Shed of the Year 2020 winner announced
The Cuprinol Shed of the Year 2020 winner is the Bedouin Tree Shed, a family's nature-inspired refuge built around two tree trunks.
The Bedouin Tree Shed has been an eight-year labour of love for expedition organiser Daniel Holloway, 55, who built it around two living tree trunks in his back garden in Blackheath, South London.
This year's lockdown has made outdoor spaces more important than ever, and when the restrictions were imposed back in March, it soon became a sanctuary for Daniel, his wife Beccy, 51, and their children Sam, 12, and 14-year-old Lyza.
'When lockdown arrived, the shed really took on a life of its own, bringing us closer together as a family,' explains Daniel, who will receive £1,000, a plaque, and £100 of Cuprinol products. 'Spending time in it taught us some valuable lessons about appreciating what is precious and provided solace for us all during those really uncertain weeks and months. We whiled away many an hour in there listening to music, playing games and quietly reflecting.'
Inside you'll find African artefacts, furniture from skips and reclamation yards, and vintage etchings and specimens of butterflies alongside finely carved ancient hardwood Indian columns.
The floor is made of oak planks and follows the contours of the trees inside, while a wood-burning stove provides comfort during the cold winter months.
Take a look inside...
The Bedouin Tree Shed topped the Nature’s Haven category in a public vote before being awarded the overall title from a panel of judges.
Head Judge and competition founder, Andrew Wilcox, comments: 'This year we’ve been blown away by the imagination and creativity on display from sheddies up and down the country, during these unprecedented times.
'But it was Daniel’s Bedouin Tree Shed that impressed us most. We were really taken by how sensitively he incorporated nature into the design and the role it played bringing his family closer together during lockdown.'
The competition’s first ever Special Commendation was also announced, going to the Shed School by Ashley Bates. Winner of the Lockdown Repurpose category, Ashley streamed maths and English lessons for five to eight-year-olds from his Shed School in his back garden in Hinchley Wood, Surrey.
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