Garden office heaters

Although it's not been a terribly harsh winter so far, many shedworkers are understandably interested in ensuring they're not freezing in their garden offices. Usually, a properly insulated build should need very little help to keep it cosy and suppliers such as Smart often include a wall mounted radiator for the occasional quick blast.

If you're looking to invest in additional heating, Tech Advisor has tried out some of the leading small, portable heaters on the market, the kind that would be useful for shedworkers and provided some very useful and readable comments. It's well worth a look. Our main comments are that you don't want something noisy, you don't need anything too powerful, and small is always good.

-----------------------------------------------------

 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

 buildings.

Transforming sheds into functional home gyms: a step-by-step guide


This article about turning your shed or garden office into a gym by Richard McKay, Managing Director of Sprung Gym Flooring, is a sponsored post

With busy schedules and the rising popularity of home workouts, transforming an underused garden shed into a functional home gym is a creative and cost-effective solution. Not only does it provide a dedicated workout space, but it also eliminates the need for costly gym memberships or travel. However, turning a shed into a safe, high-performance gym requires careful planning, particularly when it comes to choosing the right gym flooring to ensure safety and comfort. This guide will walk you through the process, step by step.

Why turn your shed into a gym?


1. Convenience and privacy

    •    A shed gym allows you to work out anytime without commuting.
    •    Enjoy privacy and control over the environment compared to public gyms.

2. Cost-effective fitness solution


    •    Save on gym memberships by investing in a one-time shed conversion.
    •    Utilise an existing space, minimising the cost of building a new structure.

3. Tailored to your needs


    •    Design your workout space to suit your fitness goals, from weightlifting zones to yoga corners.


Preparing your shed for conversion

1. Assessing the space


    •    Ensure your shed is large enough for workout equipment and exercises.
    •    Check for structural stability and weatherproofing.


2. Clearing and cleaning


    •    Remove clutter and clean the space thoroughly to prepare for modifications.

3. Planning utilities


    •    Install proper ventilation and lighting for a comfortable workout environment.
    •    Consider adding electrical outlets if you plan to use treadmills or other powered equipment.



Essential modifications for a shed gym


1. Insulation and temperature control


    •    Insulate walls and floors to maintain a consistent temperature, especially for year-round use.
    •    Add a small heater or fan to adjust the climate as needed.


2. Flooring installation


    •    Install high-quality gym flooring for garage or sheds to protect your equipment and reduce impact on your joints.
    •    Interlocking floor mats are ideal for sheds due to their easy installation and customizability.

3. Storage and organisation


    •    Use wall hooks, shelves, or storage racks to keep equipment tidy and maximise space.
 

Equipping your shed gym


1. Choosing the right equipment


    •    Start with essentials like dumbbells, kettlebells, and resistance bands.
    •    Add larger items like treadmills or weight benches if space permits.


2. Multipurpose equipment


    •    Invest in versatile machines like a cable machine or adjustable dumbbells to save space.


3. Flooring considerations


    •    Ensure your flooring can handle heavy equipment. Durable gym flooring options like rubber tiles are perfect for this.
 

Creating a safe and inviting workout space


1. Safety measures


    •    Install mirrors to check your form and prevent injuries.
    •    Ensure adequate lighting and ventilation to maintain focus and comfort.


2. Personal touches


    •    Add motivational decor, a sound system, or a screen for virtual workouts.
    •    Use colour schemes and lighting that energise your space.


3. Maintenance


    •    Regularly clean your interlocking floor mats and equipment to keep the space hygienic.
    •    Inspect the shed for weather damage or wear and tear.


Conclusion


Transforming your shed into a personal fitness haven is a rewarding project that offers convenience, privacy, and long-term savings. By focusing on essential modifications like insulation, storage, and the right gym flooring, you can create a safe and functional workout space tailored to your needs. Whether you’re a weightlifting enthusiast or a yoga devotee, a shed gym can elevate your fitness journey right in your backyard.


Ready to start your shed-to-gym transformation? Explore high-quality flooring options like gym flooring for garage or versatile interlocking floor mats to ensure your new space is built to last.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

Green light for Romney Marsh beach chalets

Folkestone & Hythe District Council has given the green light to a project which will see 93 new colourful beach huts/chalets along Greatstone Beach near New Romney as part of a £1.5million renovation scheme.

