Tiny Houses

Tiny sheds, big ideas: The amazing designs of 2020's Shed of the Year

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The Budget Pallet Hobbit House, by Julie Twydell, is an area for relaxing that can be turned into a home cinema and was mostly built using recycled materials. The project is a finalist in the Budget category
Cuprinol
The Budget Pallet Hobbit House, by Julie Twydell, is an area for relaxing that can be turned into a home cinema and was mostly built using recycled materials. The project is a finalist in the Budget category
Cuprinol
Respite, by Pat Crook, is used as a beach escape while it's not possible to visit the coast. It's also an invaluable haven for the sheddie's ninety two year old father who has dementia and sits surrounded by shells, pebbles and soothing sounds of the sea. The project is a finalist in the Budget category
Cuprinol
The Dragon's Rest, by Patrick Seaman, started out as a potting shed project as he had been laid off from work and wanted to keep busy. It ended up morphing into a bar and pub garden (as well as still serving as the garden shed) and is made from around 80 percent reclaimed/recycled materials. The project is a finalist in the Budget category
Cuprinol
Jane's She Shed, by Jane Moyle, is conceived as a luxury summer house, with sunbeds, sink, and fridge for garden parties. The project is a finalist in the Cabin/Summerhouse category
Cuprinol
Jo's Garden Shedio, by Joanna Thornhill, is a log cabin-style office and lounge area, and was furnished using vintage furniture. The project is a finalist in the Cabin/Summerhouse category
Cuprinol
The Wookie was built from free and recycled materials and serves as a guest room, a place to relax, and a home office for teacher Beth Goodchild. The project is a finalist in the Cabin/Summerhouse category
Cuprinol
Sarah's Shed, by Sarah McGoldrick, was the birthplace of a visor making initiative that has raised money and provided over 5,000 facemasks to frontline NHS staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. The project is a finalist in the Lockdown - Repurpose category
Cuprinol
Shed School, by teacher Ashley Bates, has been turned into an online platform from which children can learn each day for free. Each day he dresses up as a pirate and teaches subjects like Math and English. The project is a finalist in the Lockdown - Repurpose category
Cuprinol
Standup from the Shed HQ, by Scott Bennett, is used as a stand up comedy venue for a weekly live streamed comedy show and doubles as a writing office too. The project is a finalist in the Lockdown - Repurpose category
Cuprinol
Lockdown Life, by Kathryn Little, was a family project during lockdown and now serves as a play house for Little's young son. The project is a finalist in the Lockdown - New Build category
Cuprinol
Lok Down, by Michael Roberts, is primarily used as a workshop for repairing old clocks, but is also a home office and studio. It was created by Roberts following his retirement from London's Goldsmiths College, where he taught metalwork and carpentry to the likes of artist Damien Hirst and British director Steve McQueen. The project is a finalist in the Lockdown - New Build category
Cuprinol
RK2, by Joe Melton, is built solely from reclaimed or recycled materials, and serves as a bar for Melton's family. It was created following the cancellation of a planned family vacation to cheer everyone up. The project is a finalist in the Lockdown - New Build category
Cuprinol
The Bedouin Tree Shed is used as a peaceful sanctuary to escape the owner's urban surroundings
Cuprinol
The Cosy Cabin, by Trevor Carswell, is used year-round and consists of recycled and new materials, including an insulating green roof. The project is a finalist in the Nature's Haven category
Cuprinol
The Shed Wedge, by Dan Wiseman, is a multipurpose den, shed, and motorbike workshop. It includes space for tools, a wood burner, sofa bed, table and chairs. The project is a finalist in the Nature's Haven category
Cuprinol
Eric's, by Dave Spencer, is a backyard pub largely made from recycled parts, including a 1945-era military parachute that adorns the ceiling. The project is a finalist in the Pub/Entertainment category
Cuprinol
Pallet Hollywood, by Mark Killick, is a place to relax and listen to music. It even has a small hot tub and spa inside and was largely built using recycled materials. The project is a finalist in the Pub/Entertainment category
Cuprinol
Pizza Folly, by Colin Naylor, includes a Japanese plunge bath, Italian wood fired pizza oven, and whisky bar, plus a sofa and a pair of double beds. It was built using recycled pallets and scaffold boards. The project is a finalist in the Pub/Entertainment category
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Bucko's Bar, by Len Lavelle, was built as a tribute to Lavelle's father and is conceived as a 1970s Irish Pub. It has a capacity of a dozen and an authentic-looking decor. The project is a finalist in the Unexpected category
Cuprinol
S.H.E.D, by Dr Rhiannon Jones, is described as an "arts venue, a conversation starter, a dialogue enhancer and a research facilitator" and is dedicated to artistic research through public engagement and co-production. The project is a finalist in the Unexpected category
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The Bemusement Arcade, by Alan Beresford, is a workshop for Beresford to recreate the "creepy and unsettling" amusement park dummies that fascinated him during his youth. The project is a finalist in the Unexpected category
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Huthaus, by Colin Humphreys, was influenced by Mondrian and the Bauhaus School and was made from mostly recycled materials. It serves as a potting shed by Humphreys' wife and recently underwent a renovation following a house move. The project is a finalist in the Unique category
Cuprinol
Old Bill, by A.M. Backshall, is designed to look like the Wickham trolley railway personnel carrier. It has seating, a wood burner and 12-V power. The project is a finalist in the Unique category
Cuprinol
Silas the Silo, by Tim Kerridge, makes use of an old grain silo thrown away by a farm. It now serves as a gazebo and BBQ hut. The project is a finalist in the Unique category
Cuprinol
The Colin Furze Workshop, by Colin Furze, is his workshop for building his many weird and wonderful creations, like the Homemade Hoverbike. The project is a finalist in the Workshop/Studio category
Cuprinol
The Just Lovelly Darkroom, by Georgina Lovell, is a photography darkroom which Lovell uses to process and print her photography. She also plans to give lessons from it in the future. The project is a finalist in the Workshop/Studio category
Cuprinol
Suitcase Trains HQ, by Sheena Powell Bevan, is used to create bespoke working trainsets housed in vintage suitcases. The project is a finalist in the Workshop/Studio category
Cuprinol
View gallery - 27 images

