Shed of The Year finalists revealed

16 July 2014

With a record breaking 20,000 public votes (a 73% increase on last year) the nation has selected the finalists in the annual Shed of the Year competition that is sponsored by Cuprinol. For the first time the finalists will feature in a new three-part TV series titled Amazing Spaces: Shed of the Year, airing on Channel 4 at 8pm from 24th July. The winner will be revealed on the last episode that is due to air on 7th August.

The top four sheds in each of the eight categories have been whittled down from over 2,000 entries and will now go head-to-head in a bid to be crowned the overall winner of the 2014 Shed of the Year. The Shed of the Year competition is the brainchild of shed-fanatic and Head sheddie Uncle Wilco (Andrew Wilcox) from South Wales, who launched the nationwide competition to celebrate the best of British sheds.

The overall winner will be selected by a panel of shed experts including the founder of the competition Uncle Wilco (Andrew Wilcox), last year’s overall winner Alex Holland, and George Clarke and his expert team; craftsman William Hardie, architect Laura Clark and industrial designer Max McMurdo. The winner will receive £1,000 courtesy of the sponsor along with a wooden plaque, £100 worth of the sponsors products and a giant crown for their shed.

George Clarke says: “The nation’s love for transforming their garden shed to an extension of the home is really trending right now. The TV series reveals some of the most creative, beautiful and unusual shed spaces, as well as meeting the talented people behind them.”

Uncle Wilco says: “With more shed entries than ever before and a record breaking public vote, the nation’s love of sheds is clearly growing. Every year the entries just get better and better, so deciding on who will be crowned Shed of the Year 2014 sponsored by Cuprinol, will be no mean feat. Tune in to Channel 4 on 24th July to follow the journey.”

Brand Manager for Cuprinol, Kay Bartlett says: “At Cuprinol, we’re so proud to sponsor this competition. Every year we’re amazed at how creative ‘sheddies’ get with their beloved sheds and how many wonderful entries come through. The TV series will really bring to life some of these unusual sheds and hopefully inspire the nation to get creative with their own garden havens.”

 

THE FINALISTS

PUB SHED FINALISTS

Golden Pheasant: Owned by Gary and Lorraine Curd from Yalding in Kent

The shed used to be a farm store that was on the edge of collapsing but was transformed into a garden pub which hosts a number of strange and unique artefacts including a stuffed squirrel and an old chain saw.

Tiki Lodge: Owned by Stephen

Tiki Lodge is a tropical hideaway constructed from wood and finished with bamboo. It’s complete with a bartop collage design, handmade from old surfing magazines, remote control LED lighting, hand carved coconut cups, carved sign, carved tikis, surf memorabilia and a surfboard hanging from roof.

The Appleton Arms: Owned by Mark Appleton aged 52 from St Helens, Merseyside

The Appleton Arms was built as a tribute to Mark’s late father and brother, and contains a traditional hand-made wooden bar, a snug area, real pub signage, a dart board and a wood burning stove.

Charlie Browns: Owned by 62 year old Patrick Lynch from Billericay

Built over two years, the shed holds 60 people and houses a pool table, two slot machines and a 50’s juke box. The full bar with optics and pumps, cabinet fridge, cocktail barrel and sound system keeps the party alive long into the night.

 

ECO SHED FINALISTS

Pool Hoose: Peter McLaren, aged 50 from Fife

The Pool Hoose has been made entirely from recycled materials including telegraph poles, scaffolding battens, timber, roofing tin, and glass. Used as a studio, the shed links together the view between two pools and is furnished to accommodate passing touring cyclists.

The Allotment Roof Shed: Owned by Joel Bird, aged 39 from North London

Built from scratch using recycled materials, an array of vegetables are grown on the Allotment Roof Shed. All lights are powered by a solar panel and it contains a wood burner which is used to heat it. One half of the shed is for painting and art whilst the second half is a music practice room and studio.

Walking Home: Owned by Grant from North Devon

Currently placed on top of tree trunks, Walking Home is the first phase of an actual walking house. It’s a living space which will be carried by four hydraulic articulated legs. The complete structure is 23foot tall and will be able to move.