The Romney Marsh Coastal Destination project will include a visitor hub building, café kiosk, and car parking (including disabled bays and EV charging points) at the Coast Drive car park, Greatstone, all liked by a fully-accessible boardwalk.
 The council expects the chalets to be popular since the 115 renovated and new huts at Marine Walk, Folkestone, have 100 per cent occupancy and a waiting list of more than 800 people. Indeed, the project is forecast to make the council a profit of more than £2m over the next two decades.

The new beach huts should be ready for visitors to rent in autumn 2025 with works expected to start in February 2025.

Greenhouse trend predictions 2025 include garden office use

Hartley Botanic's annual greenhouse trend predictions make interesting reading for shedworkers and those considering joining the garden office club.

Its key take home is that the use of partitions in greenhouses is becoming increasingly popular as gardeners look to formally divide structures for additional lifestyle uses. Indeed, at the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the company showcased its Victorian Manor Glasshouse with a partitioned-off work/ lifestyle room and says that customers are now using partitions to create separate spaces for dining, garden working or tranquil morning and evening relaxation. 

"Greenhouses, even though single-glazed, offer a sheltered environment that allow people to enjoy their gardens regardless of the weather," said a spokesperson, "and the use of partitions adds an additional element of flexibility and personalisation. Greenhouse owners are using them to add a garden "room” separate to their horticultural needs, enjoying the space in a multifaceted way while surrounded by their plants."

------------------------------------------------

 

 

Monday posts are sponsored by Cosy Garden Rooms, the UK's No. 1 bespoke garden room designer and builder.

 

Friday Finery: Arctic Bar

As Advent is rapidly approaching, here's a festively snowy shot of a 10m² Arctic Bar from Arctic Cabins for the Friday Finery slot.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Santa's Shed Christmas card

Continuing our weekly Thursday series highlighting shed-based Christmas cards with a garden office flavour, here's Santa's Shed, a 3-D pop-up card from Me & McQ. Click on the link and you can rotate it online - it's very smart indeed and highly recommended for the sheddie in your life.

-----------------------------------------------------

 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

 buildings.

Three Trees Studio

Pictured above is a one-of-a-kind curvaceous garden studio in Hampstead, London, from Rise Design Studio. In particular, it takes in the mature trees of the build site which adds a very definite 'garden' element. It's a multi-functional space with birch plywood interiors and curved glass walls to be used as additional accommodation (with bathroom) and also a games room. Other features include extremely insulated walls, and two roof lights.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

 

Another Place Press: shedworkers

Another Place Press was set up nearly a decade ago by Iain Sajeant as a small independent publishing press based in the Scottish Highland which concentrates on high quality contemporary photobooks. Pictured above is a lovely recent shot of its garden office headquarters.

-------------------------------------------------

 

 

Monday posts are sponsored by Cosy Garden Rooms, the UK's No. 1 bespoke garden room designer and builder.

 

Friday Finery: wintry garden office

As the winter chill starts to bite, here's a slightly frosty yet fully insulated garden office from Green Retreats with a splendid path to boot.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Garden office Christmas card

As we head towards December, many of you will be considering sending Christmas cards. We'll offer up a few shed-based suggestions in the coming weeks, starting with this one from Versus Arthritis, the UK's leading arthritis charity. Available locally hopefully but if not from the charity's shop here, each pack of 10 costs £3.99.

-----------------------------------------------------

 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

 buildings.

Shrewsbury Men's Shed named UK Men's Shed of the Year

Large congratulations to Shrewsbury Men’s Shed for winning the 2024 UK Men's Shed of the Year trophy (Shedworking is particularly pleased about this since it's the birthplace of it's Head of Content). Here's what their shortlisting says about them:

Shrewsbury Men’s Shed has achieved a huge amount in their three years. The Shed are a real community space, hosting other charities and organisations regularly, offering their space and friendship to people with dementia, men with cancer, woodturners and a horticulture group. The Shed have undertaken some huge projects, like restoring Percy Thrower’s greenhouse and even building and running a ferry service, providing a connection to town that previously didn’t exist. The Shed are currently supporting the Afghan families located at a nearby army camp by welcoming them to their Shed for cooking and craft, and are even supporting the development of two Sheds for Afghan men and women at the army camp. The Shed aim for all they do to benefit their Shedders, their community, and their environment.