The finalists for the 2020 Cuprinol Shed of the Year competition have been announced. A record 27 sheds have made the cut, with highlights including a greenery-covered retreat, a tiny classroom used to provide online schooling, and a backyard bar complete with hot tub.

The UK shedding scene is a lot like the US tiny house movement, but with a boatload (sometimes literally) of British eccentricity. The passion shown by the amateur builders is genuinely inspiring and there are some fantastic designs each year.

The 2020 Cuprinol Shed of the Year competition is split into nine categories, which is up from seven last year: Pub/Entertainment, Cabin, Unique, Workshops, Budget, Unexpected, Nature's Haven, and the coronavirus-related Lockdown - Repurpose, and Lockdown - New Build. Public voting is open until August 14 and a winner will be announced later in the year.

"More than ever, the events of recent months have shown us what a valuable role sheds can play in our lives," says head judge and founder of the competition Andrew Wilcox. "They are spaces where we can help our NHS heroes, educate our children and care for our family. They highlight all that is great about Britain - our ingenuity, our eccentricity and our determination to help others."

We've selected a few highlights below, but head to the gallery to see each project in full and, as always, we'll be back later in the year with the winner.

The Cosy Cabin, by Trevor Carswell, is used year-round and consists of recycled and new materials, including an insulating green roof. The project is a finalist in the Nature's Haven category
Cuprinol

Built by Northern Ireland's Trevor Carswell, the Cosy Cabin consists of a clay base, with cement blocks and a salvaged steel frame supporting timber and composite panels. Its roof is also covered in greenery. Loft insulation and a salvaged wood-burning stove help keep it comfortable year-round, and it boasts a TV, sofa, bed, and even a bar inside.

Shed School, by teacher Ashley Bates, has been turned into an online platform from which children can learn each day for free. Each day he dresses up as a pirate and teaches subjects like Math and English. The project is a finalist in the Lockdown - Repurpose category
Cuprinol

Following the closing of Britain's schools during lockdown, London teacher Ashley Bates created the Shed School from an existing garden shed. He modified it with a false floor and a small work table made using found materials and then rigged up a camera and uses his laptop to stream free school lessons, such as Math and English, onto the internet.

Old Bill, by A.M. Backshall, is designed to look like the Wickham trolley railway personnel carrier. It has seating, a wood burner and 12-V power. The project is a finalist in the Unique category
Cuprinol

Old Bill, by Eastbourne's A.M. Backshall, is based on an old railway cart and designed to resemble a Wickham trolley, which was an engineering personnel carrier used on British railways. It's situated on rails in Backshall's garden, allowing him to move it up and down a small incline. The interior has seating and a wood-burning stove, as well as 12-V power.

Pallet Hollywood, by Mark Killick, is a place to relax and listen to music. It even has a small hot tub and spa inside and was largely built using recycled materials. The project is a finalist in the Pub/Entertainment category
Cuprinol

Mark Killick's Pallet Hollywood is a bar-style shed in Hampshire that's made from pallets and two old sheds that were falling apart. It includes a large TV, dartboard, fridge, a place to play 80s vinyl on his record player and "loads of booze." Additionally, Killick recently installed a hot tub hut to enjoy a refreshing drink.

Respite, by Pat Crook, is used as a beach escape while it's not possible to visit the coast. It's also an invaluable haven for the sheddie's ninety two year old father who has dementia and sits surrounded by shells, pebbles and soothing sounds of the sea. The project is a finalist in the Budget category
Cuprinol

West Yorkshire's Pat Crook conceived Respite as a beach escape at a time when it was not possible to visit the coast due to lockdown. The project is largely built from recycled materials and is an invaluable refuge for the sheddie's father, who is 92 and lives with dementia. He sits surrounded by shells, pebbles and seaside paraphernalia listening to soothing sounds of the sea.

Source: Readers Sheds

View gallery - 27 images
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1 comment
Warky1
These are all worthy contenders however, I'm a little partial to Mark Killick's bar shed. A man after my own heart. Next time I'm across the pond and in Hampshire I'd love to stop in for a drink!