Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Zing Marketing: Shedworkers


A really nice video from Green Retreats focusing on Zing marketing, communications and digital specialists which uses one of their 7m x 3.5m Expression garden rooms as an office in a really quite idyllic woodland setting, not far from Shedworking HQ in sunny Hemel Hempstead.


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Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Virginia Woolf's writing shed cushion


Part of a House Cushion range from The Shop Floor Project which includes Beatrix Potter's Hilltop and Wordsworth's Dove Cottage, an ongoing collaboration with paper-cut artist Amanda White.
It measures 40 cm x 30 cm and is made out of printed organic cotton sateen with Yorkshire woven fine black cotton, and is feather filled. Dry clean only please.
 
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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, January 29, 2018

Garden offices: How people shedwork from home


 New research shows that more than a quarter of people working from home do so from a home office and a third believe that a dedicated work space is vital.

The poll of 2,000 people by Drayton heating specialists shows that people particular value the lack of commute, flexible working hours (nearly two thirds both started and finished their working day later), and the ability to control their room temperature. The biggest distractions were social media and emptying the washing machine.

A quarter of people said they like to work with music in the background with 20°C the most popular temperature.

A spokesman for Drayton said: “There are plenty of benefits to working from home. Arguably the biggest challenge is staying focussed because there are plenty of potential distractions, but analysis of our findings shows those who work from home feel they are as effective if not more effective as those who work in traditional workplaces such as offices.”

Photo courtesy My Eco Space -------------------------------------------------
Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Friday, January 26, 2018

Draper's Yard Shedquarters


Draper's Yard in Chichester is home to a remarkable shedworking business model, a collection of more than a dozen sheds which are home to various businesses. It was created by local entrepreneur Kay Mawer, founder of Clothkits, after buying an old pub and adding the sheds in the former pub garden as a based for independent small retailers. There are now up to 20 businesses running from the premises at any one time and operate on anything from an ad hoc basis to full time selling art, textiles, fashion (above is The Clothes Shed), jewellery, ceramics, furniture, food and drink, hair and beauty, and antiques.

The sheds are open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am – 4pm, plus special events including a Draper's Yard Online Market Night Pre Valentine Special on February 7. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for news. -------------------------------------------------------
Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Ceramicist's potting shed studio


Here's a lovely build using recycled/salvaged materials (in particular off-cut plywood and ex-display windows and doors) designed by Grey Griffiths Architects for a ceramicist in North London (photo by Adam Scott). Named The Potting Shed. The goal was to "create a warm, inviting space that embraced the practical requirements of a maker’s studio". Here's what the architects say:
"The local area has both a strong sense of community and rich industrial heritage. The studio’s front elevation emulates the architectural style of nearby factories with clean lines, matte black finish and a low-rise pitched roof...It shows how inventive architecture and resourcefulness can make design attainable to those on a tight budget."
Lots more photos, interior and exterior, at the Grey Griffiths site here.
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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, January 24, 2018

Shed and Breakfast


Run by Daisy and Jon, shed and breakfast, is a lovely fully-insulated spot for those looking for accommodation in  Bristol. It's kitted out with a bedroom with superking size bed, kitchen (they can source organic picnic hampers too), books, games, wifi, and an old guitar. There's access to a private shower room in the main house.

Impressively, it also sports solar pv panels and solar thermal to help run it all. And it's been roadtested Daisy and Jon lived in it for two years while they were doing up their home. Even more impressively, £5 from every booking goes to fund a place via Nightstop for homeless young people in the city to stay and eat a hot meal.


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Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Shepherd's hut renovation project


Photographer Nico Gooden is renovating a 19th century shepherd's hut owned by his grandparents - pictured above - following a move from London to Dorset. Here's what he says:
I'm taking as many photos as I can to ensure I'm able to put it back together as faithfully as possible once each part has either been restored or replaced by a new one. It's a big project and I already at times feel I may have had a moment of madness taking this on, but I also feel a duty to preserve this piece of Dorset history which crosses over the boundaries between classic vehicle and historic building.
Lots more pictures on Nico's site here and he's also vlogging (or whatever this is called nowadasy) about it - see below for his first episode. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

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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, January 22, 2018

George Clarke's Amazing Spaces


Just a reminder that the eminently watchable and microarchitectural Amazing Spaces series, which also features the work of stylist and friend of Shedworking Jane Field-Lewis, is on again on Channel 4 (and you can catch up on back episodes online here). The latest builds included a fantastic renovation of a sewage works and a lovely treehouse rebuild by carpenter and cabinetmaker Jamie Hubbard (pictured above) which even has its own Twitter feed @TheIvyTreehouse
This Thursday an airline enthusiast turns a jet cockpit into a summerhouse and the week after a double-decker bus is turned into a luxury mobile home. -------------------------------------------------
Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Friday, January 19, 2018