Also a big well done to the following:

• Pontypridd Mens Shed for winning the Shed Partnership of the Year 2024 Award
• Rhyl Men’s Shed for winning the Community Project of the Year award 
• Caerau Men’s Shed for winning the Health and Wellbeing of the Year Award 
• Mark Mantle, of Ludlow Men’s Shed for winning the Volunteer of the Year Award

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

 

Snowy sheds

Oh dear. No walking to work today.....

[image or embed]

— Ken W Tayler (@kennywt.bsky.social) November 19, 2024 at 9:22 AM

It's that time of year again when the snowy sheds come out to play. Over on Bluesky, Andrew Wilcox (better known to many of you as Uncle Wilco, founder of the Shed of the Year competition) is compiling overnight examples.

This is a good time to mention that Shedworking has abandoned Twitter/X - for all the obvious reasons - and can now be found on Bluesky under the same name so please do follow us there.

Joanne Harris on her garden office

A very personal piece about garden offices and having a room of one's own by writer Joanne Harris at Certain Age in which I'm delighted to read she's planning a shed calendar. Here's a snippet:

My husband built me a shed at the top of the garden; a designated workspace of a kind I’d never had, built to my specifications, and free from the distractions of phones or random callers. It was lovely – stone-built, with beams of green oak, and even now that scent brings me back there cleanly and effortlessly.

 You can read her interview with Shedworking about the same subject here.

-------------------------------------------------

 

 

Monday posts are sponsored by Cosy Garden Rooms, the UK's No. 1 bespoke garden room designer and builder.

Friday Finery: Garden office in the garden

Ease yourself into the weekend with this tranquil setting of a Garden Affairs Linea model among its horticultural peers.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Painting studio

It's hard to imagine a timber painting studio which allows more light in than this fine example underneath a large eucalyptus tree from architects Hugh Strange. Because of the tree, the foundations have been carefully managed to avoid damaging any roots. Features include The studio the Douglas Fir studio frame, rainwater harvesting system (to help feed the tree's roots) and sliding doors. Lots more images of the build, the foundations, and how it looks now at the architects' site here.

-----------------------------------------------------

 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

 buildings.

Booths Garden Studios launches new garden studio design (video)

Pictured above is the new studio and annexe design which Booths Garden Studios have been working on for most of the last year. It has a number of improvements - particularly in terms of strengthening the structure, a new flyover design, and smaller bits and bobs such as clever lighting - and these have been thoroughly documented in a series of useful short videos (something Booths is particularly good at), the first one of which you can find below and then follow the links to the rest.

The new studio models are now called the QCB4 and the QC7 as Booths no longer supplies the QCB2, or QC6). All the improvements have been incorporated into both designs and the only difference between the QCB4 and the QC7 is that the roof of the QC7 can accommodate downlights in the ceiling and the roof has an overhang around the studio. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

 

Managers, parents and over 30s are more likely to hybrid work

The Office for National Statistics' latest survey makes for interesting reading about the types of workers most likely to be following a hybrid working pattern and how they spend their time.

According to its Opinions and Lifestyle survey, more than a quarter of working adults in Great Britain (28%) were hybrid working this autumn (slightly surprisingly, the trend in working only from home has fallen since 2021). Hybrid working is more common among those aged over 30, parents, those working as managers or professionals, and those in industries that require less face-to-face contact. Those with higher qualifications were also more likely to hybrid work. Pictured top is the percentage of working adults by working arrangement in Britain between January 2021 to October this year.

Those working from home saved an average of 56 minutes that day from not commuting, and findings suggest that some of that time was spent on rest, exercise, sports and well-being. 

People who worked from home on a given day spent an average of 24 minutes more on ‘sleep and rest’ and 15 minutes more on ‘exercise, sports and well-being’ on the respective day compared with those who worked away from home. Indeed, 'Improved staff well-being' has continued to be one of the most frequently reported business reasons for using or intending to use increased hybrid and homeworking, according to the ONS's Business Insights and Conditions Survey.
 
Of people surveyed between April 10 and 30 June 2024, 29% of workers aged 30 years and older followed a hybrid working pattern, compared with 19% for those aged 16 to 29 years old. Working parents were more likely to hybrid work (35%) compared with working non-parents (24%). And male working parents were more likely to hybrid work than female working parents (41% compared with 30% respectively).
 
