Talented sheddie Kevin Herbert has won this year's Shed of the Year competition with his charming Eco entry, the West Wing. Constructed from 90 percent recycled materials, it's an excellent example of the do-it-yourself spirit behind the shed scene, and was a real labor of love, taking eight years to build from start to finish.
The competition was strong this year and the West Wing beat a record-breaking 2,824 other entries, including a nuclear bunker, a V8-powered shed on wheels, and a small home for an African crocodile.
Located at the bottom of his garden in Berkshire, England, Herbert's West Wing is rather more cosy than its famous TV series namesake. Its green roof is covered in wild turf and features a total of 400 used milk cartons (which took a year to collect), cut and layered for drainage.
The interior includes a loft space, accessed by ladder, with a bed and an area to relax, while the ground floor is decked-out like a lounge. Elsewhere, lies a storage space and workshop. Our favorite addition, though, is a bookcase that serves as a hidden door and reveals a secret room for his kids to play and sleep.
"We were up against some tough competition this year as the sheds were more eccentric and impressive than ever before," says Herbert. "So I am so honored and proud that my shed at the bottom of the garden was chosen as the winner of Shed of the Year 2016. I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone who voted for West Wing – the eight years that it took to build has really paid off!"
Herbert pockets £1,000 (about US$1,300) in prize money, a winner's plaque, products by competition sponsor Cuprinol, and a giant crown for the shed – not to mention bragging rights for winning one of the UK's most interesting architectural awards.
Sources: Shedblog, Readers Sheds
