holidays: Virginia Woolf's Monk's House



As well as visiting Virginia Woolf's garden office courtesy of the National Trust, why not stay there too? You can't actually snooze at her desk, but the next best thing is the studio next to it (built over the Woolfs' garage which was also previously a forge) which not only has cracking views, but allows you exclusive access to the garden when Monk's House is closed to the general public (i.e. first thing at morning and after 5.30pm). Sleeps two. No dogs. Details here. --------------------------------------------------------
Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Off grid garden office



Russell Graves has put together an excellent blog post detailing how he has put together his off grid home office. The whole thing is well worth reading but here is a snippet:
A few months ago, I moved to a beautiful rural location in sunny farm country, and I work from home. I do some generic tech work, some battery pack rebuilding, and some teardown/analysis/reverse engineering of various gizmos. A standalone structure gives me space to work that's separate from the house.  This is important to me for several reasons:
  • If I share work and home space, I have a very hard time separating work from "not-work."  I've learned this lesson in the past, and don't care to repeat it.
  • I prefer quiet spaces, suited to concentration, for working.  A house with a wife and kid isn't this.  On other occasions, aggressive symphonic metal at high volumes is useful.  I've worn headphones for a lot of my working life, and don't want to wear them if I don't have to.
  • Some of my work involves fumes - soldering, spot welding, adhesives, etc.  I don't want these in the house.
  • I play with high energy battery packs.  A 500Wh pack shorting out is very exciting - I want a separate space for this.
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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Summer holiday



In the true spirit of Christmas, we've given the staff a couple days off and they've all headed for the beach. See you again on Thursday.

Friday, August 19, 2016

Indoor garden office


"A design commissioned by Atelier Rijksbouwmeester for the Utrecht tax office. This project takes the idea of an indoor garden quite literally: an abundance of green placed inside breathes new life into the office environment. The verdant patios of southern Europe were the inspiration for this concept. Countless terracotta pots filled with plants of all types and sizes adorn specially designed furniture of powder-coated steel reminiscent of what you might find in a park. Here you can get in touch with nature without even having to leave the building."
 Van Eijk & Van der Lubbe --------------------------------------------------------
Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Reading huts





Westgarth Primary School in Marske-on-Sea near Redcar has four Reading Huts near the Year 3/4 yard, and Year 5/6 yard. They are named after authors Roald Dahl, Michael Morpurgo, JK Rowling and Dick King Smith. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

What colour should you paint your garden office?


Once upon a time, most garden offices were painted green but nowadays they are pretty much any colour (including a vogue for black for a long time). The fine folk at Cuprinol have been posting on Twitter and showing sheds with specific colour designs which is very helpful if you're wondering which way to go. Here are a couple below:
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Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

New Tiny House cabin build in Shepperton (video)


A jolly video, but don't have your volume up too high... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

Monday, August 15, 2016

Garden office by iDraw Architecture

iDraw Architecture --------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Friday, August 12, 2016

A guide to garden office wood


An interesting post on the blog of garden office specialist Spacetwo takes a quick look at the different kinds of wood used in the making of wooden workplaces. Here's a snippet:
CEDAR:
PROS: Cedar is a knotty softwood which has a red-brown color with light streaks which gives it a beautiful and distinctive appearance. Over time it weathers to a natural Silvery Grey. Due to its tight ring growth and very high resin content it means that it is one of the most durable woods available. It is also very resistant to insects, which makes it an excellent choice for external uses like cladding.
CONS: Cedar is a desirable wood for building which makes it expensive so if using it for a large area it will increase your budget considerably. Because of its strong Red appearance it doesn’t make it the perfect choice if you want a painted finish because it is mahogany colour is hard to cover.
Well worth a browse. --------------------------------------------------------
Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Garden office gardening


 Some interesting suggestions and thoughts on gardening inside your garden office by the fine folk at Gardenadvice. One of their choices is Zebrina pendula (often known as Wandering Jew) about which they say: "Beautiful and low maintenance. Glistening purple and green leaves make this one a stunner. Fast-growing stems can reach 3 feet, so pinch often to keep it from getting leggy. Likes moist soil." Well worth a browse. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Hide and Seek: The Architecture of Cabins and Hide-Outs

Another intriguing book from Gestalten of interest to shedworkers. Hide and Seek, a kind of follow-up to Rock the Shack, features a range of cabins and other microarchitectural shedworking atmospheres. Here's what the publishers say about it:
Whether located in the forest, on the water, or in the mountains; whether light and minimalistic or dark and cozy, the compelling dwellings exemplify how to create remote shelters that bring calm and balance to our hectic lives. With the right concept, furniture, décor, and atmosphere, even small or basic designs become stunning sanctuaries. Hide and Seek is a contemporary survey of contextual architecture and interior design that channels our shared desire for peace and quiet. These projects not only have the power to get people in touch with their surroundings, but also with themselves.
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Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here

