The fabulous timber-framed Edgerton Road bus shelter in Huddersfield, formerly a tram shelter. Grade II listed, it was built in 1896 then completely refurbished and
turned into a bus shelter in 2015 in time for the Tour de France that year.
Features include a pyramidal slate roof, and a nice bench to sit on.
Photo by Tim Green
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Here's a 12 sqm garden office tailormade by Hawksbeck Garden Rooms for clients in Kensington, London, who wanted something fully functional but that also blended into the relaxing garden atmosphere. Features including a marvellous oak desk, plenty of storage, two single entry doors. On the outside, the lap weatherboard cladding is in pale sage green Cedral Lap Weatherboard.
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A new study of 6,000 people by automatic time tracking specialists DeskTime suggests that working from home and garden offices is a key element in balancing life and work.
Its figures reveal that the most productive employees tend to work on a 75/33 work-to-rest cycle (work for 75 minutes, then rest for 33 minutes) compared to during the pandemic remote working years when the ratio was more like 112/26 which DeskTime argue means that in-office or hybrid work encourages a healthier work-life balance than fully remote work.
CEO, Artis Rozentals, said: “When DeskTime conducted the work/break ratio study back in 2021 we saw that working from home had immensely impacted workers’ ability to draw a line between work and life. Now, our latest productivity research shows we’re returning to more balanced working habits. Knowing the prevalence of hybrid work, the new 75/33 ratio may be linked to working in-office again.
“Working from the office, we’re naturally prone to taking more breaks – getting coffee, talking to co-workers, etc. While these interruptions may seem unproductive at first, they’re vital for mental rejuvenation and contribute to employee wellbeing. Plus, it provides us with the necessary social dynamic of a workplace. Ultimately, my experience as a CEO has shown that the hybrid model is the goldilocks choice, as it best leverages both this in-office social dynamic and the deep focus afforded by remote work."
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It's been some time since we caught up on Cressida Cowell's regular 'path to the writing shed' updates so here's the author of How To Train Your Dragon's evocative entry for June.
As we've often said before on Shedworking, sheds are for children too, and here's a fine example, The Hideaway from Scotts of Thrapston. Features include a cedar shingle roof with a copper finial, double doors, and a rear leaded 'peep window', and built with sustainable FSC-certified hardwood.
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One of the problems with visiting Dylan Thomas's writing shed in Wales is that the public is not normally allowed inside to have a proper look (although you can get a feel of it through the window), a gripe that is also applicable to George Bernard Shaw's writing hut in Hertfordshire. However, in the video below from around the 18.20 mark, you can enjoy an actual tour of the hallowed spot.
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If you haven't already done so you have until midnight on June 7 to enter this year's Shed of the Year competition. There are lots of entries already but you have to be in it to win it (£1,000 plus other nice stuff). Click the link to enter and remember you need to add six photos to make your entry valid, and if you've entered in the last five years and were not a finalist then you can re-enter. Pictured above is one of our favourite entries this year, The Coop, an art studio which is handbuilt and makes great use of recycled materials.
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The Garden Trellis Co is bringing out a new range of eight garden shed designs which have been endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society. Largely aimed at those who require storage, the larger models could also be used for one person as a garden office. All are flat-packed, although a fitting service is also available.
"We believe that a garden shed should be more than just a place to store tools," said a spokesperson. "It should be an extension of your home, a place where you can pursue your passions, relax, and connect with nature. Whether you envision a potting shed, a workshop, a reading nook, or simply a place to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life, our new range provides the perfect foundation for your dreams."
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Monday posts are sponsored by Cosy Garden Rooms, the UK's No. 1 bespoke garden room designer and builder.
Malvern Garden Buildings sponsored the Houseplants Studios section again at Chelsea Flower Show this year and among their six studios transformed by horticultural designers Shedworking staff picked this one, Babylon Beats, as their favourite.
It's a Studio Flat model, designed by James Whiting of Plants By There and The Little Botanical and, ambitiously, aims to reimagine the Hanging Gardens of Babylon via a 1980s mindset. Lots more images of it at the RHS's own site here and of the other Malvern studios at the show here.
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Though aimed at the glamping market, the Shedworking interns' eyes were caught by the Camping Barrel Royal (4.5m x 2.4m) offered by Northern Log Cabins. It's made from Thermowood and can easily be customised into varous sections, such as sleeping and living quarters, or into garden office space.
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Visiting garden offices in situ or taking a look at a garden office supplier's show site are great ways to get a feel for what's available and what you really want in a build. But if you want to compare and contrast then another idea is to visit lots of suppliers at the same time which is exactly what you can do at the BBC Gardeners' World Live expo thing at the NEC, Birmingham, running June 12-15.
Among the fine folk you can chat to and savour their offerings will be Arctic Cabins, Breeze House Designs, Cabin Master, Noah Garden Rooms, and Northern Log Cabins.
Image courtesy Cabin Master
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New research from the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London and King’s Business School indicates that less than half of UK workers would comply with a full-time return-to-office mandate.
