Friday, December 20, 2019

Merry Christmas from Shedworking


“Yo ho, my boys,” said Fezziwig. “No more work to-night. Christmas Eve, Dick. Christmas, Ebenezer. Let’s have the shutters up,” cried old Fezziwig, with a sharp clap of his hands, “before a man can say Jack Robinson.”
Shutters open again on January 1.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Gingerbread sheds


It's that time of the year when people make buildings out of gingerbread. Usually these are houses (though my neighbour did Southwold pier last year) but there's no reason why they can't be sheds or garden offices. Here's one to inspire you, a gingerbread cow barn by Jude's Ice Cream which you can recreate via the recipe from their delicious book, Jude's Ice Cream and Desserts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Silo writing shed


Selfbuild garden office projects come in all shapes and sizes. This is a tremendous one - a repurposed silo - being built for novelist SG Boudreaux which she is recording on her blog as it takes shape. Here's what she says about it:
The size of the silo is eighteen feet in diameter and eighteen feet tall. We plan on building a loft on the inside for more room. It will have a half bath on the bottom floor, and a couch made with pallets and twin mattresses (that's the plan so far anyway), a small refrigerator and coffee pot to avoid running to the house for refreshments (a place full of distractions), a desk and other small furniture pieces. The second story will possibly have a small dresser and a futon perhaps for extra sleeping for company. My husband owns his own construction company where they construct metal buildings, metal homes, metal awnings, and gutters. We plan on finishing the inside with metal panels to keep the silo look.
You can read the first post about the build here, the second here, and the latest here.
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Wednesday’s posts are sponsored by Norwegian Log Buildings  - Log cabins and garden buildings for a better quality of life. Click here for more details.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Garden office with mezzanine level




Garden offices over multiple levels tend to look a bit vast, but this marvellously compact one from mG Architecture in Canada's North Vancouver called the Accessory Studio is wonderful. Here's what they say about it:
The structure is nestled into the corner of the residential property on a steep site. As a result, the building is modest from the street but generous inside. The public entry is onto a mezzanine level of cedar and glass. Large glass doors slide open to a garden and fountain that act as an extension to the workspace three seasons of the year. The studio itself is designed with tall ceilings, natural light throughout the day, carefully framed views, and durable materials like black concrete floors that meet the demands of a busy design studio.
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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, December 16, 2019

Garden office landscaping ideas


This excellent little series from Norwegian Log continues with garden designers Jay Larch and Darran Jaques who run Jaques Larch Designs discussing how to incorporate a log cabin into the garden seamlessly. Here's a snippet:
To provide form, interest, and balance during the winter months, loosely lay out structural plants, such as low-growing Pittosporum tobira 'nana' in the garden. To soften the cabin year-round plant a small tree or large shrub, such as Hammemalis 'Arnolds Promise', closer to the building. It is important to include a few well-placed roses too. Choose a variety that is repeat flowering, with a good scent. Dot them around where you can - and appreciate their heady scent (but nothing too formal, please!)
Well worth a read. The whole post is here.

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

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Christmas double-use garden office


It's probably a bit late to go down this route for this Christmas, but various garden office and garden building suppliers have been in touch over the last few weeks pointing out that not only are their products ideal for working in and relaxing in, but can also be useful additional space for housing visiting festive relatives in too.

For example, above is the 10x8 Helios Summerhouse from Waltons made from interlocking 12mm tongue & groove timber over a  2”x 1” frame. It has a sloping pent roof to facilitate rainwater run-off, and heavy duty roofing felt. It comes supplied unpainted with a 10 year anti-rot guarantee.

