Thursday, March 28, 2024

Steel garden office

As we often remind potential shedworkers looking around for a garden office, while wood is by some distance the most popular build material, other build materials are available. Among them are the steel offerings from Portable Space who have recently launched a new model, the Como. It's fully insulated with double-glazed opening windows and doors made from high-quality galvanised stee.

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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, March 27, 2024

Garden prosecco bar

Garden offices are obviously excellent places to work, but all work and no play... Here's an example of an Arctic Cabins BBQ Hut put to less studious but more jolly use. The company says they've noticed increasing numbers of customers mentioning that they have plans to use their build as a gin/cocktail/prosecco santuary.

Among them is Laura from Retford in Nottinghamshire, mum of two primary school aged children, and who enjoys girls' nights out, who decided to recreate the bar experience of her pre-parenting days in her back garden. "I wanted a garden building," she said, "a log cabin, but a lot of the ones that I’ve looked at were just sheds. I didn’t want the girls feeling like we’d just put some chairs out in a shed. It feels like a safe place – I think this will be a sanctuary for us school mums!”

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

 

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Building a replica of Roald Dahl's writing shed

A fabulously-realised project by office design and build specialists K2 Space saw them build a replica of Roald Dahl's famous writing hut for the London office of the Roald Dahl Family Company which looks after the writer's literary and creative legacy. It comes complete with a thatched roof and vintage typewriter, and is used as a meeting space within the larger office area. Do enjoy the short video below which shows how it was all done:

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

Monday, March 25, 2024

Ruth Janette Ruck's writing hut


I have been reading Ruth Janette Ruck's first rural memoir Place of Stones for a book I'm writing which comes out next year about Wales. Not only is it really interesting, flicking through one of the follow-ups to it, Along Came a Llama, I was intrigued to discover that this later book was largely written in what Ruck calls her 'Writing Hut' close to her home. Here's her description of it:

The hut had once been a henhouse but, with the perches and nest boxes removed and the wall lined with hardboard and the floor with linoleum, it made a good and peaceful retreat for me. It was screened from the cottage by a dry-stone wall and overhung by a huge ash tree. Round about, clumps of bracken were beginning to unfurl and foxgloves were pushing up their flower spikes.

She goes on to describe that this secluded spot gave her a particularly fine view when she left the door open, particularly of birds in the branches of the ash, one that reminded her of an oil painting.

Friday, March 22, 2024

Garden office crime never pays

A man has been sentenced to four months in prison after being caught by an off duty police officer in Winchester, according to Hampshire Police.

Paul David Wild, 41, of Hyde Gate, Winchester pleaded guilty to burglary other than dwelling and possession of a controlled Class B drug at Basingstoke Magistrates Court on March 18.

The officer had just finished a night shift and was making his way home when he saw two men running across the road in Hyde Street. Pulling over in his vehicle, he got out to see if anyone needed help, to be told that one of the men had just found the other stealing items from his garden office.

He presented himself as an off duty police officer and detained him before carrying out a search and finding a number of items which belonged to the victim, including a laptop, Bluetooth speakers and three skateboards. All the stolen property was returned to the victim.

Police Staff Investigator Michael Longmore, said: “Thanks to the victim and this officer, Wild was caught and put before the court in just over 24 hours after the burglary took place. Burglary is an invasive crime and can leave victims feeling insecure and vulnerable in their own homes. I hope the speed at which this has been resolved has brought some comfort to the victim."

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

 

 

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Printing studio log cabin

As our staff are also (very) amateur letterpress printers, we were delighted to come across this build by Garden Affairs for far more professional letterpress outfit Ptolmaic Press run by Phil McMullen from his Wiltshire base. It's a 5.5m x 3m log cabin, with windows and doors factory painted in Reseda Green but the building itself supplied unpainted as Phil wanted to do that paint job himself. Inside, there's space for a drying rack and the floor has been reinforced to hold the weight of his 1926 'Arab' Foolscap Folio press, made by Wades of Halifax.

Pictured below are his printing presses (the Shedworking staff were particularly delighted to see the Adana 8 x 5 at work as we also have one of those in the basement office) and workspace.


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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, March 20, 2024

Garden studios site visits

Although you can get a feel for a garden office online, t's always good to take a look at them in person before you hand over your hard-earned money. Booths Garden Studios is among those suppliers which are happy to pass on details of customers who are happy to give you a quick tour of their Booths builds. Alternatively, or additionally, you can visit one of their three dedicated sites:

- the Booths Garden Studios factory 11 St Marks Rd, Corby, NN18 8AN

- the company's northern site at Megasheds, Windmill Garden Centre, Sealand Road, Chester CH5 2RH 

- and the southern site at Squires Garden Centre, Epsom Road, West Horsley, Leatherhead, KT24 6AR

Click the link above for various ways of contacting them to arrange a visit.

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

 

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Eleanor Dark’s garden studio

Pictured above is the garden studio of the Australian novelist Eleanor Dark, one of the country's leading 20th century novelists (The Timeless Land, Storm of Time, No Barrier). It's in the gardens of their home Varuna, in Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, and was her home - with husband Eric - from 1923 until her death in 1985. It was turned into what has become a very successful retreat for writers in 1989 by their son Mick on the death of Eric.