Tuesday, August 09, 2016

The rise of the shepherd's hut


A very nice piece about why shepherds' huts have become so popular again by our good friends at Very English which is well worth a browse (both the article and the site). Here's a snippet:
In the last few years shepherd’s huts have been raised in status from simple mobile agricultural dwellings to ‘glamping’ icons and quirky additional garden rooms, workspaces or mini ‘sheds’ in which to overnight and get back to basics. The sheddie movement brought them to the attention of a wider public during the last recession as a great way to create more space without needing to build on an additional room. At the same time, many farmers needing to diversify began investing in them as rural retreats for city dwellers anxious to escape the millstone of hi-speed internet connectivity and experienced a pared-back living experience. Less screen time, more green time.  Crikey, even Linda Snell in The Archers has her own one now.
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Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

The rise of the shepherd's hut


A very nice piece about why shepherds' huts have become so popular again by our good friends at Very English which is well worth a browse (both the article and the site). Here's a snippet:
In the last few years shepherd’s huts have been raised in status from simple mobile agricultural dwellings to ‘glamping’ icons and quirky additional garden rooms, workspaces or mini ‘sheds’ in which to overnight and get back to basics. The sheddie movement brought them to the attention of a wider public during the last recession as a great way to create more space without needing to build on an additional room. At the same time, many farmers needing to diversify began investing in them as rural retreats for city dwellers anxious to escape the millstone of hi-speed internet connectivity and experienced a pared-back living experience. Less screen time, more green time.  Crikey, even Linda Snell in The Archers has her own one now.
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Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

Monday, August 08, 2016

Shedworking from home (infographic)

Via Zen Internet (who help to power the Shedworking site) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Friday, August 05, 2016

WorkaWay Outdoor Office




A garden office with some protection from the rain as long as it falls absolutely vertically and there is no wind, the WorkaWay comes from Maarten Langen of InfoStop. One of the beauties of the design is that it can be rotated and optional solar panels mean you don't need fitted electrics.
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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Thursday, August 04, 2016

Can I claim tax relief for my garden office as a business expense?


Over the last decade we've spoken to various financial experts who have given a range of answers from "absolutely not" to "of course" and pretty much everything else in between. This latest advice comes from John Falcon of JF Financial who rightly points out that the whole situation is complicated. Here's a snippet:
"A large proportion of the costs of building the garden office are likely to be structural building work – although this can be paid by your company (make sure the invoices are addressed to the company), your company will actually not save corporation tax on them due to special rules for capital allowances. However there will be some costs on which your company will be able to get corporation tax relief, usually in full in the year of purchase through something called the annual investment allowance which is a type of capital allowance."
It's not a long piece - read the whole thing here - but well worth taking a look. 
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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

Wednesday, August 03, 2016

Japanese tea house



A lovely Japanese tea house garden room from Miniature Manors. "Our client approached us for a garden room that would encapsulate the oriental and eastern art that he admires," they say. "With our bespoke design service, our team researched this period in Japan where the 'chashitsu' or 'tea rooms' became popular. We created an eye-catching Japanese tea house, which is complete with the iconic sliding doors and sloped roof." ----------------------------------------------------
Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here

Tuesday, August 02, 2016

Garden offices make us happier about our bodies


Shedworkers will welcome a new study which indicates that spending time in nature is associated with a more positive body image.

Previous studies have shown that people living in urban areas with more green space have significantly lower mental distress and higher life satisfaction compared to those living in areas with less green space. Studies have also indicated that simply viewing images of nature can have positive physiological and psychological effects.

This new research, published by the journal Body Image and led by Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University, found that adults who reported greater exposure to natural environments scored higher on a measure of body appreciation, which measures participants’ respect for their own bodies and their willingness to reject unrealistic ideals such as images seen in the media.

The study also found that adults who were more exposed to nature reported higher self-esteem and connectedness to nature, which measures an individual’s sense of “oneness” with nature.  Higher self-esteem and connectedness to nature, in turn, were also associated with more positive body image.

“Spending time in a natural environment may help us develop a sense of ownership over our physical selves," said Professor Swami, of Anglia Ruskin University’s Psychology Department,  "give us a greater respect for our bodies, and a better understanding of what our bodies can do rather than what our bodies look like.  In turn, this may promote a sense of physical empowerment that is characteristic of body appreciation.

“Spending time in nature also seems to promote better self-esteem and feelings of connection to nature.  When we feel part of a larger ecosystem requiring protection, we may be more likely to take steps to protect our bodies from harmful effects. We might also develop a more equalitarian outlook that is based on compassion and harmony, rather than competition or selfishness.  This, in turn, may generate feelings of social and self-acceptance that are important aspects of higher body appreciation.

He did sound a note of caution, pointing out that causation should be interpreted carefully as it’s possible that individuals with higher body appreciation are more likely to seek out natural environments. "However," added Professor Swami, "if our findings can be replicated and extended, they may point to novel therapies such as perhaps promoting hiking or camping to people experiencing negative body image issues.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

Monday, August 01, 2016

Sonos, New York: A shedworking store


Listening specialists Sonos have launched a new store in New York City at 101 Greene Street, Soho. They say that they built it "like a friend's house, not like a retail store" but the shed vibe is very apparent throughout, especially the seven listening rooms. Each features custom furniture, visual art and lighting design that reflects various styles and periods from the past century, including bookshelves and rugs.



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Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.