Bottle Dome: Owned by Richard Pim from Pembridge

The Bottle Dome is made with about 5,000 glass bottles set between crossed arches - like a huge hot-cross bun. Some part of the glass hemisphere directly faces the sun at all times of the day reflecting the light into an interior pool.

 

GARDEN OFFICE SHED FINALISTS

Rapod Garden Office: owned by Toni Keers

The Rapod Garden Office has a unique type of cladding made with high quality and high specification materials, heated flooring, bi fold doors, a full length window, electric and lighting

The Little Thatch: Owned by Jamie Dix, aged 33, and Gemma Mitchell, aged 35 from Bedford

Designed and built by Jamie Dix in 2010, the picturesque shed has a beautiful thatched roof, bunk beds for the children and exposed oak beams.

The Poki Shed: owned by Huw Grantham

The Poki shed is an upcycled, recycled garden office and measures just 2meters squared externally. The shed was made using as much recycled and online auction items as possible; from the doors and window, to the VW camper bench seat, the recycled bed slats and pallets and even to the artwork on the wall

Denison Garden Studio

Denison Garden Studio took six weeks to build, has energy efficient double glazing and is fully insulated and carpeted. The Studio was originally a present for the owner Martin’s mothers 50th birthday.

 

CABIN / SUMMERHOUSE SHED FINALISTS

White Lodge: Owned by John Leaver from Steeton

A traditional log cabin situated in a wood featuring a large curved window looking over a small lake. Self-built by stacking logs one on top of another, the shed is filled with unusual

Tom's Lodge: Owned by Alban & Angela Bunting from Binegar in Somerset

Built completely by hand, the shed is constructed with reclaimed oak timbers, lime plaster, thatch roof and handmade leaded diamond windows.

My Caribbean Retreat: Owned by Alison Kynaston Jones, aged 57 from Shropshire

The My Caribbean Retreat shed houses a day bed, stereo, small mementos from trips away and Moroccan tapestry cushions. The roof is lined with pink and purple folded voile and embroidered with butterflies.

Gothic Retreat: Owned by Ann & Brian Bailey from Wolverhampton.

Inspired by Castle Coch in South Wales, it’s made from two tons of reclaimed stone, timber and cedar shingles and features stained glass windows, shell mosaics on the walls and ceiling and houses reclaimed church furniture.

 

UNIQUE SHED FINALISTS

Teapot: Owned by Ian Hunter, aged 59 from Melrose, Scotland

Built entirely from reclaimed materials, the ground level is used as a drying shed for timber with a summer house on the upper level accessed by steps through the teapot handle. The lid of the teapot, topped with an old fishing buoy, can be opened and shut by winding a reworked old hand drill creating a special open-air experience.

Reelwood: Paul Slim, aged 37 from Stourbridge

Reelwood is a shed-cinema made with exact dimensions for the surround sound. Reelwood also contains a full film collection, movie memorabilia and a cinematic screen.

Jack Sparrow: Owned by Jonathan Meliville-Smith from Cornwall

Designed for fairies and pixies, the door is shaped to match the unusual shape and outer structure. Inside there is a sitting area with circular table, gas hob, hand wash basin, shelves for crockery and also a bench seat with bunk bed over the top.

 

NORMAL SHED FINALISTS

Disco Shed: Owned by DJ’s Paddy Bickerton and Aidan Larkin, both aged 35 from The Cotswolds

The Disco Shed is a fully mobile shed that travels the country to play at music festivals. It contains DJ decks, lights, a smoke machine, giant rooftop visuals, disco ball and a record sleeve lined roof.

Renee & Albert’s Diner: Owned by Anne and Ian Bate, aged 45 and 47 from Sutton

The Renee & Albert’s Diner is 1950s themed and was created as a tribute to Anne’s late parents. The shed houses an original 1950s radio, juke box, diner booth, petrol pump, light-up bar and a TV.

Titanic: Owned by John Siggins

The Titanic shed is built from salvaged materials, including wood from skips, slates and windows from recycled materials. The shed has three stunning stained glass windows, floorboards from a Victorian house and a 1930s wooden fire surround.

Blitz Street Museum: Owned by Darren Stride from Great Yarmouth

Transporting visitors back to the 1940s, the Blitz Street Museum consists of a life-size street display made up of five different themed sheds housing reconstructions of a wartime cottage, sweet shop and an air-raid shelter.