Of particular interest is Eleanor's garden office which is allocated as a writing space to whoever is booked into the smallest downstairs bedroom. The studio has a lovely view across the garden and writers who work there are encouraged to leave a few pages of their work-in-progress in the very same manuscript drawers that Eleanor used to store her own manuscripts in. Features include Eleanor's original desk which retains its cigarette burns and the custom built cabinet with a separate drawer for working on individual chapters.

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

 

Monday, March 18, 2024

UK Men’s Sheds host ‘The Parliament Shed’ in Westminster

UK Men’s Sheds Association (UKMSA) have erected a Men’s Shed at Portcullis House in the Palace of Westminster estate and will man it until March 22 in a drive to raise awareness of men’s wellbeing and the Men’s Shed movement.

‘The Parliament Shed’ has been custom-built and is designed to highlight the health, wellbeing and social benefits of community-run Men’s Sheds and the key areas where Sheds make an impact. Expert partners from partners and shedders such as the Zero Suicide Alliance and the Centre for Ageing Better are joining UKMSA and shedders from around the UK to explain the causes and promote the benefits of their work. Topics include: Suicide Prevention, Mental Health, Men’s Health and Loneliness. 

With more than 1,100 Men’s Sheds across the UK and over 33,000 ‘Shedders’, the UKMSA aims to use this platform to engage with people working in the parliamentary estate and government to raise the profile of the Men’s Sheds movement, and highlight the causes and partners engaged at the event.

Charlie Bethel, chief executive officer said: “Men’s Sheds work because they are a simple concept people can relate to. Whether it is a Shed building bird boxes or mending football boots and bikes to give to disadvantaged children in their communities, you can see a real pride and sense of achievement in everyone who comes through the door of a Shed."

In addition, UKMSA will be announcing a formal partnership with Royal British Legion at The Parliament Shed. "Many Sheds in the UK have veterans in. With the Royal British Legion we hope to increase that number by helping Sheds become more accessible, particularly for people with conditions such as PTSD. We believe this agreement will also see more Sheds opened and we can have more of an impact on communities across the UK. We are particularly proud to be working on establishing Dementia Sheds across the six RBL Care Homes," explained Bethel.

The Parliament Shed was donated by Wickes, Onduline and Power Sheds and has been adapted by Black Park Shed in Buckinghamshire for the week-long event in Parliament. Tools, equipment and supplies have been provided by Axminster Tools Ltd, TiteFix and Ronseal.

Friday, March 15, 2024

Friday finery: spring log cabin


With spring just around the corner, here's a lovely shot of an Arctic Cabins build enjoying the sun. Here's what Arctic Cabins say about it: "The appeal of log cabins lies in their connection to nature, their durability & the escape from the pressures of modern life. From the ancient log cabins to the modern-day BBQ retreats they continue to captivate." 

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

 

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Mudeford beach hut on sale for £480k


Brace yourself for the start of a new season of remarkable asking prices for beach huts. The latest comes from our old friend Mudeford, Christchurch, Dorset. On with beach hut specialists Denisons, it's a smidgeon under £500,000 (bought originally for £400 in the 1950s by the same family which has owned it all this time). Although the 16ft x 13ft 'Salad Days' hut is extremely well fitted out - sleeps seven (at a push), mezzanine, fridge freezer, gas cooker, camping toilet - it doesn't actually face the sea. Plus you have to factor in council tax of £630 and an annual license fee of nearly £3,000. If you're interested, do have a look at the Mudeford Sandbank Beach Hut Handbook.

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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, March 13, 2024

Tram car garden office comes to auction

Here's a chance to own a garden office with considerable pedigree. Going under the hammer at Charterhouse Auctions next month is this 100-year-old Bournemouth tram car, No. 113, built by the Brush Electrical Enginnering Company and in original condition. Lovely in itself, the 23ft x 7.5ft build which originally ran between Lansdowne and Southbourne has also spent the last decade as the garden office of Richard Lee who runs Plankbridge.

"It has been like an old friend in the workshop," says Richard, who found it at a farm in Milton Abbas, "with its peeling yellow and ochre paintwork, ruby coloured glass panels and lovely old painted signage with ‘NO SMOKING ALLOWED’, ‘15 SEATS EACH SIDE’ and ‘DO NOT SPIT IN THE CAR’."

Richard Bromell from Charterhouse (pictured above with Richard) said: " We never know what we are going to be asked to auction. In nearly 40 years of working in auctioneering, this is certainly the first time I have been asked to sell a full sized tram car! 

The estimate is £3,000-4,000.

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

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Garden art studio

A nice case study of how Laura Bird runs her Miss Bird’s School of Art from her Malvern Garden Buildings garden studio."My main goal was to have a space outside that I could teach in, so that my family could still hang out indoors," she explains. "I wanted my space to be calm and beautiful so that my students would never want to leave. 

