Shedworking

Coatshed

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:39:00 +0000

Because coats need sheds too. Here's what designers Outofstock say about their charmingly simple creation, ideal for shedworkers. "Inspired by the garden shed, this coat rack is designed to welcome people into the room or space it is placed in. Its relaxed slanted position and illumination from its roof brings a welcoming presence, telling newcomers it is ready to take their coat."

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Dunster House, the leading UK company for Log Cabins and Garden Offices sponsors Fridays posts

Glampod (video)

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:31:00 +0000

The elliptical Glampod from Gaukroger and Partners is an interesting shedlike environment, built of timber and apparently falling within the guidelines of 'caravan' for planning permission purposes making siting it that much easier. It stands on Douglas Fir stilts and measures 7m x 3.8m - options include kitchens and balconies as it is intended for microliving and glamping as much as shedworking. There's lots more detail in this excellent video:

Glam Pod - Sunday Times from Sandi l Thompson on Vimeo.

The company produces a series of similar buildings including designs specifically targeting the garden office market. Click here for brief details of their 6.5m x 4.5m model and latest concepts such as the Kithaus Pod below.

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Atelier garden studios which are sustainable, stylish, flexible, functional and future proofed

David Hockney: early shed life

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:14:00 +0000

With a big new show at the Royal Academy and various new books about his life and work soaring up the bestseller list, David Hockney is much in demand. But not so well known is the part that sheds played in his early life. Here is Jackie Wullschlager writing in the FT: "He won a grammar school scholarship, a place at Bradford College of Art, then moved in 1959 to the Royal College of Art. Initially shy and broke in London – he lived in a garden shed with no water, taking baths in a sink in the college studio – he was quickly noticed as a draughtsman of genius.”
Thanks to Victoria Summerley for the alert.
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Thursday posts are sponsored by Atelier garden studios which are sustainable, stylish, flexible, functional and future proofed

Beach hut insurance

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:42:00 +0000

Leeds-based TL Risk Solutions are the UK’s leading provider of beach hut insurance. A spokesman told Shedworking: "Many owners don’t even realise their treasured ‘shed by the sea’ can be insured, but with the cost of replacing a hut or chalet potentially running into many thousands of pounds – not to mention replacing the contents – leaving it unprotected can be an expensive oversight."

TL Risk Solutions’ policy covers all risks including fire, storm damage, flooding, malicious damage and vandalism. Cover costs appear good value. More details from their friendly team of beach hut and chalet specialists on 0113 224 5361 or email beachhut@tlrisksolutions.com (if you quote reference SWRK12 they'll be especially nice).
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Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here.

Shoebox Dwelling

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:53:00 +0000

Design journalist Natalia Repolovsky describes her interesting and useful blog Shoebox Dwelling as "about simplicity, space-saving, efficiency and beauty of human thought behind the objects". Though not aimed specifically at the garden office market, it's well worth a long browse for all shedworkers and other homeworkers, particularly if you're after ideas about storage and bookshelves. "I have witnessed a lot of luxury and grandeur," she says, "but my true interest has always been in finding comfort, style and dignity in small spaces. This is what I knew best from living in big cities like Moscow and, later, New York. I am in infinite awe of designers who study ordinary human lives and use their skill and imagination to create better experiences. I believe that when we embrace our living space, no matter how big or small, and make it our own – we will not just dwell, but thrive!" You can follow her on Twitter too.
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Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here.

The Cabins: multiple mini garden offices

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:03:00 +0000

A marvellous design from Atelier Ichiku called The Cabins, these four mini sheds were built for a Japanese writer so that he could work in one (which features a desk and shelf), use another as a lavatory, the third as a prayer room and the final one as storage. Each cabin is 90cm wide with a porthole window but they each have various depths, as Architectural Review recounts (using lots more photos too).

Garden office in a shepherd's hut (video)

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:56:00 +0000

There could hardly be a better advertisement for working at home in a shepherd's hut than this lovely video from Plankbridge.
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Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Riverdale Stone: stone shedworking

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:46:00 +0000

Bedfordshire-based Riverdale Stone specialise in a wide range of both contempory and traditional stonework which includes garden offices, claiming that not only do their shedlike atmospheres need no exterior maintenance, they actually improve with age. Options include lavatory, shower, kitchen area and mezzanine sleeping area. All stone is sourced from within the UK and if you move house they even offer a stone-by-stone dismantling and rebuilding service. More information on the spec here including their special foundation system and freestanding dry stone walls.

