Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Cressida Cowell's path to the writing shed in June


Regular readers will have enjoyed the regular updates of the path to her garden shed of children's novelist, current Children's Laureate, and contributor to my latest bookCressida Cowell. For those new to the ongoing series, Cressida takes photos of the path to her writing shed garden office almost every month throughout the year. Pictured above is this month's late June example (see what it looked like for example in February, May and October last year).

And as a bonus, here is Felicite-Perpetue rambling over Monty Don's writing shed.


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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, June 29, 2020

The Home Office Pod


Another example of the way that the coronavirus effect will affect how we work comes thanks to the launch of new garden office suppliers The Home Office Pod, based in Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire just up the road from Shedworking HQ, a sister brand to Synergy Commercial Lighting.

The design itself is an attractive, 2.4m x 1.8m x 2.1m, self-assembly flat-pack 'plug and play' garden office. According to the makers, it takes two people up to five hours to build and comes complete with electrics + USB sockets, insulation, soundproofing, carpet and LED lighting.

But what's interesting is that front and centre in their marketing is that they are targeting companies who "need garden office pods for your management team". They go on to say: "Find out how much you could save with your teams working from home". Home Office Pod point to three ways that their garden offices are attractive to management:

* Maintain your office culture by providing the same experience for employees working from home
* Meet your duty of care by providing proper equipment for your staff to work safely, comfortably and efficiently
* Reduce cost significantly with your staff spending less time and money on travelling and less time being distracted whilst at home

On top of which they will help with surveying the workforce and offering tailormade solutions, plus offering various buying ranges including leasing and short term hire.

The effects of lockdown are noticeable elsewhere in the marketing literature. "Our in-grained passion for cool offices," they say, "is burning stronger than ever and if you are no longer going into the physical workplace as much then we will bring your cool office to you."  -------------------------------------------------
Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Tim Dowling's garden office

Guardian columnist Tim Dowling is now one of the highest profile shedworkers so it was good to finally get to see what his garden office looks like this weekend. ---------------------------------------

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

Friday, June 26, 2020

The Joan Aiken Writing Shed



The much loved children's writer Joan Aiken didn't actually write in a garden office (her attic was her study) but her daughter Lizza Aiken runs her mother's literary estate from the above writing shed. Here's what she says:
My mother had attempted to prepare me, and given me a tour of her study  –  ‘Don’t call it the attic!’ as she used to say… I had with her help drawn up a map of where everything was filed, although much of it was in boxes under the eaves and suitcases in between the rafters – the accumulation of fifty years and several house moves. When I brought all the paperwork – let alone multiple copies of the books in every possible language – up to my house in London, I realised I would have to build a new room for it all – hence the shed!
From the shed, Lizza runs the excellent The Wonderful World of Joan Aiken website and virtual museum. Below, she reads a short story inside the shed.



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

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Talking Pictures TV channel



Talking Pictures TV is an independent archive film and television channel which is based in a garden office in Chipperfield, just up the road from Shedworking HQ in Hertfordshire. It's run by Noel Cronin, his daughter Sarah Cronin-Stanley, and her husband Neill. As they put it:
Melt to the heart-breaking romance of Michael Denison and Dulcie Gray in ‘The Glass Mountain’. Gasp at the chilling horror of Sir Donald Wolfit in ‘Blood of the Vampire’. Bop to the pioneering rock ‘n’ roll of Terry Dene in ‘The Golden Disc’, and thrill at John Bentley as the dashing novelist cum amateur detective Paul Temple.
It's been a great success during lockdown with viewing figures hitting around six million a week, and had plenty of coverage in the national media. Here's a look around it from the BBC


 You can watch it on Virgin 445, Freeseat 306, Freeview or Youview 81, or on Sky channel 328.
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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, June 24, 2020

Monty Don's writing shed in June


We've covered Monty Don's writing shed several times on Shedworking because he obviously loves it so much and it's so picturesque. Here is what it looks like this morning, framed with the lovely rambling 'Wedding Day' rose. --------------------------------------
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, June 23, 2020

iCap 'garden office' accessory



As soon as the sun comes out, social media is full of people saying 'welcome to my garden office' under a pic of their laptop on a table in the garden. It's a great first step towards becoming a fully fledged shedworker. But one problem with this setup (apart from the likely ergonomic horror) is screen reflection. One way to get round this is to invest in an iCap which provides help with glare as well as other issues such as sand (if you're working beachside) or rain (though maybe this will actually make you return indoors). Used by professional photographers around the world, it comes in various sizes, each with numerous openings for ventilation/cables/USB sticks, and various belts to adjust the size of the opening - essentially they're titchy tents.
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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, June 22, 2020

Tree Hoe treehouse




A marvellous hexagoal tree house by Mark Burton from Tiny House UK for a returning customer in Surrey. The multi-use build is used as a potting shed, a treehouse space for grandchildren, and a double-door garage for a ride-on mower. Clad in the famous Western Red Cedar shingles and lots of nice touches such as the door handle above. Lots more photos at the Tiny House site here.

