Eight marvellous sheds built from boats, trees and taxis for the Shed of the Year competition
This year's competition is as fierce as it is creative. Take a look at our top choices for Shed of the Year 2018.


Entering it’s 11th year, the Shed of the Year competition blends style and substance to produce beautiful and useful work and living spaces, dotted around the country's gardens.
Andrew Wilcox, founder of Shed of the Year and dubbed ‘Head Sheddie’, claims to have been 'blown away' by the 2,971 entries which the competition received this year.
‘I’ve judged the finalists eleven years running now, and it’s amazing to see how the sheds evolve each year as entrants take inspiration from others and realise that creating your own shed on a budget is a more than achievable project’.
It's always an enormous amount of fun – and if you like you can vote for the winner on the competition website, www.readersheds.co.uk, where there are also pictures of all the shortlisted sheds. But we've picked out a few of our particular favourites below.
Shed and Breakfast
Reminiscent of a country B&B, Shed & Breakfast boasts a king sized bed and it’s own kitchenette. Owner Daisy Bass and her husband host homeless Bristol youth in this quaint accommodation once a month.
The Big Top Den
Steve Burrows built this charmingly colourful play area into an old Wisteria tree for the benefit of his grandsons.
Boat Pod
Submitted into the ‘unique’ category of the competition, Boat Pod is constructed from the bow of an old fish trawler, originally built in 1945.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Noah’s
Built during a period of torrential rain by owner David, joking neighbours who visited the pub two-by-two christened this uniquely designed shed, built almost entirely of recycled materials.
Viking Bauhutte
Resembling the upturned hull of a ship, owner Chris Walter built this space for his family to use as a craft room, and for himself to design and build cameras.
Buenai Vista
Buenai Vista was designed to emulate the environment around it, with panels reflecting the nearby steam, iron–age hillfort and woodland. His wife has affectionately renamed it ‘The Prosecco Palace’.
The Bush Inn
Build to form a part of a recreated wartime village in Kent, The Bush Inn perfectly captures the essence of the public houses of that period.
The Taxi
Owner Lee Connelly and his team abandoned their attempts to repair an old vintage car and instead transformed the car into a bedroom and creative space.
See the full shortlist and vote for your favourite shed at www.readersheds.co.uk.
Credit: Knight Frank
A palatial Jacobean-style mansion with rooms by the man who renovated Buckingham Palace
With a 24 carat gold drawing room, an extraordinary indoor spa complex and a £150,000 playhouse, the only thing Pinewood
Why it’s time to leave guests in the garden
Guest rooms that take their inhabitants closer to Nature? Giles Kime explores.
-
'The watch is Head Boy of men’s accessorising': Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey and Tom Chamberlin's Summer Season style secrets
When it comes to dressing for the Season, accessories will transform an outfit. Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey and Tom Chamberlin, both stylish summer-party veterans, offer some sage advice.
-
Lewis Hamilton, Claude Monet and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 29, 2025
Tuesday's Quiz of the Day looks back at Lewis Hamilton's first win and ponders on the meaning of greige.
-
‘It had the air of an ex-rental, and that’s putting it politely’: How an antique dealer transformed a run-down Georgian house in Chatham Dockyards
An antique dealer with an eye for colour has rescued an 18th-century house from years of neglect with the help of the team at Mylands.
-
The big reveal: A first look at Country Life's RHS Chelsea Flower Show stand
Interior designer Isabella Worsley reveals her plans for Country Life’s ‘outdoor drawing room’ at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
-
Sanderson's new collection is inspired by The King's pride and joy — his Gloucestershire garden
Designers from Sanderson have immersed themselves in The King's garden at Highgrove to create a new collection of fabric and wallpaper which celebrates his long-standing dedication to Nature and biodiversity.
-
Designer's Room: A solid oak French kitchen that's been cleverly engineered to last
Kitchen and joinery specialist Artichoke had several clever tricks to deal with the fact that natural wood expands and contracts.
-
John Sutcliffe — The man, the myth and the paint-naming legend behind Dead Salmon and Elephant's Breath
-
The power of the youthful gaze: A new generation tackles modern day design conundrums
How is a new generation of interior designers responding to changing lifestyles, proliferating choice, the challenges of sustainability and the tireless demands of social media?
-
'Rooms can be theatrical and comfortable at the same time': Top tips for decorating with conversation in mind
Carefully placed furniture encourages conversations, says Emma Burns, of Sibyl Colefax & Fowler
-
A tub carved from a single block of San Marino marble — and nine more beautiful things for the ultimate bathroom
There's a bathroom out there for everyone — whatever your preferred style.