Have you ever wanted additional living space in your home? A spare bedroom, craft room or a place to retreat to? Meet the designers from the Grand Shed Project and discover how they transformed five of Waltons’ garden sheds into creative spaces.
What is the Grand Shed Project?
The Grand Shed Project is a brand new garden feature at the award winning home event, Grand Designs Live. The project was setup to showcase how the forgotten shed at the end of the garden can be used as an extension of the home.
Five interior and garden designers from around the UK were challenged to transform Waltons 10ft x 8ft Tradesman Wooden Sheds with their own unique twist.
Kevin McCloud, design guru and presenter of Channel 4’s Grand Designs programme was keen to judge the shed creations after designing and making his own shed.
Kevin said: “I consider myself an expert on sheds having built one from scratch. A good shed is a retreat, a place for the imagination to wander and an antidote to stress”.
He was joined by former Grand Designer, Danielle Raffield and Tristram Bishop from sponsor, AXA Insurance, to judge the creative shed spaces.
Meet the designers
Grand Shed Project Winner - Reading Snug by Rebecca Jones
Winner of the Grand Shed Project, Rebecca Jones’ from Dappled Interiors was crowned Grand Shed Designer of the Year.
Rebecca’s cosy and atmospheric ‘reading snug’ was dubbed by Kevin as “the most inventive use of the restrictive space” and admired the personal touches used from her own home.
Based in Staffordshire, Rebecca created her company, Dappled Interiors, after realising her love for visual merchandising and interior design, which is shown through the stunning interior of the reading snug.
South Miami Beach by Gemma Hill
Inspired by a girls holiday to South Beach Miami, Gemma Hill from Bayswater Interiors created a colour-popping, luxury garden retreat.
Designed to provide an escape from the pressures of day-to-day life, Gemma’s shed is an inviting space to relax with a magazine or catch up with friends over a cocktail.
Gemma furnished the tropical retreat with products from Harlequin, Houseology, Dar Lighting and Cole & Son.
Bringing The Outdoors In by Liam Sapsford
‘Bringing The Outdoors In’ shed was designed by the winner of Grand Designs Gardener of the Year, Liam Sapsford.
With well-being and engagement with wildlife at the core of the design, Liam aims to encourage people to use their outside space as extra living space.
The Essex based garden designer, used natural and manmade elements to decorate his shed, including plants like acers, allium and phlox. Paving slabs and contemporary garden furniture add a unique touch by bridging the gap between inside and out.
Boutique Bedroom by Katie Greenhalf
London based designer, Katie Greenhalf from KG Lifestyle & Interiors created a boutique bedroom by combining rustic elements of the garden shed with subtle shades and soft furnishings.
With space at a premium for many, Katie created this welcoming retreat as a place for guests to stay or as a sanctuary to read a book or watch a movie.
To create the elegant space, Katie included products from Dimplex UK, Ikea, Roberts Radio, Cult Furniture, The Blind Shop and Balham Beds.
The Sewing Shack by Julie Holgate
Interior Designer, Julie Holgate, created her quaint Sewing Shack on a limited budget, and added her own creative touch by upcycling items from charity shops.
Transformed in just three days, Julie turned our humble garden shed into a haberdashery haven.
To maximise natural light, Julie opted for a bright, light and floral interior, essential for fine crafting.
Practical storage solutions ensured the limited space remained uncluttered and the use of soft, yet structured furnishings provided a comfortable place to while away the hours.
Julie painted the garden shed with Cuprinol Garden Shades and featured accessories from Dotty Flamingo, Lleona Nicholas and Acregate Design.
Feeling inspired?
If you’re thinking of transforming your current or new garden building, there is lots of advice around our blog, from how to chic your she-shed to how you can keep your shed warm through the winter.
Take a browse around our Pinterest boards for inspiration. Or maybe you’ve already created your dream garden retreat? Show us your grand shed creations on our Facebook page, we’d love to see them!
"Grand Shed Project 2017: Meet the designers" by Waltons is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