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Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Why charities should be shedworking

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:29:00 +0000

The marvellous Mary's Meals won the Garden Office category in the 2011 Shed of the Year competition and according to Helen Simmons at Third Sector, more charities should consider following their lead. Simmons's argument is that shedworking, and homeworking in general, "might save on more than tea bags". Here's a snippet:

"I have heard of a number of charities moving in the past six months towards operating in a 'virtual office', leapfrogging the hot desk concept and moving straight to comprehensive home working. By leaving only the very core processing functions in a small rented space, or by outsourcing them altogether, they are looking at the possibility of everyone else working permanently from home in the future - and thereby slashing one of their high fixed costs."

She points out that it might not suit all charities but that it's an option well worth considering. And we agree.
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Dunster House, the leading UK company for Log Cabins and Garden Offices sponsors Fridays posts

Men's Sheds: why they're taking off in the UK

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:59:00 +0000

The Men's Sheds movement is definitely taking off in the UK and so it seems fitting that Uncle Wilco at Shedblog should bag the first major interview with AGE UK about their role in helping to get the shedwagon rolling. Here's a snippet:

"What were your main concerns that got Age UK involved with Men sheds?

When you visit a day centre or a lunch club, you can see that often women outnumber men by about five to one. Men do not seem to want to engage with groups that, for many people, provide valuable social contact and activities.

On top of that, we know from research that men are reluctant to access healthcare or take up benefits and support that they are entitled to. So when we learned about the success of Men’s Sheds in Australia we set out to find funding to try some ideas ourselves to meet the specific needs of lonely and socially isolated older men. Age UK then began to pilot Men in Sheds in 2009."

The whole interview is well worth a read.
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Thursday posts are sponsored by Atelier garden studios which are sustainable, stylish, flexible, functional and future proofed

First ever shepherd's hut to feature at Chelsea Flower Show 2012

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:22:00 +0000

Shepherd's hut specialists Plankbridge appear to have pulled off a first - they claim their scaled-down hut which will appear in the Artisan Garden at Chelsea this year designed by Gold Medal-winners Adam and Jon from Woolcott and Smith will be the show's first ever shepherd's hut. The hut is being designed and built as we speak... The garden will feature "a tranquil wildflower garden, inspired by the beautiful Dorset countryside immortalised by Thomas Hardy in his novel ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’." The shepherd's hut will be placed on the banks of a stream in a water meadow.
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Thursday posts are sponsored by Atelier garden studios which are sustainable, stylish, flexible, functional and future proofed

Autospace: A garden office for your car...

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:12:00 +0000

From ecospace comes Autospace, a rather smart shedlike atmosphere to showcase your car onto which you can then add a garden office. It comes with optional floor-to-ceiling glazing, security blinds, ambient lighting and electric roller shutters and doors. Amira Idris-Town, partner of Ecospace, says: “Certain cars become an iconic benchmark in automotive design, and we wanted to create a more appropriate solution where your car can be kept, enjoyed and admired. Whatever you drive, from a rare classic to the latest supercar, you need somewhere to keep your pride and joy safely and have convenient access it." Prices start from around £18,000 + VAT for a fully installed single bay AutoSpace measuring 6m x 3.4m x 2.8m, and includes natural materials and insulation as standard - the one illustrated costs £45,000 + VAT including premium birchwood interior, full height glazing, insulation and temperature control, workstation and storage systems, and electronic roller shutters.

While it's impressive, it's harder to see how it fits in with the eco credentials of ecospace though they do point out that the structure uses sustainable wood and cedar cladding from renewable, certified sources and is manufactured in the UK (and that it is designed to maximise energy efficiency with high insulation values through thick multi-layered floor, walls and roof).
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Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here.

Go to work in a Hobbit hole

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:49:00 +0000

Here's a rather attractive shedlike atmosphere with a twist. Based in Maine, Wooden Wonders supplies bespoke garden offices (and indeed chicken coops) with a Hobbit hole feel. Shedworkers will be most interested in the cottage model, similar to their shed design but with a finished interior and insulation option. They come in 10' and 12' front width sizes with a 3' wide back door. Wooden Wonders are also on Facebook .

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here.

The future of the garden office industry

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:51:00 +0000

Richard Grace who runs Aarco, one of the longest established garden buildings businesses in the UK, has been ruminating on the future of the garden office and garden studio business on his blog. Here's a snippet:

"Probably driven by the continued doldrums in the building market overall the competition here remains fierce. This of course drives costs down and benefits clients, it keeps us all on our toes and maintains high quality service. Unfortunately the combined effect of increasing competition and cost pressures stresses some companies to breaking point and recently we have seen some competitors fail to make it through."

