Did you dabble with some DIY during Lockdown? Create a new Man Cave, or an Outdoor Bar – or even a wee artists studio at the bottom of the garden? Ahead of Cuprinol opening entries for their 2021 Shed of The Year competition – time for a bit of inspiration from previous winners
9. Mushroom
Shed of the year 2017 - The Mushroom Shed - built by Ben Swanborough
My 12yr old daughter handed me ᆪ500 pounds and asked me to build her a house in the shape of a mushroom. I got a bit carried away! Downstairs in the stem will be a small desk area and steps up to the top of the mushroom. Once through the trap door, you enter a living area. This has some stained glass windows, and a glass floor section looking down to the river below. There will be another door, which leads onto a small exterior platform and more steps down to the garden. There is also a window in the roof. Photo: Cuprinol
10. Inshriach Distillery
The 2015 winner, built by Walter Micklethwait
A few years ago this was a dilapidated hen house and an assorted pile of old junk. Now, after some very sporadic work it has become the Inshriach Farm shop, Ladies waiting room, Saloon Bar and Distillery. The General stores is a shop selling items we have carved or whittled on the farm and eggs and produce from the gardens. The ladies waiting room is a cheeky recycled velour upholstered piano bar and the saloon is a dirty wild west gin joint. In an unexpected twist to the shed tale, word got out that the bar was coming together and that we had juniper growing on the farm and before we knew it the shed became home to its very own gin distillery, complete with a lovely hand hammered set of stills from Portugal and its own all Scottish gin brand, Crossbill Photo: Cuprinol
11. West Wing
The 2016 winner - built by Kevin Herbert
It is in three sections - the largest part is for me. It has a bed in loft space and an area to relax and escape my four kids(love them really)second part is through secret bookcase for my ten and 11 year olds to sleep and play and the last part is for storage and workshop.
My shed is made from 90% recycled materials ,It is a project that has taken me 8 years to build(health reasons - won't bore you)the roof is wild turf but because of angle I used 400 milk cartons cut in half - which took a year to collect -popped holes in and layered bottom with shingle for drainage. The two tonnes of soil and turf plopped on top.My kids helped me a lot good fun .A man needs a shed. Photo: Cuprinol
12. Bee Eco Shed
The 2018 winner - built by George Smallwood
It has a spiral staircase to the roof where there are beehives. Also giant bug house on one wall. The roof has flowers and vegetable on it and when the water reaches the gutters it waters a down pipe herb garden with any left finally watering the garden
I built the base and intended to buy a shed but then decided to build the whole thing. Space is a premium so it is something I am constantly trying to make the most of. Ever open to new ideas on how this can be done Photo: Cuprinol