Chile shed: update

A quck update on the garden office/casita build in Chile of my old school friend Kevin Towl (you can see the original post here). It's coming along nicely inside.

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Last chance to enter Shed of the Year 2026

There's only a week to go before entries close for this year's 20th anniversary Shed of the Year competition. 

The last day is June 14 to get your shed into the mix, before public voting begins the following day and closes on July 14. The winners will be announced on July 29, with an overall winner, category winners, and regional winners.

Organiser and founder of the competition Andrew Wilcox, known to us old-timers as Uncle Wilco, is particularly encouraging entries in the Simple But Effective, Community, and Colourful categories. 

Click the link top for more information about how to enter. 

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Friday Finery: Old Rectory treehouse

This week's Finery is actually for sale. It's the treehouse in the grounds of the Old Rectory in Kilvington near Nottingham. On the market with Strutt & Parker for £1.6m which also gets you 6 acres of land, a five-bedroom home, and other utbuildings include a garden room with kitchen, garaging and a tool shed, plus a 3 acre paddock with stabling.

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The Potting Shed

A splendid build by By Boon in South Oxfordshire near a natural swimming lake. Features include a tin roof, decking along the length of the cabin, and old Crittell windows sourced from a 1950s East London factory. Interestingly, the whole thing was built on a cassise and wheels so it can be fairly easily moved if/when necessary. 

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Friday Finery: Chelsea Flower Show 2026

There were plenty of garden offices, sheds, and other shedlike structures at Chelsea Flower Show which I visited yesterday. Three highlights for you, plus a recommendation to get along if you can at all as there is so much to see there. First of all, something I think we can all get behind, The Old Shed Key Bottle Opener.

 

Next, my favourite build of the show, The Composer's Cabin by Malvern Garden Buildings which we've mentioned a couple of times before this year on Shedworking. 

And finally, something every shedworker should have on their decking/terrace, a remarkably comfortable swing seat from Raw Studio.

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Britain's best shed saunas

While technically the title of Hoxton Mini Press's latest book is Britain's Best Saunas by Lucie Grace, it does happily feature plenty of shedlike constructions around the country including repurposed horseboxes as well as the Beach Box Spa on Brighton beach above and the Sea Scrub Sauna at Margate below. As the publishers say, "Discover where to reconnect with nature, learn age-old rituals or simply soothe sore muscles. Grab your towel and soak up the heat."

 

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The end of the black shed?

Interesting thoughts on this question from Christopher Hodge who runs Shackadelic in an interview with The Times ('How posh is your shed?'). Here's the snippet:

So what next in the evolution of the super hut? Hodge predicts the end of the black shack. Most current clients tend to opt for a black painted exterior, a look that Hodge says will soon look outdated. “For me, peak painting of the shed black was probably a couple of years ago. I’m trying to convince people to be a bit more colourful. I’ve been experimenting with old lime rendering techniques and tiles and Japanese carpentry, weaving bamboo, things like that. Currently I’m really into folk art and I’m working on folk stencils.” 

Picture courtesy Shackadelic of a 7.7m x 3.4m guest house project with painted larch exterior cladding, corrugated onduline roof, with French doors and two skylights.

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Crane Garden Buildings announce its Shed of the Season 2025 winner

This year Crane Garden Buildings has run its first Shed of the Season competition which is open exclusively to owners of Crane sheds. Customers were invited to share seasonal images of their Superior, Classic and National Trust models which showed off the delightes of autumn.

So congratulations to Dr Dianne Gull from Cumnor who is the inaugural winner. She and her husband Professor Keith Gull replaced their old, windowless (and rat-infested) shed during lockdown, picking  a 2.8m x 4.0m Superior with roof overhang, double doors with windows, and shiplap cladding painted in Farrow & Ball 'Pigeon'. It is used for gardening purposes as well as entertaining,

“The shed has made such a difference. It’s practical, looks beautiful, and it completes the garden. What’s not to like!” said Dianne.

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The Tiny Workshop wins Shed of the Year 2025

Mike Robinson, an engineer from Plumstead, South-East London, has won the 2025 Cuprinol Shed of the Year with his The Tiny Workshop which claimed top spot in the Workshop/Studio category.

The Tiny Workshop is designed to slot neatly into a garden with limited room. Mike built the shed using two sets of heavy duty steel shelving, bolted together and clad with wood painted in Cuprinol Garden Shades (Black Ash). Splashes of colour have also been added throughout, with the inside doors and pallet seating decorated with Wild Thyme, and saw horses and a ladder finished with Emerald Stone. Two doors flap open at the bottom and top to provide flooring and handy rain protection, with an overhanging green roof to store garden tools.
 
Built over the course of a few weekends, it is a toolshed, workshop, and storage space.