Well worth a look, especially if you are a supplier.

Cabin Porn

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:53:00 +0000

We're not big fans here at Shedworking of this recent-ish flurry of sites which focus on one subject (such as books) and then add 'porn' at the end for no real reason, but we'll make an exception for Cabin Porn which describes itself as "Inspiration for your quiet place somewhere" and is run by the people at Beaver Brook (itself an attractive Tumblr). You can even submit your own suggestions. Pictured above is the fabulous The Best Hut (The Tree Bach) by Jono Williams and friends in New Zealand, built out of recycled materials and featuring solar panels as well as, nice touch this, a remote-controlled drawbridge. Both sites are well worth a browse.
Thanks to Lloyd Alter for the alert.
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Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

A Shed of One's Own

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 09:34:00 +0000

It's definitely the season for shed-related books. The latest out is Marcus Berkmann's A Shed Of One's Own: Midlife Without the Crisis published by Little, Brown. To be honest, it's not really about sheds though there is a strong shedlike philosophy running through it. Here's a snippet:

"If I had a garden, I would have a shed. Note that a shed doesn't have to be an actual shed. It can be a virtual shed: a room, an office, a corner of a room. Or it can be an internal shed..."

He goes on to talk about "directed idleness" which is also one of our favourite topics...

Greenhouses: Hartley Botanic

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:08:00 +0000

We often tend to overlook that lots of people who go to work in the garden actually work in the garden itself and that greenhouses are very much shedlike environments housing many thousands of shedworkers around the world. So we're starting a regularly irregular column looking at precisely these icons of microarchitecture, beginning today with one of the oldest players in the market, Hartley Botanic which was establised over 70 years ago who indeed say on their web site that: "Greenhouses and glasshouses are the artist's studio of the garden."

Their range covers four main models Clearspan, Kew, Landscape or Victorian Glasshouses (pictured top is The Grange with an attractive high, four-sided pyramid roof) as well as a bespoke service. We also rather like the simple yet elegant Cottage 6 greenhouse below.

There's also a nice section on accessories and in general it's an easy website to find your way around. Well worth a browse.
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Dunster House, the leading UK company for Log Cabins and Garden Offices sponsors Fridays posts

Immersive cocoon: the future of shedworking?

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:37:00 +0000

How will technology change how we work from our garden office and from home in general? Here's an intriguing possibility, the Immersive Cocoon, a spherical-ish shedlike atmosphere with a surround visual-audio wraparound interior display including motion-sensoring capabilities (think Minority Report) to recreate 3D space. Lots more information and moody meaningful videos at the site.

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Atelier garden studios which are sustainable, stylish, flexible, functional and future proofed

New shed books for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:56:00 +0000

2012 looks like it could be a bumper year for books about sheds. Here are two early contenders for shed book of the year. First in line is My Cool Shed: An Inspirational Guide to Stylish Hideaways by Jane Field-Lewis, published by Pavilion towards the end of June. Here's the blurb:

"Building on the success of My Cool Caravan and My Cool Campervan in 2010 and 2011, this follow-up book celebrates the humble and not so humble shed, from artists' studios to beach huts, and the diverse ways in which owners are styling them. My Cool Shed features 35 sheds, small cabins, garden rooms, beach huts, modern architectural mini masterpieces and other small spaces given purpose by their owners to pursue their hobbies, careers, creative endeavours or just to find some peace and solitude. The book includes high-quality stylish photography to show a wide range of well styled and elegant sheds, cabins, dens and hidewaways in attractive locations. The owners' stories and accompanying style notes offer insight as well as inspiration. This is not a 'how to' book, although a sourcebook will be included, but more of a 'feel good' book and provider of inspiration."

And then there's The Joy of Sheds: Because a Man's Place Isn't in the Home by Frank Hopkinson published by Portico in May. And here's the blurb: "The Joy of Sheds is a shed miscellany that chronicles man's need for a small space on his own. It's a humorous look at every aspect of the shed experience, mixed with shed facts and some practical information too. Many famous people have created in sheds. Inventor Trevor Baylis thought up the clockwork radio in a shed, George Bernard Shaw wrote Pygmalian in one and Dylan Thomas would compose poetry in his. The average UK male does not tend to devote his shed to poetry, though. Along with chapters on how to customize your shed into an exotic creation, "Pimp Your Shed", there are "Shed Facts": Almost a fifth of men have had an accident in a shed, it's the single most dangerous place in the home after the kitchen. Other chapters include "Shed Vision", on the typical items stored in sheds, and "The Genus Shed", which places the shed in the Linnaean order of buildings. "Shed Experience" pulls in shed stories from around the world, but particularly Australia, and there are also tales of the "Euro-Shed". There are chapters on "Sheds in Literature" (Lady Chatterly's Lover and Cold Comfort Farm), "Sheds at the Movies", and "Sheds in Music".

