FEATURE: GREENHOUSES & OUTDOOR BUILDINGS Mark Twain F
rom Virginia Woolf’s re-purposed tool shed at the bottom of her garden, to George Bernard Shaw’s revolving
sun-facing hut where he wrote many of his most famous works, Mark Twain’s octagonal study where he brought Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer to life and Under Milk Wood’s Dylan Thomas’ tiny cliff top idyll, writers have famously written from their gardens to enhance their creative voices. In fact, Cressida Cowell, author of the How to Train Your Dragon series describes her writing shed as an; ‘Island. A TARDIS, a refuge, a dream space. It could be anywhere, and it might be anything.’ Whereas His Dark Materials creator, Philip Pullman, famously sought the silent solitude of a shed when his son took up violin.
“Outdoor buildings big and small,
repurposed or built to enhance the users experience have long helped to shape some of the greatest stories of our time,” says Forest Garden’s Marketing Manager, Jenny Davis. “It’s amazing to think that Roald Dahl’s Umpa Lumpa and snozzcumber filled worlds were created in a shed where even the curtains were closed to shut out all distractions. Literary heroes through time have really harnessed their green spaces to shape the way that stories inspire us today.” “We launched our range of Xtend garden rooms in March this year
CREATING A ROOM OF ONES OWN AS SALES OF GARDEN ROOMS SOAR
and demand for them has been unparalleled. It’s a straightforward to install, pre-cut modular Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) building which stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. At a time where the lines between our work life and our home lives have been blurred beyond recognition, it’s the perfect ‘Room of Ones Own’ to escape to.” “It’s incredible to think of all of those businesses have been and will continue to be run out of a garden. It’s a trend that we aren’t seeing abating any time soon as demand is still high. Who knows how listening to bird song or enjoying the short, green- filed path to the office in the morning is going to change the way that we think and work in the future or how many more aspiring authors have blossomed in their shed of choice during lockdown – only time will tell,” Davis concludes. The Xtend range from Forest
WICKES ANNOUNCES WINNER OF ITS FIRST-EVER HOME OFFICE AWARDS For full details and availability visit:
www.forestgarden.co.uk/product-
Garden is available in three different sizes and offers a contemporary feel, whilst being affordable, energy efficient, straightforward to construct and backed by a 15-year structural warranty.
categories/garden-buildings/xtend-by-forest/ RRP: £7,584.99
Judged by TV celebrities and property experts Phil Spencer and Ben Hillman, Wickes awards were created to celebrate and reward the creators of the best WFH spaces across the UK.
The winner of the Wickes Home Office Awards has been crowned, alongside four shortlisted winners from across the UK. Launched in mid-April, the awards sought the best in home office set-ups, after more than a year of video calls led the nation to upping their creativity when designing working from home spaces.
After weeks of social media entries, Claire Hughes of Caithness, Scotland, has taken the top accolade for her sensational shed office in her garden. Judge Phil Spencer said: “The office made excellent use of space, combining design and practicality to create the perfect workspace. The addition of plants and a large, glamorous desk helped to elevate this simple
22 DIY WEEK JULY 2021
shed to an award-winning home office. Looking at property value, home offices are far more sought after than they used to be, and I’m sure this style of outhouse office will help to add value to Claire’s home.” Claire’s inspiration came when she decided to build a shed for her children’s toys, commenting: “Unable to find a shed sturdy enough for the toys I set about building it from scratch. With the help of a friend, I designed and built the shed - which turned out to be the perfect room for home working and has become a sanctuary of peace and quiet for the family. I’m really surprised, it feels amazing to have won. It was hard work so to be recognised for that is incredible, especially from a company that sees a lot of sheds!” Claire was awarded the shortlist winner ‘Sensational Shed’ and was then championed by the judges as the overall winner for the Wickes Home Office Awards 2021.
*Office of National Statistics April 2021
www.diyweek.net
Roald Dahl’s writing hut
Virginia Woolf
Literary greats over the years have often built or repurposed garden buildings when they sought to seek solace and refuge to write, so when one in three* found themselves working from home during lockdown on a regular basis, it is hardly surprising that sales of garden rooms rocketed, according to the leading UK manufacturer and distributor of quality wooden garden products, Forest Garden.
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