“We needed a good bit of storage for the garden necessities," said Mike. "Off-the-shelf options would have taken up too much room so we went with a DIY design and build. I think it has worked a treat. It’s a creative space where I can tinker and mend, as well as have the storage space for garden stuff, kids’ games and tools.


“I designed brackets for the old spanner handles with a 3D printer. The green roof will come into its own in the next year or so too, and I’m looking forward to seeing it come to life. I’m so happy the judges loved it too, and can’t believe I actually won.”
 
As part of his prize, Mike wins an overnight’s nature getaway, £1,000 in cash and £250 worth of Cuprinol product. 

“In a difficult time of paying more and getting less, The Tiny Workshop is a shining example of what can be achieved even in the most compact of spaces," said competition founder and head judge Andrew Wilcox.
 
“This year’s winner takes the competition back to its roots of championing the simple yet effective. Traditionally, sheds have just been seen as somewhere to store your tools, or perhaps somewhere to potter and play. The Tiny Workshop takes this seemingly basic concept and turns into something so inspired but also still very practical, and truly nothing like we’ve seen before in this competition’s history.  I hope Mike can inspire sheddies for years to come, and to enter the 20th Cuprinol Shed of the Year competition in 2026.”
 
Marianne Shillingford, Creative and Colour Expert at Cuprinol, added: "The Tiny Workshop is a testament to Mike’s ingenious solutions-focused creativity. From impactful use of storage, to striking balance of colour, Mike’s shed is a first-in-class example of industrial chic."

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Shed of the Year 2025 shortlist announced

The shortlist for Cuprinol Shed of the Year 2025 has been announced which means it's time for the public voting to begin.

This year’s competition attracted 84 entries, and now 22 sheds have made it through to compete for the coveted title of Cuprinol Shed of the Year and the prize of £1,000 in cash, a one-of-a-kind nature’s getaway experience, and £250 worth of Cuprinol products.

“19 years in, and I’m still constantly amazed at how much passion and imagination people pour into their sheds," said Andrew Wilcox, founder and Head Judge of the competition. "Behind many of them lie powerful stories, sheds that connect generations, bring families together, and serve as hubs for communities. These aren’t just garden buildings; they’re meaningful spaces full of history, purpose, and connection."

Voting is up and running now at readersheds.co.uk and ends on July 31. The nominated builds are:

    •    The Beach Hut At The Bottom Of The Garden

    •    Nanna’s Cabin & Bampa’s Shed

    •    Redondo Trading

    •    Cast Away

    •    Cosy Cabin 

    •    Bird Song

    •    Colourful Cuban Cabin

    •    The potting shed

    •    The Plotting Shed

    •    The Gnome's Rest 

    •    The Bombardier Arms

    •    Cushty’s

    •    The Ticking Tappet

    •    The Melon Shed 

    •    The Homeshed

    •    Grottoloo

    •    Far Meadow Cabin

    •    The Garden Room

    •    The Old Stable Potting Shed

    •    The Tiny Workshop

    •    SHEDstudios

    •    Pottery Shed



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Ranch style: the next shed trend?

An interesting article on the Malvern Garden Buildings website looks at the growing trend for Western-style ranch-like interiors and general decoration. As Malvern puts it:

"Inspired by vast landscapes, vintage Americana, and the untamed spirit of the Wild West, this trend invites you to bring a touch of frontier life into your own space. From rustic cabins to modern prairie homes, Western-style décor offers old-world charm infused with warmth, cosiness, and comfort."

Pictured above is its Woodland Lodge model with exposed wood, Onduline corrugated roof iron, wraparound porch, bracket wall lights, and picture windows. You can read the rest of the article here. 

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

Shed of the Year 2024 won by ‘Wrinkly, Rusty and Retro’

Wayne Dawber, an artist and school art technician from Crewe, has been crowned champion in this year’s Cuprinol Shed of the Year competition. His shed ‘Wrinkly, Rusty and Retro’ beat 160 other entrants to claim top spot after being voted king of the ‘Unexpected/Unique’ category by the general public, and selected as the winner by a judging panel.

This year’s victor built his winning shed by combining unusual and disregarded materials, such as corrugated metal from a torn-down stable roof, and windows from a recently demolished chapel. Most striking, however, is the colourful hand-painted vintage signs he has decorated the shed’s interior and exterior with, using paint to perfect a style he likes to call “industrial, ghost town chic".
 
Many of the mural paintings are from or inspired by 1950s magazine adverts, with the indoor walls embellished with old product labels and matchbox graphics. These vibrant paintings, alongside the weathered effect Wayne has given to the metal was done to bring texture and a sense of age to the shed, stylishly capturing the essence of mid-century design.
 