Rainbow Daydream workshop studio


Print and pattern designer and creative stylist Rachael Taylor is one of the early entrants for the Shed of the Year competition 2018 with her Rainbow Daydream design shed studio. You can read more via the link below but here's a snippet:
Now that I can use my shed I spend tons of time in there designing and generally getting inspired. As my business is predominantly online, I also love the fact that I get to connect with my overseas clients and design school community, all from the end of my garden. The vibrant paint tones inside and the beautiful flowers surrounding the exterior makes me feel like I ve been transported on a sunny holiday whenever I am in there so work never feels like work! What more could you ask for from a creative space?
Rainbow Daydream - Workshop/Studio from Garden #shedoftheyear -------------------------------------------------------
Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Sheds Grant Fund


Readers will be familiar with the Mens' Shed movement worldwide and its growth over the last few years in the UK. One of the recent developments over the last couple of years has been the collaboration between the Royal Voluntary Service, with funding from the Asda Foundation, and the four national Shed Associations in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

It is now encouraging local community groups to apply for the latest round of its Sheds Grant Fund to finance community ‘Shed’ spaces and established Shed projects which are helping to tackle social isolation in older men. Grants are available from £250 to £1,000.

Data from the UK Men’s Sheds Association shows a rise from 164 open Sheds at the end of summer 2015 to over 450 now, while the Asda Foundation has funded 63 Royal Voluntary Service sheds in the past three years.

"At Royal Voluntary Service we see sheds as an ideal way for older people to stay active in their local community as well as having a go at learning new skills," said Abigail Hurrell, Sheds Project Manager at Royal Voluntary Service. "There’s a secret ‘Shedder’ in all of us and most people have a DIY project around the house that they haven’t got round to. Sheds provide an opportunity for people to get advice on all of those tricky jobs and build their confidence."

More details about the fund and how to apply here.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

eDEN Garden Rooms free upgrade offer


If you're thinking about buying a garden office or garden room this month, take a look at the special offer at eDEN Garden Rooms which runs until the end of January (one of their designs in Hertfordshire is pictured above, not far from Shedworking HQ). If you confirm your booking by the 31st, you'll receive a free upgrade reward, a BOSE wireless speaker system, triple glazing on your garden room doors, or £500 discount off your total garden room order value. More details on 0800 0935 339 or email info@edengardenrooms.com

eDEN has also introduced new flexible finance options in collaboration with finance broker Pegasus Personal Finance. Same contact details as above if you are interested in these deals. ---------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday posts are sponsored by Eurodita, the leader in serving smart dealers

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Why do shed prices vary so much?


A nice short piece by our friends Wonkee Donkee Forest Garden about some shed basics including size, construction type, walls, and floors. Here's a snippet about colour:
When you’re wondering which shed to go for, take a good look at the colour. Golden brown means it’s almost certainly made from dip-treated timber, which looks great but has to be re-treated every couple of years to keep it in good condition. A greenish brown shade indicates that pressure-treated (tantalised) timber has been used. This is more durable and requires very little maintenance, but costs more.
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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, January 15, 2018

The Little Tipple Company: Mobile shedworking


The Little Tipple Company is a marvellous shedworkingesque business, a former crumbling horse box which has been turned into a mobile bar by Mags Ní Mhaonaigh and Noel Keohane, in Cork, Ireland (more photos on their Facebook page). Their aim is to provide something special for weddings, birthdays, festivals and pretty much any other kind of event. There's an excellent interview with the couple on Yay Cork but in brief, Noel worked on the carpentry side of things (he works in construction and his colleagues helped with electrics and welding) and they did the rest of the kit out, including painting, together. The next project is to turn a tuk tuk into a prosecco van.

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

Friday, January 12, 2018

Bespoke garden office on uneven ground case study


Here's a really nice video case study of building a garden office from beginning to end. It belongs to Tony Lawrence in Haywards Heath by local builders InsideOut who explains in details the issues behind the build while the step-by-step guide plays out. Well worth a watch.

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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Shed cake for a good cause


A feelgood shedworking-based Christmas story to welcome the new year in - Warwick Buildings and home cake baker Kathryn Mathews from Burntwood (whose home business is run from one of their builds) created a special Nativity Christmas cake for an excellent cause, THE Grub & Gab Club which incorporates the Coventry Open Christmas Event.

Coventry Open Christmas is a voluntary organisation managed by the Grub & Gab Club and provides a real Christmas for anyone in need over the holiday period. The Event is held at the Shelter at Queens Road Baptist Church, Coventry and over the course of the five days of Christmas over 600 meals and serve over 2,000 cups of tea and coffee. 

“Both the Grub & Gab Club logo, a smiling plate face supported by a knife and fork enclosed within a very simple house, and the Club's aims which are to provide food, shelter, warmth and friendship to the homeless or lonely, offered the perfect home for the cake on Christmas Day," said Karen Tolley from Warwick Buildings. "We hope that the Coventry Open Christmas visitors enjoyed the lovely cake that Kathryn Mathews has created.”

