The finalists for Shed of the Year 2013 announced

From boat shaped dens to replicas of the Tardis, the humble garden shed, once a place to store tools has taken on new purpose and shape as the finalists of the 2013 Shed of the Year competition sponsored by Cuprinol are revealed.

Now in its seventh year, the competition which invites ‘sheddies’ up and down the country to enter their whacky and wonderful shed creations for a chance to be crowned ‘Shed of the Year’, has received 1,975 entries.

The search for the nation’s best shed has been whittled down to just eight by almost 14,000 public votes on www.readersheds.co.uk, as one lucky shed has been voted category winner in each of the eight categories. The categories include;

• Eco shed

• Garden office

• Cabin/summerhouse

• Workshop/studio

• Unique shed

• Pub shed

• Tardis shed

• Normal shed

Each category winner automatically gets a place in the final of the competition where their shed will be judged by high profile industry experts including Channel 4 property presenter Sarah Beeny, British designer, writer and television presenter Kevin McCloud, Shed working expert Alex Johnston, Shed of the Year founder Uncle Wilco and last year’s winner John Plumridge.

The overall winner will be announced during Shed Week from 1 July and, as well as gaining the prestigious title, the lucky winner will receive £1,000 courtesy of sponsors Cuprinol.

Kathryn Ledson, Cuprinol Marketing Manager, comments:

“Sheds are vital to the British identity which is why Cuprinol is delighted to sponsor Shed of the Year. The competition celebrates the very best of British sheds and gets bigger and better every year. It’s fantastic to see the passion and creativity that goes it to each and every shed entry – it’s this that makes Shed of Year sponsored by Cuprinol the unique and inspiring competition it is today.”

The 2013 finalists are

Best Eco Shed: Eco bike høøse

Eco bike høøse owned by Camden Town resident Marcus Sheilds has won Best Eco Shed for his brightly coloured, sustainable eco-shed, complete with a pretty wildflower ‘green roof’ and recycled yogurt carton cladding which houses his and his wife’s 11 bikes.

Best Garden Office: Nest Design Studio

Sheddie Jonathan Sullivan of Modbury, Devon has been awarded a place in the final for his beautifully built Nest Design Studio. Positioned overlooking stunning views of Dartmoor, Sullivan uses the light and warm space as a place to work from.

Best Cabin/Summerhouse: Cabin Habit

This quirky and industrial style cabin owned by Abigail Walker of Pangbourne in Berkshire has drawn influence from a Nissen hut. Combined with her love of vintage style and all things mid-century, this corrugated steel den is fully insulated and lined with an airy feel.

Best Workshop/Studio: The Stencil Shed

Retired Guerilla artist Luke Hollingworth, otherwise known as ‘Syd’, from Malmesbury in Wiltshire was a finalist in last year’s competition and has resubmitted his new and improved Stencil Shed after working solidly on it over the past year. His whacky creation is used as a space to house his art work and features a smiley face optical illusion, a cider bar as well as a full sized gorilla that guards the entrance!

Best Unique Shed: Boat Roofed Shed

This creative and unusual shed owned by Alex Holland has a roof that consists of an upturned boat. Positioned in the Cambrian Mountain range near Machynlleth, mid-Wales, the shed houses a refrigerator, gas cooker, sink and sound system well used for parties.

Best Pub Shed: 3 Steps Bar

3 Steps Bar owned by Garry Logan of Ayrshire looks like a normal shed from the outside until you step inside. Having spent a fortune, the pub shed is complete with pub paraphernalia including a brass footrest, a last orders bell, a fruit machine, dartboard, sound system, optics, sky sports and wi-fi.

Best Tardis Shed: Tardis

This replica of the Tardis from the popular sci-fi TV series is owned by talented sheddie David Lifton from Chelmsford. Built for his Doctor Who mad son Rhys, the slightly scaled down version of the original took five months to create.

Best Normal Shed: Queen Emma Galleon

Winner of the Normal Shed category is the Queen Emma Galleon, a boat shaped shed modeled on the HMS Victory and the HMS Warrior. Owned by Southampton based Clare Kapma-Saunders, the impressive creation is complete with a top deck, rigging, skull and cross bones, hammock and captains quarters.

Many thanks to all the sheddies that have taken part this year – you are an inspiration to the rest of us.

If your are a member of the press and would like more photos or possible chat to the sheddies then please contact me.