Researchers found no evidence of a mass move back to offices, with working-from-home rates remaining stable since 2022.
The study analysed more than a million observations from the Labour Force Survey and 50,000 responses from the Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes UK, providing a comprehensive picture of remote working patterns across the UK workforce from early 2022 through to the end of 2024.
Only 42% of workers say they would comply with a five-day return-to-office requirement – down from 54% in early 2022 - while from early 2022 to the middle of 2024, the proportion of workers saying they would look for a new job with homeworking opportunities if their current employer tried to make them return to the office full-time rose from 40% to 50%.
Over the same period, the share of workers saying they would quit straight away if forced to go in five days a week doubled from 5% to 10%. Overall, 58% of workers now say they would either quit immediately (9%) or start looking for a new job (49%) if required to return full-time. Women are more likely to resist, with 64% saying they would quit straight away or seek alternative employment, compared to 51% of men.
Heejung Chung, Professor of Work and Employment and Director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King’s College London, and lead author of the report, said: “An increasing amount of research shows that well-designed hybrid working models offer significant benefits for both employers and employees. Alongside this, there has been a marked shift in attitudes, with workers now seeing flexibility as the norm. Managers need to understand and adapt to this new reality. Rather than forcing a return to pre-pandemic working patterns, organisations should be looking to formalise hybrid models, invest in remote collaboration tools, and set up coordinated in-office days to maximise engagement.
“Where possible, workers should feel emboldened to hold their ground in the face of return-to-office mandates, as the weight of the evidence demonstrating remote working does not harm productivity is growing. In fact, many studies are finding flexible workers tend to work longer and harder compared to those who do not work flexibly, and importantly, those who are able to work remotely tend to be more loyal and committed to their jobs.”
Photo courtesy Warwick Buildings
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Monday posts are sponsored by Cosy Garden Rooms, the UK's No. 1 bespoke garden room designer and builder.
The weather is lovely at Shedworking HQ in Hertfordshire today so in honour of that, here's an equally lovely shot of a garden office in Reading by Kingdom Rooms. It's a 4.1m x 3.1m garden office which is also used as an entertainment room.
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A shed, pergola and garden fence panels were completely destroyed by the fire, as well as half of a garden office. Happily, there were no injuries.
The fire is believed to have been accidental and caused by incense sticks placed too close to combustible materials.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "Incense sticks, candles and oil burners are one of the most common causes of fire within homes. It’s really important that you never leave these items unattended. Make sure you place incense sticks in a suitable, fire-resistant holder and keep them away from curtains and anything else that can easily catch fire. Remember to put them out entirely when you leave the room and especially before bed.
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An increasingly popular combination in garden office design is a studio with a gym area incorporated into it. Here is a 5.5m x 3m one by Cabin Master for a client called Hollie who wanted multi-use space for her and her young family, attracted initially by the company's show site in Nottingham.
“We wanted something natural looking and loved the vibe of the Redwood cladding," said Hollie. "Where the building was being located in the garden was quite focal, so it was really important that it blended into its surroundings. We also wanted to make sure both areas were inspiring places to be in and that there was plenty of natural light.”
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Although working from home has surged since the covid lockdowns, new research has revealed this hasn’t significantly changed where people live, or helped spread talent more evenly across the country.
Led by the University of Southampton, in collaboration with the University of St Andrews, University of Birmingham, De Montfort University, and the University of the Arts London, the research found most home workers still follow hybrid patterns, staying within reach of major employment hubs.
The findings show that just over 52% of workers in the UK never work from home, but among high-skilled workers, this figure is 29%. The majority of those who work from home do so in a hybrid pattern, with at least some days spent in the office.
Professor Jackie Wahba, from the University of Southampton and lead of the study, said: “Working from home is now a normal part of working life, with the potential to change where and how people work. It could offer major benefits, giving both employers and workers more choice and flexibility. But to achieve this, we must tackle key obstacles to residential mobility. It was widely believed that working from home would let high-skilled workers move further from their employers, opening up opportunities for less wealthy areas. But so far, it remains most common among higher earners in a few sectors, mostly near London and other major cities."
The study also found that when high-skilled workers change where they live, housing needs tend to be the driver, rather than jobs. This suggests the idea that working from home will allow lagging regions to attract high earners has yet to materialise, and in fact may not be realised at all. Co-funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the project warns that without stronger policy action, working from home may even deepen regional divides.
Anne Green, Professor of Regional Economic Development at City-REDI, University of Birmingham, said: “Hybrid working patterns are still evolving in Birmingham, with the business district adapting to demand for collaboration space. The city is attempting to retain and attract high-skilled talent while addressing entrenched deprivation and economic inactivity. Inclusive growth has become a guiding principle, but as is the case for many cities outside of London, progress will depend on deeper collaboration across local and regional stakeholders.”