Pictured above is David Wilson from Warwick Buildings delivering the cake to Pete Burns on behalf of the charity. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Dylan Thomas's writing shed framed


If you like garden office art in your garden office, here's Andrew Bailey's watercolour of Dylan Thomas's writing shed, a signed and numbered print in a white wood frame. Available from Arcadela for £30. ---------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday posts are sponsored by Eurodita, the leader in serving smart dealers

Tuesday, January 09, 2018

A Little Saw

 
Friend of Shedworking Andy Clark who runs the excellent Workshopshed.com site ('
Making and repairing in a shed at the bottom of the garden') has a new book out which looks marvellous, A Little Saw. Here's what he says about it:
Many people like to use the phrase “the right tool for the job”. This is great if you know what the right tool is or even what the choices are. There are a bewildering number of different types of saw so this book focuses on some common types that you are likely to find in your workshop, garage, maker space, tool library or shed. With the aid of this book, you should be able to identify and select the right saw for your job. Often it is not critical to get the perfect saw but choosing the best one available to you will help you to quickly make accurate quality cuts.
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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, January 08, 2018

Can you claim tax back on your garden office?


One of the perennial questions of shedworking gets another airing on the Cabin Master blog - opinions seem to be divided on several issues and we would always recommend checking in with your accountant, but Cabin Master's Mark Jennison seems quite optimistic about the possibilities. Here's a snippet on reclaiming VAT for your garden office:
Some work from home employees regard their garden office building as a company asset. This means that, provided you are VAT registered as a sole trader, partnership or limited company, it’s possible to reclaim VAT on the actual wooden garden office building itself, as well as the cost of its installation and for the fittings. You can’t claim an office as capital allowance against corporation (company) tax.
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Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Friday, January 05, 2018

Garden office self-build guide


There's nothing better than a really detailed guide on how to build your own garden office and this is one of the best we've ever seen. Written by freelance translator Luke Spear, this step-by-step look at creating your own shedworking space is full of useful tips (including leaving the electrics to the experts), plenty of photos, and the kind of things that you actually need to know, such as exactly which tools you'll need for the job. He mentions that it might be available in the future in book form and that would be great to see. Here's a snippet:
Be prepared for a lot of effort. Your mindset has to remain positive because it’s very easy to be disheartened half-way through the build. Take small steps. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. Call on experienced people for support. Even if it doesn’t feel like it’s going forward, it is. It’s just hard to see it when you’re doing the building. It’s a very rewarding process, but you just have to power through to get to that rewarding part.
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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Thursday, January 04, 2018

Susan Hill on garden offices


In her excellent recent literary memoir Jacob's Room is Full of Books: A Year of Reading, awardwinning writer Susan Hill (author of The Woman in Black and the Simon Serrailler detective series) talks about where she writes (or in fact doesn't write) in terms of shedworking. Here's a snippet:
Roald Dahl had a gypsy caravan in which to write. I had a shepherd's hut, but left it behind in the Cotswolds. A summerhouse went along with this Norfolk house and at first I thought it would be perfect as my new writing shed. It is not. It is the right building in the wrong place - too far from the house when you have to go back for something  vital like a different pen, or the loo, and across some very rough and often boggy ground. It faces south, which sounds lovely but at any time from late April to October it is likely to be in direct sunlight and boiling. So it is little used. I keep planning a different shed, nearer to the house, facing west.
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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, January 03, 2018

Music studio garden office: Testing Green Retreat's 'Accoustic Pack'


An interesting video by musician Alex Hutchings who talks about choosing a music studio and why he went for a model from Green Retreats who say that their acoustic pack option reduces sound transfer by up to 45db. Well worth a watch if you're considering going down this route.

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by Eurodita, the leader in serving smart dealers

Tuesday, January 02, 2018

The Idler: Beach huts and snooker


My latest column about shedworking and other microarchitecture is in the latest issue of The Idler magazine which is out now - it looks at the marvellous world of beach huts including input from Love Your Hut and a full page photo of the winner of its Beach Hut of the Year competition. And for those of you who also enjoy snooker, my regular column on snooker looks at the practicalities of cheating. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

Monday, January 01, 2018

Smart Garden Offices: new catalogue and staff changes


There are changes afoot at Smart Garden Offices for 2018. I managed to get a sneak preview of the company's latest catalogue just before Christmas - it's very well crafted and sure to encourage people to go down the garden office and studio route, with plenty of detail, case studies, and even covering some of the areas which are perhaps not so well known about Smart such as its bookcase and desk offering including the Horseshoe and the Double Boomerang.


In terms of personnel, the new Managing Director is now Debi Knott, previously Smart's Operations Director, with Charlie Dalton moving to a new role as Chairman, but concentrating mostly on building up the new micro living side of things at Zedbox (for more on the whole tiny house phenomenon in the UK, do keep checking into The Micro Life).
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Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.