Outhouse enthusiasts rejoice: 2023’s Cuprinol’s Shed of the Year has been crowned.
This year’s winner, as chosen by judges and the general public, is Archie Proudfoot from London, owner of ‘The Frankenshed’.
The artist and sign painter brought the dilapidated shed ‘back from the dead’, turning it into a bright bolthole showcasing his designs.
‘What started as a bored attempt to save a rotten shed turned into the most elaborate and enjoyable piece of artwork I’ve ever created,’ Archie explained.
‘The Frankenshed is now a beautiful place to escape and enjoy an afternoon sketching, writing, tinkering or potting plants for the garden.’
Archie rebuilt the structure with recycled timber and old fence posts, before transforming it with multicoloured paint and quirky decor pieces.
His creation beat 26 finalists, which were separated into eight categories, from budget designs to natural havens that promote local wildlife or blend in seamlessly with the landscape.
For 2023, two new categories were also added – Simple but Effective and Colourful (where the Frankenshed was shortlisted).
Archie’s prize is £1,000 in cash and £250 worth of Cuprinol products, not to mention the bragging rights of taking home the coveted title.
‘Seeing the reaction to the shed has been amazing and I’m delighted that so many people have been as taken with this little project as I still am today,’ he added.
‘Rebuilding and decorating the shed was a very personal undertaking for me and to see it win not just the “Colourful” category, but be crowned overall winner – well, I’m over the moon.’
The competition is now in its 17th year, and judges were tasked with narrowing down 200 entries from a wide variety of ‘sheddies’.
Normally, three submissions are chosen from each category for the shortlist, but with particularly strong entries in three categories this year, four sheds were selected from each.
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director and Colour Expert at Cuprinol, commented: ‘It’s wonderful to see such artistry and craftsmanship triumph in this 2023 Shed of the Year. The extraordinary mural work in the interior of Archie’s Frankenshed are such a unique expression of his individuality, skill, and love of colour
‘A true labour of love, Archie’s shed shows how it’s possible to bring anything back to life with a bucketful of passion and a lick or two of paint.’
Can’t get enough shed content? Check out the rest of the shortlisted entries, along with the winners in each category.
Colourful
The Pamper Cabin
Laura O’Mahony from Dorset’s pink outbuilding is giving serious Barbiecore energy. She uses the candy-coloured space as a salon where clients can have beauty treatments in style.
The Shed
Ulster-based Dave Webber went for a rainbow theme for his shed. He thinks it’s the perfect spot for work and rest – while also housing his treasured motorcycles.
Simple But Effective
Category winner: Head, Hearts and Hands Hut
Charlotte Synge from Cambridgeshire’s entry was built for the community, by the community. The beloved shed is a space for garden lovers to congregate and make new friends, while working towards a more sustainable future.
The Tea House
Sitting beautifully at the bottom of the garden, Peter Lawson from Bristol’s Japanese Tea Room is enjoyed by the whole family – including his two cats.
The Nott Shed
Lisa Nottingham says her shed is a serene sanctuary from a stressful job, with the Oxfordshire hopeful saying The Nott Shed is her ‘happy place.’
Small but Mighty
Small but Mighty in Norfolk was lovingly designed on a piece of scrap paper, and has been worked on and enjoyed ever since by two novice allotmenteers – including Rebecca Boulton who entered the hut in the competition – in need of a handy storage solution.
Budget
Category winner: Number 82
Sarah Allen, also of Kent, has turned a skip’s worth of recycled materials into the greenhouse she has always dreamed of, which now sits proudly at the end of her garden.
Ethel
Named after her grandmother and repurposing a lot of her belongings, Mary Fudge’s Kent shed, Ethel, is the perfect space for her to relax.
Altogether, the build came to somewhere between £250 – £499.
My Little Slice of Heaven
Lotte Shaw, of West Yorkshire, uses her shed to display her favourite wooden frame windows, which she has been collecting for the last decade.
The shed cost between £150 – £249 to build.
Cabin/Summerhouse
Category winner: A-frame Ski Chalet
This one, from Alex Dodman in Essex, could be a contender for Grand Designs.
Alex’s top-of-the-garden cabin instantly catches the eye with its unique design, made from re-used wood from an old shed.
The Buckland Family Summerhouse
Lisa Buckland has rejuvenated the summerhouse left by the previous owners of her home in Aberdeenshire, into a colourful outdoor space enjoyed by all the family.
She even used Cuprinol Garden Shades in Cornflower to add an eye-catching pop of colour around the windows.
Tin House’s Tin Shed
Formerly a carpenter’s wood store, Nicola House from Kent has turned this workshop into a beautiful retreat for her son, who has complex special needs.
Nature’s Haven
Category winner: Bee Cafe Shed
This sweet creation is filled with wooden crates that deliver pollen and nectar for hungry bees on the move.
It also serves as an ideal spot for owner Paul Martin, from Suffolk, a place to play chess and do some potting.
Mok Wood Art Shed
Michael Fendrych’s West Lothian craft studio is made from 80% reclaimed materials, demonstrating the amazing things that can be done with upcycled goods.
Pub/Entertainment
Category winner: The Smugglers’ Notch
From the inside, you’d believe this was a pub, but that’s the power of sheds for you.
The Smugglers’ Notch, by Tim Griffiths from the West Midlands, combines a ‘traditionally styled snug’ and bar to make this stunning entertaining space, inspired by a mountain pass in Vermont.
Shepherds Rest
As a sufferer of PTSD, John Sheppard created Shepherds Rest as a place to unwind.
The Wiltshire bar is always open to his ex-Army colleagues for enjoying a rugby match on TV.
Tikki Bar
Bringing a slice of California to South Yorkshire, Ken Worthy’s whole family came together to manufacture this colourful Tikki Bar.
They made use of reclaimed materials for their cabin, and – as you can probably see – a lot of paint.
Unexpected/Unique
Category winner: Buckingham Pallets
Neil Wheatley’s impressive allotment shed was a lockdown project, made from pallets, windows and doors saved from landfill.
The vast space includes lots of quirky features – including a secret bookshelf door and Beano comic wall
Carl’s Surf Shack
This nautical-themed summerhouse is a place for Jane Tomlinson, Cheshire West and Chester, to remember her late husband Carl – a fanatical windsurfer who died in a tragic cycling accident in 2021.
Golden Behinde
After seeing a full-size replica of the Golden Hinde in London, Harry Scott’s sons decided they wanted one of their own.
Suffolk-based Harry lovingly obliged, creating a one-of-a-kind place to party, read and study.
I Am Reusable
I Am Reusable, an entry from John McGall, serves as a community foodbank in Cambridgeshire, providing for over 100 people a day in need of food and toiletries.
Workshop/Studio
Category winner: The Makershed
Kerry Truman’s Derbyshire shed became a true lifeline during lockdown, as a place to escape and enjoy personal projects such as spoon carving and 3D printing – all in the name of mental wellbeing.
Nan’s Woodworking Shed
Proving that age really is just a number, Sarah Glass’s shed is a space for carrying out her woodwork projects – a hobby she picked up at the age of 62.
A self-confessed Cuprinol lover, Sarah completed the Buckinghamshire shed with the brand’s 5 Star Wood Treatment.
Tangerine Dream
TV presenter Ben Hillman uses his stylish 1980s-inspired West Sussex studio as a place to work and play, distinctive with its asymmetric design and picture window.
Tardis Cabinets of South Wales
The upcoming series of Doctor Who is bound to attract a whole new generation of viewers, but Gary Dorr of Swansea has been a ‘Whovian’ for many years, creating bespoke Tardis cabinets from his shed-come-workshop for fellow fans.
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