Wayne describes how the shed’s concept evolved to become the winner it is today: “The plan for the shed has always been for it to be a little hideaway for my wife and me. We love spending time in nature and watching the world go by from our garden. This shed gave us the perfect space to do that.
 
“As I began constructing the shed, I started to get a bit carried away. The finished product brings together everything I love to work with, from the rusty metal to the old wood, it’s feels very special to give all these old materials a new lease of life with a touch of paint, while still encapsulating that old-fashioned feel.”
   
Wayne is the first Cuprinol Shed of the Year winner to receive an overnight nature getaway as part of his prize, allowing him to indulge in his love of nature while being at the very heart of it. This is alongside £1,000 in cash, and £250 worth of Cuprinol product.
 
Founder and Head Judge of the competition, Andrew Wilcox, said: “As we near the 20th anniversary of the competition, it's astonishing to see the incredible new heights our entrants have been reaching year-on-year. At the peak of and just after the pandemic, we saw the revival of the pub shed and people getting inventive with their outdoor workspaces. This year, we’ve seen a real trend of pushing what’s possible with upcycling and getting bold with structures."

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Custom-designed garden studio to showcase motorcycle collection.

Housed in a Smart Modular Buildings 4m x 4.5m Key Studio with bifold doors is this marvellous motorcycle collection owned by David Jacob, a replacement space for the old, damp garage that came with his new propety. Here's what he says about it:

“The “showroom” as it has been dubbed by friends has removed all issues I had previously had when storing bikes over winter. With them being in a dry, warm and secure building there are no problems when firing them up for the first time at the start of the riding season. The full-width doors are what make me happy every time I use them. Being able to pick a bike and take it out without a lot of hassle is such a luxury. When they were in the garage, they were tucked up at the back, behind the car. I really enjoy lazy summer evenings in the garden with the lights on in the showroom and the bikes all on display. For a petrolhead like me, it is a form of art installation.

“An unexpected upside was when I recently sold one of the bikes. The purchaser was simply blown away by coming to view a bike which was “on display” in such a perfect building. He was also a collector and was used to seeing bikes in a tatty shed or garage. He had driven five hours to view the bike and sent me a message the night before saying he hoped it would be worth the trip. As he sat on the sofa with a cup of tea looking at his new purchase shining under the spotlights, he said it definitely was…”

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

 

New garden privy shed launched at Chelsea Flower Show

Plankbridge is delighting folks at this year's Chelsea Flower Show with its sauna snug which we covered previously on Shedworking here. Joining it on the tradestand AR640 is the company's new Garden Privy, what they describe as "a nostalgic throwback to the world of the Victorian gardener". 

It can be wheeled into position and connected to the mains in the garden, beside a garden office (or elsewhere, e.g. glamping spot). Alternatively, it can be fitted with solar lighting and a compost toilet for use in any remote, off-grid location.

In keeping with the traditional Victorian-style shepherd’s hut, the Garden Privy is mounted on iron wheels and is clad in hard-wearing corrugated iron. It measures 4ft x 4ft and features a small glazed window with oak shutters for privacy.

The Garden Privy was inspired by an outdoor privy that Plankbridge co-founder Jane Dennison remembers from childhood. "My mother had an old red-brick privy in her garden that was covered in rambling roses and the perfect place for her grandchildren to play hide- and-seek in later years. We have a great deal of affection for beautiful old structures like these at Plankbridge. I can’t think of a more fitting place to unveil the new Garden Privy than at RHS Chelsea Flower Show."

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

Latest issue of the Scottish Shedder out now

The latest edition of the always very readable The Scottish Shedder is out now from the Scottish Men's Sheds Association (click the link for ways to read it). Features include:

* a focus on a group of Shedders from Govan who have produced their take on the 2003 movie Calendar Girls, a 2024 Men's Sheds charity calendar which features some nakedish shedders (see above)

* an interview with veteran Royal Engineer Commando Ray Elliott, one of only three Shedders at Shotts Men’s Shed who have turned an old 18x18ft hut into a Men’s Shed

* storm updates on how recent storms have hit Men's Sheds across the country

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

 

 

Saying goodbye to your garden office

 

 

Friend of Shedworking Chris Routledge has recently said farewell to the garden office he built. Here in a guest post, he discusses his feelings about saying goodbye after many years of faithful service.

 

In 2003 I decided to build a writing hut at the bottom of our garden in Lancashire. Even though it took me all Summer and most of the Autumn, resulted in a lot of hammer-thumb impacts, and made my hands go up a glove size, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The motivation was to provide a place away from the house to work, and to keep work-related things there, but the actual act of building it was life changing in a quiet sort of way. As I wrote at the time: "That first week, listening to the rain pounding on the roof I made and not coming in, I felt connected with something very old and very human."