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

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Workstation Cabin



For those who want to think outside the box, here's the geometrically-fascinating Workstation Cabin from Budapest-based Hello Wood. Here are the specs:

Area and space requirements: 4.34 x 3.40 x 3.60 m
Net floor area: 9.3 m2
Gross floor area: 10 m2
External height (with legs): 3.60 m (3.25 m +, 0.35 m)
Interior area: 8 m2 Internal height: 2.6 m

It is delivered fully-built with a built-in bench and electrics. Additional features include mood lighting, sound system, and air conditioner.

Hello Wood is an interesting supplier. Here's how they describe themselves:
Hello Wood started out as an art camp in 2010, and over the years, has grown into a global hub for architects, designers and woodworkers looking to new ways of sharing and producing knowledge. Today we exist both as a creative architecture and design studio and an educational platform for architectural dialogue and experimentation.
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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, June 20, 2020

Is it time to get a garden office?


An excellent piece about the versatility of garden offices and sheds by Mark Burton of Tiny House Cabins at SLMan. Here's a snippet:
“People don’t necessarily want your average 4ft pent shed anymore,” confirms Mark. “Nowadays, sheds aren’t just for run-of-the-mill uses like storing garden tools and tins of paint. I’ve built sheds for jam making, gin making, songwriting and even chinchilla breeding.” The right shed can be a home office, workshop, gym or just a relaxing spot for a drink with friends. Think about soundproofing if you’re planning to use it as a music studio or workshop; just add a built-in bar if you want a space for entertaining; air conditioning is a good addition if you’re after a home gym.
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Friday, June 19, 2020

The Life-Changing Magic of Sheds


One to look out for as a potential addition to your shedworking bookshelf, The Life-Changing Magic of Sheds: A Pilgrimage to the Bottom of the Garden by Henry Cole who some of you will know from television series Shed and Buried.  Here's the bumph from the publisher:
When it comes to truly finding out who you are and what makes you tick, there is one thing that needs no online subscription to a cloud-based server with a password you keep forgetting. That, my friend, is a shed.

Your shed is your refuge. It’s the place where you go when you need a break from this mad, crazy world. But a shed can only help you if it’s not attached to the house. The minute you attach the shed to the gaff, or confuse the concept of a shed with the concept of a conservatory, or a home office or a Shepherd’s Hut, you’re doing yourself over. You’re never, ever going to get spiritual enlightenment in a lean-to. That’s like going to find yourself in Thailand, and staying in the airport.

You need to make that pilgrimage to the bottom of the garden. Whether you’re walking down a muddy track or crunching along a perfect gravel path, you have to get out of the house. Breathe in the fresh air. Then pull open the door, grapple for the light switch, fire up the heaters and turn on the kettle. Once you’re inside the four walls of your shed, you can do whatever you like. You’re the king in there.
Out in September. Here's Henry chatting briefly about it:

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

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Orangeryworking



If you like the idea of a garden office which is largely glass-walled (with brick and wooden elements), here's an orangery-based idea from Swedish design studio JV Arkitekter on the island of Lavö. It combines the traditional features of an orangery full of room for plants - in this case geraniums, olive and citrus trees - with a separate section for socialising or working.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Shacks By The Shore




If you are based in the Brighton area, look out for the opening on Saturday of Rockwater Hove's Shacks by the Shore, a new shedlike restaurant, takeaway and community hub on the Western Esplanade of the seafront. There will be six beach-hut style "shacks" (installation photo top, artist's impressions above) in the former Venue pub location included the Fish Shack with seafood from local fishmongers Fish Galore. As well as locally-sourced food and drink (e.g. West Sussex-based Craft House Coffee and Rockwater Lager), there will be various fitness/wellness facilities supplied by local operators including Underground Gym and Uber Mummies. --------------------------------------
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, June 16, 2020

Anthropod's new Go! garden office




We mentioned Harrogate-based Anthropods some time ago on Shedworking when they first launched into the glamping market and we're delighted to report that they've now entered the garden office market with their new Go! design (pictured above is the Bleriot 72 model) for one or two shedworkers at a time.

