Kits and Mortar

As a special treat for Alex over at Shedworking, I thought I’d take a quick look at some of the sheds on offer at Grand Designs Live last week.

This GlassPod is the same glass structure that was included in the Grand Village. It’s incredibly sleek, providing lovely views of your garden or the countryside (if you have such a view), but I felt very exposed when I was inside it, like a goldfish in a bowl. I can imagine that if you don’t have the room to give this a lot of clear space around it, it could end up being very ugly. And of course, glass is a two-edged sword: If you can see out you can see in, so anything you put in here is going to be on view to the world. Probably not ideal for shedworking.

This Jörnträhus shed has a classic Scandinavian design, all warm wood with a sauna-esque feel. Add some gingham curtains, though, and I’d be forever waiting for Heidi to pop her head out of the door and ask if I want some goats cheese (and yes, I know Heidi was Swiss!). Stylistically, I’m not sure how a shed like this would fit into the English landscape or with most English architecture. If you’re building a log cabin, then perhaps you could get away with this in your garden, but it’s a bit clichéd for my taste.

Now on to the pièce de résistance, Rooms Outdoor and their, well, room outdoors. Not the cheapest of sheds, it has to be said (I can’t remember exactly how much it cost - I think it was around £16k), but the Haus+ certainly is a cut above the rest. It comes with a kitchenette and separate toilet, creating a space that is practical enough to work in all day, or to even carry a sofa bed if you want to use it as a guest room.

The Haus+ had plenty of room to relax and work, and didn’t feel as cramped as the Jörnträhus did. Rooms Outdoor had their display kitted out more like a conservatory or second lounge than an office, but if you removed some of the furniture there’d be loads of space for mundane things like book shelves and filing cabinets, or whatever else you want in your office.

Having the kitchenette is a really nice touch - it makes the room just that little bit more self-sufficient, so you don’t have to keep trotting back and forth to your house if you want a cuppa. And of course, a loo is a very pragmatic and useful addition.

Indeed, I really loved the Haus+. I could imagine having one of these at the bottom of the garden, my little unwired escape pod where I could go to hide from the internet, read a book, maybe even write a book. All I need now is a garden to put it in.