Close to half (45%) of those in more senior occupations e.g. managers, directors and senior officials followed a hybrid working model, compared with 27% of all workers. Workers with a degree or equivalent qualification were 10 times more likely to hybrid work than those with no qualifications (42% compared with 4% respectively).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Malvern Garden Buildings offer a premium collection of garden buildings, displayed at 11 UK showsites.

New Idler shed column focuses on individuality

The new issue of the Idler magazine is out now. In my regular shed/garden office column I look at the remarkable inviduality on show on the interiors of garden buildings, including the recent winner of Shed of the Year (away from the world of sheds my column on Idler Heros looks at the diaries of the chap who inspired Withnail in Withnail and I). Available all over the place but ideally via a subscription - details at the link above.

-------------------------------------------------

 

 

Monday posts are sponsored by Cosy Garden Rooms, the UK's No. 1 bespoke garden room designer and builder.

Friday Finery: Writer's shepherd's hut

This week's finery ushers in the weekend with this idyllically-placed writer's hut from shepherd's hut specialists Plankbridge.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

 

HS2 bat shed cost £100m+

Could HS2 have built the most expensive shed ever? According to Si Jon Thompson, HS2's chair, who was talking at the Rail Industry Association conference today about the costs of the whole project, a kilometre-long 'bat shed' had to be erected in woodland alongside the new high-speed line in Sheephouse Wood, Buckinghamshire to save a colony of Bechstein’s bats. While Shedworking is very much on the bats' side, Thompson admitted that the shed - which cost north of £100m - had been built without any evidence that bats were actually in danger. And indeed Natural England has said it did not stipulate such a structure was vital. Plenty of media have covered this story, including the Guardian here, if you'd like more details.

-----------------------------------------------------

 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

 buildings.

 

Beach hut painting sells for £12,000

This lovely oil painting by Scottish artist Alberto Morocco of a lido beach hut recently sold at auction by The Cotswold Auction Company for £12,000.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

 

e-Snug garden office

If you like the shepherd's hut vibe but don't want to go full shepherd's hut, then perhaps something like this from East Yorkshire-based My Garden Studio might suit. It has all the normal must haves, but what the Shedworking staff like in particular is the curved roof line. There are several sizes on offer, though there is also a fully bespoke service - this one pictured is 2m x 2m but there is an even smaller 1.4m x 1.4m option if you are really pushed for space. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Malvern Garden Buildings offer a premium collection of garden buildings, displayed at 11 UK showsites.

Ghost painter’s garden studio

An unusual artist's garden studio case study on Malvern Garden Buildings' blog focuses on Sal who uses her Studio Pavilion model from the supplier's range to produce unique art as the piece explains:

Sal once worked as a housekeeper in a stately home, dedicating her spare time to painting. She drew inspiration from her imagination, creating artworks that depicted female servants from a bygone era as they went about their daily tasks.

Interestingly, it wasn’t until Sal exhibited some of her paintings that a local recognised one of the characters as a former servant from the very house where she had worked. To this day, Sal continues to use this same creative process, allowing her figures to emerge from the canvas, often adorned in Edwardian hats, petticoats, or uniforms typical of life below stairs.

The garden office's features include two double cupboards with a glass top used as a palette, and built-in storage shed. Lots more photos at the Malvern site here.

-------------------------------------------------

 

 

Monday posts are sponsored by Cosy Garden Rooms, the UK's No. 1 bespoke garden room designer and builder.

 

Friday Finery: Awardwinning Sounds of Adventure garden building

This week's Finery focuses on Silver Leaf Garden Rooms' intriguing design for the Sounds of Adventure wins at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival earlier this year which won the Best Construction prize. It was designed by Nic Howard and sponsored by Exodus Adventure Travels, with the building 'hovering' above the garden, supported with ground screws.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Hempcrete garden studio

An interesting naturally-built garden office for Belgian architects Van Laethem Architecten which they built for themselves using cedar shingles and hempcrete. It happily fits in at least three members of the team and features a lower section of red brick cladding, a floor made out of recycled foam glass, and a large built-in desk. It takes in a small bathroom and kitchen too. Lots more photos at the Van Laethem site here.

-----------------------------------------------------

 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

 buildings.