Shed of the year 2024, Sponsored by 
Hippos has given me value for money space to exercise in, listen to music in and generally relax in the sanctuary at the bottom of my garden
I decided to build my garden room/shed, known as ‘Hippos’ to increase usable space to our home. Primarily driven by me getting too cold on my cycle turbo trainer in my draughty garage. It was built between May 2022 to May 2023 and spent two years planning, which was part of the enjoyment. It is a two space design, the left side is the larger room for leisure and the right side is a smaller shed for garden tool storage etc.
Due to the ever-increasing material prices I decided to reuse materials as much as I possible without compromising the overall look. The rear and one side uses cladding from two old (but solid) sheds. The windows are all second hand. The roof PIR insulation was all salvaged from skips. All internal shelving is made from an old bed I made 25 years ago and offcuts of the OSB.
The bar is made from a 1970s drawing board and the headboard from again the old bed.I went with fully insulated 4-inch cavity walls, OSB both inside and out. PIR insulated ceiling and roof. It sits on approx. 30 concreate blocks (I can’t remember exactly how many) I had to dig them down to maximise head room whilst maintaining height regulations. I built thick fully insulated doors and purposely designed it with small windows to maximise heat retention during the winter months. It has no problem connecting to the house WiFi which enables a digital thermostat and single fan heater that I can switch on just as I’m leaving work (20 miles away) so is nice and warm for when I get home.
The outside is painted in Cuprinol Shades, Urban Slate and Ash Black. The rear is in Natural Stone as I had a load left over from a previous project. The internal walls are all OSB, the rear is bare treated in Danish Oil, two again in Ash Black, the ceiling in Natural Stone and the wall behind the bar is clad in reused pallet wood. which I added some graphics to. I really like the look of the external paint on the inside, it really works and I didn’t need to buy additional paints.
The most expensive part is the single sheet of EPDM rubber and the fixing kit for the roof and new cladding for the front.
The interior decor is a collection of 80’s and 90’s themes that I have collected over the years but have not had the space (or the approval from my wife) to display. It is truly a sanctuary to relax and workout in after a busy day at work. I love mixing up some music on the vintage HiFi and decks and sorting through and changing the display of my eclectic vinyl collection. It’s great to just sit at the small bar and listen to music on my own or with others.
Every single part of Hippos was built by me. I hope you enjoy the photos.