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Sunday posts are sponsored by eDEN Garden Rooms. Stunning, bespoke high quality garden rooms, to suit your unique space and style

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The rise of the composting toilet

One of the trends we've noticed picking up trend speed in the last few months is the installation of composting toilets in garden offices. Pictured above is the Separett Villa 9000 waterless compost toilet from WooWoo (they have a whole section about the issue on their site here) but there's also a great article in the Guardian on the subject by Emine Saner and here's a snippet quote from it by Martin Doyle from WooWoo:
“For the first time, building regulations [from 2010] specified that compost toilets could be used in place of flushing toilets. So there are no legal hurdles in not having a flushing toilet,” he says. By not mixing liquid and solid waste together, “the poo is relatively dry and therefore smells a lot less than people imagine. And the volume is less than people would imagine, too. I totally appreciate that some people are not going to be comfortable [emptying their own buckets], but it’s as simple as you can make it. The contents of the toilet can then be composted at home. In 12 months’ time you have a nutritious compost that you can use in any way that you like.”
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Saturday posts are sponsored by iHUS Projects, specialists in the design and build of granny annexes for elderly and disabled care.

Friday, December 13, 2019

Rabbit-themed garden office



Something to lighten the mood on what is a grim day for many people in the UK, a fabulous rabbit-themed garden room in Hove from A Room in the Garden featuring a bespoke stained glass window, and stainless steel facia boards with a laser cut rabbit shape. It's also carefully tucked into the back garden, very, very close to both boundaries, so a good example of the saying that you don't need a big garden to have a garden office.

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

Thursday, December 12, 2019

How to look after your log cabin garden office


Although most garden offices need little or no upkeep, it's still good to consider key bits of maintenance. Norwegian Log has a good checklist of what to do throughout the year (largely exterior rather than interior) and although log cabin providers offer different models, their words of wisdom are still very useful e.g. checking sealing twice a year, washing the outside annually, cleaning gutters regularly, etc. Here's a snippet, on drainage:
The soil around your log cabin should slope downwards to promote sufficient drainage away from your foundation. So make sure to regularly inspect the ground around your cabin. If the soil has compacted and there is a negative slope, you may need to add some fresh topsoil. You also need to ensure that the soil has not collected around the piers, and is preventing air flow, otherwise it could cause moisture, and if it comes into contact with the timber it can affect the laminated bean subframe.
Well worth a read.
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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, December 11, 2019

Christmas decorations for your garden office


It's that time of the year when people like to decorate their garden offices and other shedlike atmospheres (and hopefully we'll get a bit of snow so we can run our annual snowy shed galleries). Many shedworkers add festive touches to their workplace such as fairy lights, wreaths, and sprigs of holly, but we'd also suggest that as well as a Christmas tree in your house, why not go for one in your garden office too? Shedworking has got its Christmas trees from the St Albans branch of Pines and Needles for the last half a dozen years (pictured above in an actual shoffice situation but they have stockists all round the country) and been very happy with the results and the cheerful service. As well as the usual sized trees, we have also bought smaller ones in the past which are ideal for smaller spaces or indeed desktops. As always, please send in your photos of your Christmas shed decor! --------------------------------------
Wednesday’s posts are sponsored by Norwegian Log Buildings  - Log cabins and garden buildings for a better quality of life. Click here for more details.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

The Story of Tools


If you're looking for a nice present for the shedworker in your life (or to put on your own 'want' list) then maybe The Story of Tools by hole & corner magazine (published by Pavilion) would make a good choice as it examines the essential shed tool kit, its culture and beauty. There are three chapters – Wood and Stone; Earth, Metal and Glass; and Material, Cloth and Decoration – and it concentrates on 25 featured tools through the eyes of those whose craft and livelihood depend on them such as axes, drills, chisels, and shaping tools. Here's some of the publisher's description of it:
"This book seeks to explore our relationship with these most fundamental of objects – those that allow us to realise our potential as makers, problem solvers and doers. Many are rightfully considered as design icons, whilst others reveal the improvisational skills of their owners, tweaked and adjusted to suit specific jobs through trial-and-error."


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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, December 09, 2019

Irregular shaped garden studio


An intriguing design by Brighton-based A Room in the Garden, run by Ivana Cavallo and Lukas Brzozowski, with especially unususal facia boards. It's in a beach-facing garden at Shoreham Beach in West Sussex. Here's what Ivana and Lukas say about it:
The most important visual aspect of the project was the outside finish. For us it was the first time we had used this type of material – cement particle boards – but it was the only material that would definitely survive many years in these seaside conditions. This little garden studio is right on the beach, meaning that storms can send thousands of litres of salty water at high speed across the surface, this does not end well for many building materials.
Although the owners are delighted with it, passersby on the beach are divided in their opinions. The Shedworking staff think it's marvellous.