Retro Fairground: Owned by Paul Ruddiforth, 47 from Sheffield

Built to house Paul’s growing collections of artefacts, Retro Fairground is filled with items such as old radios, a 1960s TV and a 1976 Raleigh chopper. With a lifelong love of all things related to Fairground rides and arcade machines – these were added to the collection and took over.

 

STUDIO SHED FINALISTS

Stencil Shed: Owned by Luke ‘Syd’ Hollingworth from Malmesbury, Wiltshire

The ‘Stencil Shed’ was created to house Syd’s art work. It features a smiley face optical illusion, a cider bar, as well as a full sized gorilla that guards the entrance!

Vintage Motor Works: Owner by Martyn Prior from Hereford

Vintage Motor Works is a 1930s style garage shed and restoration workshop which houses several period classic Austins and provides plenty of space to work on cars. Constructed with heavy timber and painted in Cuprinol Garden Shades, the shed spans a large area finished with classic retro touches.

The Den: Owned by Mike in High Peak, Derbyshire

Used as a space to chill, do woodcraft and generally wind down with good music, The Den includes a wood burner to heat it during the winter, and a rocking chair.

Folk in a Box: Owned by Howard Mills.

Designed specifically for one-on-one musical performances, Folk in a Box has been presented at the Venice Biennale and Sydney Festival as well as many music and arts festivals around the UK. It is constructed from a soundproof metal which has no windows but two doors - one for the performer to enter, and one for the audience member.

 

TARDIS SHED FINALISTS

Thomas’s Tardis: Owned by Helen Waddington

The Tardis replica was built after Helen Waddington’s son asked for a Tardis for his birthday. Taking eight weeks to complete, the shed signs were handcrafted and added to the outside whilst inside there is a large backdrop of the tardis interior on the rear wall.

The Tardis: Owned by David Lifton from Little Bentley, Essex

Built for his Doctor Who mad son Rhys, the slightly scaled down version of the original took five months to create.

Bluebox Type 40: Owned by John Willams from Northamptonshire

Designed to be an exact replica, the shed has internal fluorescent lights and a roof lamp to provide illumination for evening entertaining. Internal speakers and sound effect recordings provide the famous take-off and landing, door opening and cloister bell sounds

Swedish Tardis: Owned by Carl de Boulloche

The Swedish Tardis is a replica of the BBC classic and is the home to the property’s water system.

- Ends-

For more information, more images, interviews with the sheddie finalists, Uncle Wilco or last year’s overall winner Alex Holland, please contact the Cuprinol Press Office at Mischief PR on (0)20 3128 6600 or email cuprinol@mischiefpr.com

For more information on the Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces: Shed of the Year please contact Steve Rosier on + 44 (0) 20 7306 8660/ srosier@channel4.co.uk

 

Notes to Editors

• The TV show air dates are; 8pm on 24th July, 31st July and 7th August 2014
• The finalists are the top four in each of the eight categories which include Eco, Normal, Summerhouse, Tardis, Garden Office, Pub, Unique and Workshop
• The TV show airing on Channel 4 will feature many of the finalists, reveal each of the category winners and the overall winner
• The TV show will see Presenter George Clarke and his expert team travel the country to discover some of this year’s most impressive shed entries from each of the eight categories
• The overall winner will receive the title of Shed of the Year 2014, a wooden plaque stating this, £1,000 courtesy of Cuprinol, £100 worth of Cuprinol products and a giant crown for their shed
• The Shed of the Year competition sponsored by Cuprinol, is the brainchild of shed-fanatic and Head sheddie Uncle Wilco (Andrew Wilcox) from South Wales, who launched the nationwide competition to celebrate the best of British sheds
• The Shed of the Year competition was started in 2007 by Uncle Wilco (Andrew Wilcox), Head sheddie of www.readersheds.co.uk
• Being passionate about wood, at Cuprinol we also understand the importance of safeguarding the world’s forests, as well as the people that live and work in them. That’s why we are working in partnership with the FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) to help protect the supply of wood for the future
• For products to treat, protect and add colour to your sheds, fences, decking, garden furniture and other garden wood visit www.cuprinol.co.uk