And of course, if you don't yet own a copy, Shedworking: The Alternative Workplace Revolution is also a decent read...
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Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here.

Garden office, studio, gymnasium and store

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:09:00 +0000

Aarco is one of the longest-established garden office companies and have a good case studies section for those wanting to get information about their builds including the client's initial request, design criteria, the main spec and - importantly - the actual costs of the entire build.

Pictured above is one example in the Wirral. According to Aarco: "With a busy work life and both partners in responsible jobs they needed a retreat in the garden where he could work on occassions in particular managing conference calls across different time zones over the web. Also the occasional days working at home both needed a space uninterupted by normal family going on in the busy household." The new building also needed to house a gym and provide general gardening storage (with an eye to using it as guest accommodation in the future).
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Tuesday posts are sponsored by The Home Office Company, manufacturers of unique garden rooms since 1998. Now in 10 exciting new colours. Click here for more details.

GetawayStyle

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:49:00 +0000

While there are various microarchitecture-ish web sites and blogs (and indeed books), there are far fewer places to go for advice on the fitting out of your shedlike structure. A welcome addition to this happy band is the newly launched GetawayStyle set up by Jennifer Knight who is particularly interested in home design/decor for "casual, sustainable and economical retreats". Although the site is aimed at those with vacation homes, there is plenty of inspiration for shedworkers too. Here's how Jennifer describes it:

"GetawayStyle is a resource guide for vacation homeowners and anyone who wants their space to feel like a retreat. Our mission is to help save you time and money by finding authentic home furnishings and inspiring ideas that let us get away from our fast-paced lives.

We are not design snobs with unlimited budgets; we look for well-made products sold at a fair price. We make recommendations based on our instincts for good design, quality and value. Beyond style, we’re passionate about products that improve the world we live in. We support global craftsmanship, being conscious of the environment, and design that helps people enjoy their homes at every age and ability level."

Well worth a browse.
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Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Treehouses: Small Spaces in Nature

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:47:00 +0000

The marvellous treehouse specialists Baumraum have published their own book of their lovely designs. It comes in at 290 pages with more than 450 photos of 30 finished treehouse projects around the world and is available in both German and English. The book includes a look at the history of building treehouses and the engineering behind the designs. The book is written by Baumraum founder Andreas Wenning and is available from Dom Publishers.

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Dunster House, the leading UK company for Log Cabins and Garden Offices sponsors Fridays posts

Chris Riddell: shedworker

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:41:00 +0000

Artist and illustrator Chris Riddell is probably best known for his collaboration with Paul Stewart for The Edge Chronicles series of books. He produces his work in a converted barn (complete with hay loft) in the garden at his home in Brighton which he shares with his wife Jo, a printmaker and painter. There's an excellent feature (with very nice photos including plenty of Chris's sketchbooks as well as the studio) by Sarah McIntyre at her jabberworks blog.
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Thursday posts are sponsored by Atelier garden studios which are sustainable, stylish, flexible, functional and future proofed

What jobs CAN'T you do in a garden office?

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:35:00 +0000

If you're considering shedworking, it's absolutely vital that you ensure you have the correct official permissions in place. Drum teacher Darren Hasson-Davis in Oxford has recently been told to stop teaching children from his garden shed office after neighbours complained about the noise. According to the Oxford Times: "He had won a planning application to build the shed, but council planners said it could only be used for pastimes “incidental” to his use of the house." Officers then ruled that drumming lessons are not covered by the planning permissions. Mr Hasson-Davis said that he had spent thousands soundproofing the shed but accepted it was not perfect.
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Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here.

Mobile forgeworking (video)

noreply@blogger.com (alex johnson) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:34:00 +0000

An intriguing video slideshow which charts the building of a mobile forge with a shepherd's hut flavour by The Devon Blacksmith who says: "We live and work from this hut when at the shows, we don't use any gas or electric, and we cook on a DK rocket stove."
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Tuesday posts are sponsored by The Home Office Company, manufacturers of unique garden rooms since 1998. Now in 10 exciting new colours. Click here for more details.