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Winner of the UK’s Shed of the Year Competition

Even before the COVID lockdown, Brits were big on gardening and sheds. In the UK a shed isn’t merely a place to store tools, but a workshop, a hangout space or a refuge, a sort of gender-neutral progenitor to America’s absurd “man caves.”

British gardening supply company Cuprinol sponsors an annual Shed of the Year competition, and they’ve just crowned this year’s winner: Daniel Holloway’s Bedouin Tree Shed, which took eight years to build and incorporates natural elements, integrating a living Ash and Oak tree on the Holloway’s property outside of London.

“Being in harmony with nature is incredibly important for us as a family,” Holloway said. “We’ve been absolutely committed to avoid impacting the root system of the trees as we’ve been extending the shed. There’s also Willow saplings and Jasmine on the exterior which makes the shed almost seem part of the landscape when they bloom in the summer.”

It’s tough to tell in the photos, but the interior footprint is 25 square meters, or about 270 square feet.

As for the provenance of the objects inside: Holloway’s day job is as an expedition organizer, and the bulk of artifacts within are indigenous pieces collected on his overseas trips.

As the top prize winner, Holloway’s been awarded £100 of Cuprinol products and £1,000. That ought to be enough to build an extension, or perhaps a second shed for entry in the contest in future.