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

Sunday, December 08, 2019

Money off Haynes Shed Manual


You can currently save £6 off the price of the Haynes Shed Manual which I co-wrote with secrets-of-shedbuilding guru John Coupe. Described in the Centre for Alternative Technology's Christmas catalogue as "for the enthusiastic DIY-er and those considering taking on a project" and by, er, The Sunday Sport as "A thing of beauty". For details, click here. ---------------------------------------

Sunday posts are sponsored by eDEN Garden Rooms. Stunning, bespoke high quality garden rooms, to suit your unique space and style

Saturday, December 07, 2019

Garden office club

An interesting idea this from SMART Garden Rooms, Offices & Studios, who have started their own rewards program which you automatically join if you buy one of their garden office buildings. There are various levels and rewards including:
  • Friend OF SMART – if you agree to let prospective SMART buyers come and visit your building as a  showcase you receive a £100 Amazon voucher for up to six visits
  • Recommend a Friend – £500 cashback on full payment of your friend’s building who inturn receives a £500 discount off their order
  • Sponsorship/Promotion – if you grant SMART permission to run a case study on your business being run from a SMART building, they will promote your business  in the case study and through a link from our website to yours.
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Saturday posts are sponsored by iHUS Projects, specialists in the design and build of granny annexes for elderly and disabled care.

Friday, December 06, 2019

How to heat your garden office


As the temperature drops, so shedworkers on Twitter begin their annual mild complaints about cold garden offices (at least at the start of the day). Though decent insulation should pretty much keep your shed space decently heated, there are a variety of other options to consider. Garden Affairs has a good post on the subject, looking at electric convection heaters, oil-filled radiators, woodburners, underfloor heating and insulation. Here's what they say about green roofs:
"Our green roofs are deservedly popular not just to encourage wildlife, but also because the thick soil layer helps maintain a constant temperature in the room below. No heating solution will create a comfortable working environment without these basics in place, and with careful planning you might find that for most of the year, they create a warm enough environment that you only need extra heating for a few hours each day."
Well worth a read.
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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

Christmas present idea: Haynes Shed Manual


You can currently save £6 off the rrp off the Haynes Shed Manual which I co-wrote with secrets-of-shedbuilding guru John Coupe. Described in the Centre for Alternative Technology's Christmas catalogue as "for the enthusiastic DIY-er and those considering taking on a project" and by, er, The Sunday Sport as "A thing of beauty". For details, click here. --------------------------------------
Wednesday’s posts are sponsored by Norwegian Log Buildings  - Log cabins and garden buildings for a better quality of life. Click here for more details.

Tuesday, December 03, 2019

Garden offices with a lot of glass


Opinions differ about how much window is best in a garden office, but in the end it comes down to your own personal judgement. If you do like plenty of glass in the build, then take a look at some of the models offered by Nordic Garden Buildings. Above is the PVC-u Manhattan (other models are even more windowier), the one pictured coming in at 5.32 sqm though other sizes are also available. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

Monday, December 02, 2019

Small garden office




Continuing our look at small garden offices, here's Garden2office's smallest ever Kapsel model, newly installed but still with decent leaf coverage! It's a drum practice room fitted with a double layer of acoustic plasterboard, sound matt and resilient bars, plus an inner solid door and Octagon acoustic glass.  -------------------------------------------------
Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Sunday, December 01, 2019

Shedvent


If you're feeling a bit bereft by the end after 11 years and 264 art installations of the Beyond Beach Hut Advent Calendar in Brighton and Hove, do not fear. Into the breach has stepped the church of St Thomas and St Nicholas, Bedhampton, Portsmouth. Their Shedvent celebrations centre on a special Advent shed which the local primary school, uniformed groups, WI, and other local groups will be decorating every day with a new approach to an old Christmas carol. The shed opens every day at 5pm until 6.30pm

And once again writer Joanne Harris is putting on her own Shedvent fun on Twitter. Follow the links below:


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Sunday posts are sponsored by eDEN Garden Rooms. Stunning, bespoke high quality garden rooms, to suit your unique space and style

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Artichoke-shaped garden office


A remarkable build from Studio Ben Allen, an octagonal garden office in London inspired by the 18th century Dunmore Pineapple folly in Scotland. We especially like the green shingles covering the exterior. More images and details at dezeen. Photo and video below by Ben Tynegate.