"I live in a ground floor flat with my husband and daughter, so space isn’t plentiful. My garden studio is a saving grace as it allows me to teach my art students when the family are still in the home, or I can escape to do some painting when I need a little me time. During the summer months, it’s the perfect space to do arts and crafts with my daughter and her friends. As my garden space is so small, I needed the studio to be as big as it possibly could be, especially in length, in order to fit a group of ten children. I chose the one I did mainly because I loved the way it looked. I actually love looking at it when I’m in the house as it’s so beautiful!" 

Read the rest of the interview at the Malvern Garden Buildings site here

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

 

Monday, March 11, 2024

New Idler magazine out now

The latest issue of the Idler is out now featuring my regular sheds column, this time looking at a jewellery business run from a garden studio, and the lowdown on  the newbook from Hoxton Mini Press, British Cabins and Hideaways. I've got several other pieces in it too including a look at Edith Wharton's idling prowess, the short travelogue The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices by good chums Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins, and an interview with the author of a new book about a very famous royal miniature dollshouse (and in particular its library).

You can buy it in Waitrose, Waterstones, Smiths Travel outlets and in 70 Smiths High Street branches. It’s also available in around 50 independent bookshops and newsagents. Best thing of course is a subscription via the link above.

Friday, March 08, 2024

Friday Finery: Ian Archie Beck's dacha

No apologies for circling back to artist and writer Ian Archie Beck and his wonderful garden office 'dacha'. Here's his most recent portrait of it entitled 'Garden Studio Early Morning St Margarets', acrylic on canvas.

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

 

Thursday, March 07, 2024

Sauna Snug

Following on from last week's Trend Note that our staff have noticed increasing numbers of suppliers not merely suggesting uses for their garden buildings but actually building ones for specific uses, here's the Sauna Snug from  Plankbridge which is large enough for four people at a time.

The shepherd's hut specialists have seen a major uptick in customers interested in outdoor saunas so have come up with this 14ft design aimed at people with private gardens, as well as glamping and hospitality businesses. Features include a sustainable Scandinavian aspen lining sourced from Sweden, separate changing area, under-bench storage, and either wood-fired or electric.

"The growth in the wellness-at-home market has definitely been reflected in the number of enquiries we’ve received at Plankbridge over the past year or so for saunas, hot tubs and treatment rooms," said Plankbridge founder Richard Lee. "And while we’ve designed various bespoke sauna huts for customers before, including one for a ski lodge in the French Alps and another which is now sitting beside a swimming pond in Herefordshire, this is the first time we have taken an existing Plankbridge hut model – the Snug, which is based on the proportions of the Victorian originals and the most traditional of all our shepherd’s huts – and used it for this very specific purpose."

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

 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   
 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional
 buildings.

 

Wednesday, March 06, 2024

Bothy: In Search of Simple Shelter

Coming your way in May, here's one for your shedworking bookshelf, Bothy: In Search of Simple Shelter
by Kat Hill. A thoughtful look at the bothy and the impact these remote huts in rural spots make, this travelogue is a history of these shelters in the UK with an emphasis on the themes of wilderness, simple living, and change (emotional and environmental). It's published by William Collins.

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

Tuesday, March 05, 2024

Greenwich garden studio: Before and after

We've seen some remarkable 'Before' and 'After' revamps on Shedworking over the years, but I think this is probably the finest. It's a garden studio in Greenwich, London, the work of MW Architects who turned the old derelict wash house above, into the reading room with micro lavatory and shower room you see below.

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

Monday, March 04, 2024

A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects

Technically, there's nothing significant in Sally Coulthard's new book about sheds or garden offices (though she did write it from one), but regular readers will recognise her name from her previous excellent books Shed Chic, How to Build a Shed, Shed Decor, Studio, and The Barn (all of which happily stand on Shedworking HQ's bookshelves) and so we thought you'd like to hear about this one too.

Written in Sally's usual authoritative but very readable style, she does exactly what she promises on the cover, providing a rural chronicle of life from a deer headdress from c. 9500 BC right up to a 21st century Robo-Bee. Although she grew up in the Yorkshire village of Calverley, she stretches her net widely to find intriguing items to discuss from around Britain (with occasional excursions abroad) - personal favourite sections include those on a 7th century Sutton Hoo bucket, a Merrills board from Wharram Percy village from the 13th century and an owl misericord from the 14th (I admit reading the piece on a 15th century 'bollock dagger' with slight trepidation but, ultimately, relief).

Yes, these are all objects, but Sally is really telling the stories of the people behind them. As she says in the book, it's 'a' history of the countryside rather than 'the' history of it, one with the actual men and women who lived, worked, and played in it front and centre. "A hundred objects was never going to be enough," she says, "but, hopefully, those I have chosen convey some of the ingenuity, oddness and sheer graft of all our rural forebears."

A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects is published by HarperNorth which has come up trumps again with a smashing cover, lovely endpapers, and evocative line drawings to illustrate each item.

Friday, March 01, 2024

Aldesko nail studio


 

Here's what we're calling the first shedworking trend of 2024, suppliers not only offering case studies of how their customers have turned their buildings to good use, but of actually showing in detail how they might be kitted out themselves. First up, is this nail studio from newcomers to the market Aldesko, pictued above with suggestions on what could go where in their trademark compact setup. We'll feature another one from a familiar name next week.

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