Shed of the Year winner admits 'I got a bit carried away'

4 September 2024, 18:20

The winner of Britain’s Shed of the Year award has admitted to getting “a bit carried away” when he built a retro-themed hand-painted cabin for his wife.

Ruth Dawber was simply looking for somewhere to keep her gardening tools, but her husband Wayne had something else in mind, building a stunning shed out of corrugated iron and affectionately naming it Wrinkly, Rusty and Retro.

The Dawbers’ rustic cabin beat 19 other contestants to be named Shed of the Year in the 18th annual competition.

Wayne, from Crewe, said it felt "amazing" to win, adding: "Except for an egg and spoon race at primary school this is the first time I have ever won anything."

He said that being the winner of the unique competition is a reflection of his individuality.

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"The general public also voted me the winner of the 'Unexpected/Unique' category, which I still can't quite believe," he said.

"To have strangers deem me worthy means a lot to me as it means they actually like what I have made. As an artist/designer, trying to make a go of things, it's confirmation that I may be good at what I do.

"Plus to come out on top of the 'Unexpected/Unique' category suits the way I feel about my individuality too."

Wayne told PA the shed was made from used and scrap materials including corrugated steel, and has vintage signage and murals.

"Everything in the build I scavenged from hard-to-come-by skip finds, junk shops, demolition sites I come across, or farms having a clear out," he said.

"I had been collecting bits and pieces for quite a while. I knew they would come together somehow at some point. I'm addicted to old junk."

He added that the use of corrugated steel, "found objects and the vintage magazine advertising murals" is what makes his shed unique.

"It's not something you would normally see in a garden, I suppose, more on a deserted, desert highway. I like to pretentiously call this style industrial, ghost-town chic," he said.

The cabin took just two weeks to build but a further six weeks to decorate, Wayne added.

"I think the internal murals are my favourites. They are mostly old product labels I thought were attractive and scaled up," he said.

"I think they work really well with the wooden panelling. I very much enjoyed giving them the patina they have. I wanted them to have an authentic sense of texture and age, and I think I got pretty close."

He concluded: "I made the shed for my wife, Ruth. She wanted somewhere for her gardening tools and a quiet place to sit out of the elements to read and watch the garden. I got a bit carried away."

Andrew Wilcox, who has run Shed of the Year for 18 years, said: "As we near the 20th anniversary of the competition, it's astonishing to see the incredible new heights our entrants have been reaching year-on-year.

"At the peak of and just after the pandemic, we saw the revival of the pub shed and people getting inventive with their outdoor workspaces. This year, we've seen a real trend of pushing what's possible with upcycling and getting bold with structures.

"Wayne has entered the competition with two different sheds previously, so I guess what they say is true - third time's a charm! 'Wrinkly, Rusty And Retro' is a great representation of the most popular trends we saw this year, with ultimate artistic finesse."