Professor Wahba, added: “We need investment in transport links, fast broadband, schools, healthcare, green spaces, cultural venues, and affordable housing are as important as providing flexible work options in drawing and retaining skilled workers. Working from home isn’t yet bridging the gap between regions. Policymakers, businesses, and local leaders need to act to ensure that job flexibility does not exacerbate inequality but is harnessed to support real, long-term regional growth.”
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Monday posts are sponsored by Cosy Garden Rooms, the UK's No. 1 bespoke garden room designer and builder.
The marvellous winner of Shed of the Year 2024 'Wrinkly, Rusty & Retro’ by Wayne Dawber is this week's Finery focus to remind everybody that time is running out to enter the 19th annual competition. For 2025 there's a new category in Cuprinol Shed of the Year, Eco Haven, which celebrates the role of biodiversity in our gardens and in particular aims to raise awareness of the decline in bees and pollinators. More details at the link above.
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Continuing our look at the finest shedlike structures coming up over the next few months at various garden shows, here's an early glimpse of Hollaway Studio's collaboration with longstanding friend of Shedworking the award-winning garden designer Jo Thompson for her garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show (May 20- 24).
The garden is for the horticultural social enterprise The Glasshouse which supports training and employment opportunities for women in UK prisons and those who are recently released.
Hollaway Studio’s pavilion right at the centre of the garden is a contemporary interpretation of a Victorian glasshouse that offers a practical space for shelter and refuge, but also a peaceful retreat where women can connect with nature and one another - a space for women to come together as a community through gardening, and discover how horticulture builds confidence and skills.
Alex Richards, Managing Partner of Hollaway Studio said: “This has been a rare and rewarding opportunity to dissolve the boundaries between built form and nature. Designing a building to be part of a garden, rather than beside one, has allowed us to rethink the relationship between structure and setting in a truly collaborative way."
Designed in the round, the curved lightweight pavilion has no front or back, and features various pivoting screens to blur the lines between inside and out. Features include a completely retractable recycled acrylic façade, green sedum roof, integrated rainwater outlets. Interestingly, the garden was built using a green hydrogen-powered zero-emission JCB digger to build the garden, and the whole thing was built without concrete, the reclaimed stone floor resting on paving slabs, making it ‘no-dig’ and making minimal environmental impact.
Following the show, the garden and pavilion will be re-built in a women’s prison in the South of England.
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A family-friendly combination from BAT Studio which combines a garden office setup with a den for the owner's children in which they can have sleepovers (note the beds in the left of the studio, opposite the desk). Outside, as well the delightful setting in the garden it features Shou Sugi Ban larch cladding. Lots more marvellous photos, including interiors, here.
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One of the pleasures of Chelsea Flower Show each year is the trade stand from shepherds' hut specialists Plankbridge. Here's an artist's impression of how it will look this year, a collaboration with trainees from The Urban Garden, a social enterprise and garden centre in Bath, featuring one of Plankbridge's Guest House models. The stand is in a slightly different spot this year and will feature silver birch trees, foxgloves, and two corrugated planters of homegrown vegetables, herbs and fruit.
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Monday posts are sponsored by Cosy Garden Rooms, the UK's No. 1 bespoke garden room designer and builder.
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A very distinctive garden building space for this week's Finery from BAT Studio (photograph by Martina Lang) called The Blooming Shed. It was designed as part of the community garden at Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield, London, which is a key element in the hospital's mental health facilities, giving patients the opportunity to enjoy the restorative effects of nature.
Quite unlike most hospital buildings, the facade is actually on giant runners in three sections so it can be moved around, the roof has corrugated steel panels, and the interior has attractive barrel vaulting. Quite rightly, it has been shortlisted for the AJ Small Projects 2025 prize.
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Garden show season is upon us once again and as always we'll be highlighting some of the best examples featuring garden offices and other shedlike atmospheres. We're particularly looking forwar to Healer's Hollow at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival running July 1 - 6.
It's designed by
Jude Yeo and Emily Grayshaw from Inspired Earth Design and will be built by
Cobham Court Landscaping. They describe it as "an exploration of the history of our human connection to plants and the benefits they bring to our health and wellbeing" so it will be of interest to those keen on medicinal plants, herbs, and wildlife, all set in a British native woodland. Obviously, our eyes are drawn to the shepherds' hut-type builid towards the back of the garden in this early illustration of the garden and it will be good to see how this pans out in real life.
After the show, the garden will be moved to Farncombe Community Garden near Godalming.
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Simply a lovely garden surrounding a garden office in the sun to help you enjoy the rest of the day. The build is by Cosy Garden Rooms.
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This week's focus is on this rather attractive beach hut on Monmouth Beach in Lyme Regis which is being marketed by Fortnam, Smith & Banwell at £245,000. While this is still a lot of money, it's only half of what has been paid in recent years on the south coast, and this little beauty also has overnight sleeping permission, as well as a mezzanine bed deck, kitchenette, decking area, plus mains water and electrics, not mention absolutely splendid views. Lots more pix to make you dream here.
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