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Friday, November 29, 2019

2020 garden trends


In this guest post by Oeco Garden Rooms, the garden office specialists advise on trends that are expected to be big in 2020 including creating designated garden areas, the resurgence of high-quality garden furniture and planting native flowers to attract wildlife.

Garden trends have changed drastically over the past decade as people change the way they use their gardens and look to become eco-friendlier at the same time. Creating a practical space which is easy to maintain and comfortable to use can be a daunting task, but with a little planning and preparation, you can create an up-to-date and modern garden which will add that wow factor to your property.

Creating designated garden areas
The ultimate goal when planning any garden is to create a flexible space which has the right combination between plants, flowers and foliage, and inviting spaces in which to relax, unwind and entertain in. Designating specific areas of the garden is a great way of creating comfortable areas to entertain in as well as space for the family to play and have fun. Establishing boundaries between different areas can be achieved by planting simple borders, installing a patio or decking area, or building a fence to create secluded areas for reading, relaxing and even al fresco dining.

Investing in high-quality garden furniture
If there is one place to invest in the garden, then it is in your garden furniture. Cheap garden furniture will weather and fade a lot faster than high-quality products, and with the majority of us cutting down on waste and being more economical with our money there has been a resurgence of people investing in high quality and handmade garden furniture that is designed to last.

Rattan furniture is one of the top choices when it comes to high-quality garden furniture and with good reason. Rattan is strong and durable, able to withstand the changing seasons and is available in a number of different colours and styles to suit any garden. Rattan furniture is also ideal for casual seating areas and alfresco dining.

Another popular choice for garden furniture is solid wood furniture; these will generally need a little bit of maintenance to keep them looking new, but in turn, will last for many years. Wooden furniture makes a style statement in the garden and creates a sense of luxury and extravagance, but be sure to buy sustainably sourced or reclaimed wooden furniture for peace of mind.

Planting native flowers, plants and shrubs
There has been a big shift in the types of flowers, plants and shrubs gardeners’ plant in their gardens. In years gone by people planted flowers, shrubs and borders to create colourful collages without much thought to the environment or local wildlife.

That has all changed over the past few years as gardeners continue to make a conscious effort to use native plants and local resources to create gardens that closely mimic the nature around them. Perennials such as the Pasque flower and Bellflower create pops of colour, while Primrose blooms with pale yellow flowers in the Spring. Wildflowers such as Corncockle, Pyramidal orchid and Harebells add a natural touch while creating an ecosystem for local wildlife to live and thrive.
A trend in organic gardening will become popular over the next few years too as gardeners learn about the benefits of ‘going organic’. From healthier soil, stronger and bigger plants and greener lawns, to robust ecosystems of minibeasts, birds and other wildlife, organic gardening is at the forefront of reversing the damage done by decades of chemical and pesticide use.

There are other ways of attracting local wildlife to your garden too, including adding a birdbath or pond, leaving a small area of your garden to overgrow for shelter and food, and by planting pollinator-friendly flowers.
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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Keeping your garden office warm


Though decent insulation should keep most garden offices at a decent temperature inside in colder months, sometimes people do want a boost. Here's one possibility from MeacoHeat Motion Heaters - they have a motion detection sensor which means the unit is only activated once a person walks into the garden office, which in turn makes it a more economical way to heat a space. When people leave the room, the heater switches off.

The heaters use safe PTC ceramic technology which provides a fast start-up time. A thermal cut out and tilt safety switch ensures that if they are accidentally knocked over, they switch off. The smaller model, 1.8kW has two outputs levels to save energy, a 1-7 hour off timer and a fan only mode for summer use, should you really want that. The larger 2.0Kw adds what the makers describe as "oscillation to distribute the heat evenly through a 70° arc". A three-level thermostat replaces the off timer to provide another level of control. There are two models, available in either red, black or white. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.