For a while the writing hut was shedfamous, featuring in the 2010 book Shedworking, and being visited by curious local dignitaries, such as the vicar and the postman, who, despite the extra legwork involved in traipsing down the garden, seemed to accept it as a new address on his round. It was always amusing, on a work call, when one of our chickens began to celebrate laying an egg, and the question would come, inevitably: "Where are you?" It was a question I never quite felt I could answer convincingly: a shed, a writing hut, an office, an escape, a farmyard, a cabin in a meadow; for one children's party it was a pirate ship, the Blue Pig. Despite my over-specified collar ties and roof timbers the hut was an imaginative space that somehow remained unfixed.

Over the years my wife and I wrote many thousands of words there and several books. For one memorable project I used it to interview distinguished people around the world. Near midnight on one dark Lancashire night I had to explain to a prominent Hollywood agent that the background noise to our phone call was the sound of wind in the trees and heavy rain beating on the roof. More recently, during the Covid-19 pandemic, it became a teaching venue, where lectures on English Language were delivered to students at the University of Liverpool.

But twenty years after I laid down my hammer and saw, my writing hut is sold; we threw in a free house to sweeten the deal. In all the days and weeks of clearing out a large family house in order to downsize, clearing out the shed was the hardest part for me and took far longer than it should have. The house was where we raised a child, had friends round for dinner and parties, Christmases and birthdays, and spent long lockdown days together. 

 

But the shed was something different; an achievement even to build it, but somehow also a laying down of deeper roots. What went on there was not just two decades of work, but a whole other phase of life, of youth thickening into middle age. They have been two decades of dreams and disappointments, of struggle and breakthrough; two decades that seemed to stretch ahead in the building and now, in the leaving, seem short.

What will I miss about the shed I built all those years ago now it is no longer mine? I'll miss it as a mental reference point in the geography of our lives; I'll miss the writing and reading that went on there, the cocktails on the stoop on a warm evening, and watching the seasons pass in our unruly garden. But most of all I'll miss leaving the house with my shed key and my laptop at the beginning of a promising day.

 

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Fancy a shed party in 2024?

An open letter from Uncle Wilco which has just dropped into my invoice which may well be of interest to readers:

So 2024 is the 18th year since I came up with this idea of Shed of the year #shedoftheyear - it's been a weird creation that has taken on a world of itself, brought a lot of joy not only to myself (and given me some sort of career out of a hobby of liking sheds) but I hope it's brought a bit of fun to hundreds of sheddies around the world who have created some of the best spaces out there. 

I first registered the domain name readersheds.co.uk on 03-Jul-2000 (that will be 24 years next year, which is even madder, and I built a shed sharing website soon after.) But it was not until 2007 I decided to run a competition as I thought the British shed should be celebrated. 

I would love to have a party. Maybe sometime around July 2024. So I will get my thinking cap on...... and if you have any ideas let me know.... and maybe someone with a massive shed could host it and hopefully the sheddies, old and new, could meet up.

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The Frankenshed wins Shed of the Year 2023

London-based artist and sign painter Archie Proudfoot has won the Cuprinol Shed of the Year 2023, the 17th iteration of the event. He was voted top of the new ‘Colourful’ category in the public vote and was then chosen by judges as this year’s overall winner.

The new categories ‘Colourful’ and ‘Simply but Effective’ were added this year to show that even in the middel of a cost-of-living crisis, small garden improvements can make a big difference to our lives.

The Frankenshed is so named as Archie “brought it back from the dead” - formerly a rotting standard shed, he rebuilt it with recycled timber, old fence posts, and a colourful pop of colour to becoming the now award-winning creative haven.

“What started as a bored attempt to save a rotten shed turned into the most elaborate and enjoyable piece of artwork I’ve ever created,” said Archie. “The Frankenshed is now a beautiful place to escape and enjoy an afternoon sketching, writing, tinkering or potting plants for the garden."

Archie takes home Cuprinol Shed of the Year’s biggest prize yet, including £1,000 in cash and £250 worth of Cuprinol products.

Founder and Head Judge of the competition, Andrew Wilcox, said: “The quality of entries in this year’s competition was incredible and the final results were tight. I’m so pleased Archie has been crowned 2023’s winner. The Frankenshed is unlike anything I have seen before in the nearly 20-years of running this competition. His artistic flair takes centre stage, but the way he transformed his sorry shed into something so elegant has to be seen to be believed.”

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Shed of the Year: The Tea House

Over the next month we're going to be taking regular looks at what the Shedworking staff feel are the finest sheds among the finalists in this year's Shed of the Year competition. First up is The Tea Shed, owned by Peter Lawson from Bristol, shortisted in the Simple But Effective category. The 7ft x 5ft Japanese Tea Room is made largely from recycled materials (including an old playhouse) and free finds such as discarded fencing. 

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