Design ideas for garden rooms

An excellent pictorial piece at Ideal Home about garden offices, buildings and sheds, with examples from eDEN Garden Rooms (above) and Cuckooland.com (pictured top). Here's a snippet about

Farmer’s Cottage seven-seater rotating garden pod from John Lewis & Partners:

"Garden pods are ideal for dining, studying or entertaining," says Vicky Angell, buyer for outdoor living at John Lewis & Partners. Consider the pod size carefully: think about how many you’d like to seat, and how it will look in the garden – too big and it may be overpowering. "A rotating design that can be angled away from wind and towards the sun can help make best use of the space at all times of the year," adds Vicky. A roof cover, blinds or solar-control glazing will help to deflect heat and ensure a comfortable temperature, even on the hottest day.

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Steampunk garden office

The Tempest - Unexpected from Garden #shedoftheyear

The Shedworking staff are really loving this garden office build by David Stocks (entered into Shed of the Year 2019) which he uses as a writing shed as well as somewhere to relax. Here's what he says about it:

I designed it in a steampunk style, based on books like Jules Verne 's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It has a submarine style door, a hatch down to the engine room, a round window and a matching round captains table. It is on a raised platform like it is out at sea, with blue lighting underneath to simulate a blue ocean. We named it the Tempest, after our dog who we sadly lost in January this year called Storm and after our favourite Shakespeare play. With sounds of waves crashing played from an onboard speaker, it really makes you feel as if you are at sea. It is also a place we can have friends around.

Click the link above to find out more about his zig-zag path, platform, reclaimed working porthole, and hand-carved walnut sign trimmed with copper. This is certainly getting a vote from Shedworking this year but there's still time to enter, just nip along to www.readersheds.co.uk and follow the instructions.
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500th UK Men’s Shed opens

One of our favourite shed-based organisations, Men's Shed, is celebrating with the opening of its 500th shed - marking a 66% increase in openings over the last three years - as well as announcing a new partner in Ronseal.

The 500th shed (pictured above) was opened in the village of Blewbury, Oxfordshire, six years after Men's Shed launched in the UK and like all the others across the country offers a range of DIY sessions as well as bringing men together to reduce loneliness and social isolation, especially among the elderly and retired.

Indeed, a survey by the UK Men’s Sheds Association showed that 97% said they had made new friends at a Men’s Shed, while 89% noted a decrease in depression. The association also reported that the volunteering value of ‘shedders’ supporting the local community each year is an estimated £10.5m. Men’s Sheds now provide a welcoming social space for around 12,000 members in the UK.


In addition to the opening of the 500th shed, the UK Men’s Sheds Association also announced a new partnership with British woodcare specialist Ronseal. This includes sponsorship by Ronseal of a series of DIY skills sessions at The Manchester Men’s Shed in Moss Side, beginning this summer. The plan is to roll out the skills sessions to more sheds in future, helping to add further momentum to the already fast-growing Men’s Sheds movement.

Charlie Bethel, Chief Officer of UK Men’s Sheds Association, said: “The opening of the 500th shed is a real cause for celebration. Since the Men’s Sheds movement began in the UK, we’ve seen sheds right across the country make a huge difference to the lives of their members and the communities they support. The new partnership with Ronseal is further evidence that the Men’s Sheds movement is going from strength to strength as we continue to bring in new partners and offer new skills and services through Men’s Sheds.”

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Garden office and library

A lovely garden office belonging to writer and genealogist Liz Howell by Booths Garden Studios. It's a  6.1m x 2.44m QCB garden pod in anthracite grey which at 14.88 sqm is their largest model they offer before you have to start dealing with the delights of building regulations (they offer larger QC6 and QC7 models).

"I don't have a large garden, as you can see," says Liz, who wanted the garden office building to use as a library and move her large collection out of the house, "but I needed somewhere better to work so replaced my garage with my new study/library. One of my greatest dreams is to write a novel so I have named my room The Dreamery!

The Shedworking staff have been eyeing up that especially attractive standalone 'island' bookcase above. -------------------------------------------------
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How to build a garden office in less than 10 minutes

And then another look at the build and what it's like a year and a bit later... ---------------------------------------

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Huub solar-powered garden office

Dorset-based Wessex Eco Energy have developed an intriguing garden office which is entirely solar powered and has solar panels and storage batteries fitted as standard. They call it the Huub and there are various models, the one above (Type 22) measuring 3.8m x 3.5m, with one slightly smaller and one slightly large one. It's aimed squarely at the garden office and garden building market but is also of interest to those looking at tiny houses.

Inside there is integrated LED lighting with plywood walls and ceilings, and up to 6.4kWp of solar, generating around 4208 kWh of energy every year which they reckon saves three tonnes of CO2.


Well worth taking a look at their emrbryonic website and they will also be at the Dorset Country Show in September, as well as the Fully Charged Live Show at Silverstone today and tomorrow.

Amazing first day at #FullyChargedShow with our new product #huub #solarpowered garden office. Come and see us tomorrow, hall2 stand b2. #TeslaPowerwall #eco #energy #FullyChargedLIVE pic.twitter.com/593ZAAQzi3

— Wessex ECOEnergy (@WessexECOenergy) June 7, 2019

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Haynes Shed Manual and 10 best garden sheds in the 'i' newspaper

The i newspaper asked me (and fellow shed folk John Coupe - my Haynes Shed Manual co-author - and Uncle Wilco from readersheds) for some thoughts about sheds and garden offices. You can read the whole piece online here but here's a snippet (no idea why they've used the word "vast"!):

If you’ve ever considered a shed as accommodation then Alex Johnson has picked out a few top recommendations. Folk with pots of cash might turn to the ethical approach of Rotunda Roundhouses or the vast, bespoke designs of Tiny House Cabins. Those with an eye for tradition might be tempted by Plankbridge’s shepherds' huts which has Alex purring: “I defy anybody to browse their website and not come away wanting one”.

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