All Go! garden offices come with ergonomically designed built-in work stations, filing systems, fitted cupboards, wardrobe, and heating system, with a coffee station and food preparation surfaces as well as Bluetooth speakers.

As we reported before, the garden offices are made from sustainable and maintenance-free timber with insulation made from recycled plastic bottles for insulation. They are delivered fully-built and then craned in. They do not require any kind of base, other than four small pads on which the legs stand. Technically, it's a caravan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

Monday, June 15, 2020

Boom time for garden offices


That's what the Yorkshire Post says in a new article by the country's best property journalist, the excellent Sharon Dale, 'How to buy or build a home office in the garden' (which also very kindly mentions Shedworking and the book of the site too). Here's a snippet:

“Clearly, we must have had a premonition about home working, as the shed has been a tremendous asset over the past three months in lockdown. It is three paces from the back door and has meant that I can still go to work and at the end of a long day, shut the door and return home. My journey time is less than five seconds,” says Ric, who adds: “I’ve been intrigued by those Zoom meetings that show people across the country making ad hoc office spaces in dining rooms and bedrooms. “I must say that an office in the garden is definitely the way forward. Sure, you miss the social interaction with office colleagues but the productivity in shed isolation is great and it’s only four steps away from the kettle. Shoffice working is the future.”
Image courtesy Cedar Garden Rooms  -------------------------------------------------
Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Young creatives move into shedworking


A marvellous article in The Guardian, My dad's shed is my dark room, looks at how final year arts and fashion graduates have been expressing themselves. Among those included is Rachel Pendered, pictured above, from Falmouth School of Art. Here's what she says:
I have been silkscreen-printing patterns with hand-cut stencils in my parents’ living room in Suffolk. I built a DIY exposure unit with my dad in the shed – my makeshift darkroom. My work involves playful images that campaign for environmental issues: encouraging people to buy secondhand clothes, plant trees, eat seasonally and cut down on plastics.
And here's painter and printmaker Robert McCormack from the Glasgow School of Art:
I’ve retreated to my parents’ house in Inverness, where I set up a studio in the garage. I feel lucky to have the space, even if it is a bit cold. I have continued to draw and make my own paper-pulp sculptures. My work, which incorporates performance, drawing, sculpture and installation, explores normative behaviour and status; I’m fascinated by the role of the pet. I work as a life model to help pay for materials, and I’ve kept that up online.
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Friday, June 12, 2020

How many people are working from garden offices during lockdown?


Research from Moneypenny indicates that over half of people in Britain are happy to work from home and happy to carry on doing so, but what it focuses on is where people are doing it. Here are the interesting results.


That 4% is a significant number of shedworkers. 

Here are some more interesting statistics:

* When asked what time they usually get up when working from home, 42%, said it’s about one hour before they start work, 17% get up about 30 minutes before work, 15% about 45 minutes (and 6% have a lie-in and get up about 15 minutes before work with 5% getting up less than 10 minutes before work). Remarkably, 15% get up more than one hour before work.

* Around 46% of those surveyed said they made sure to keep their normal lunch hours, but nearly a third said they take shorter lunch breaks then they usually would when in the office.

* Over three-quarters said they answer calls and emails after normal working hours, blurring the line between the restful atmosphere of home life and the stress of work.

* 12% say they spend more time on work as they don’t commute.

* Three-quarters have experienced a day where they did not speak to anyone from work.

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

Thursday, June 11, 2020

Can you claim a garden office as a business expense?


This is certainly in the top 10 questions we are regularly asked at Shedworking. Sadly, there's no simple answer and we always recommend that you talk to your financial adviser and follow their suggestions about what you can and cannot claim. There's a new Q&A from A Room in the Garden with co-owner Ivana Cavallo talking to Adam Thompson, a Corporate Tax Manager at Cardens Accountants. Here's a snippet:
What are the pros and cons of having a garden office as a company asset?
I guess, there are no real cons. If someone needs the space, they need the space. It gets the business out of the house and gives them some segregation. From a tax point of view, there are some reliefs. If you are VAT registered, you can claim the VAT back from the cost of the property. Which for a purchase of that size it is not small.
You can read the rest of the Q&A on their site here. Well worth a look.

Image courtesy Arctic Cabins

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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, June 10, 2020

Elizabeth Fraser: shedworker


We mentioned the St Bride Library virtual wayzgoose earlier in the week on Shedworking. Here's another video from that excellent event, a look around printer Elizabeth Fraser's garden office (you can see more of her marvellous work on her instagram page).

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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.