SHED OF THE YEAR
Celebrating the great British shed in all its forms - from the miniature to the massive, the modern to the traditional, the cosy to the minimal and everything in between
VINTAGE-INSPIRED GARDEN HIDEAWAY WINS CUPRINOL SHED OF THE YEAR 2024
Wayne Dawber, an artist and school art technician from Crewe, has been crowned champion in this year’s Cuprinol Shed of the Year competition. His shed ‘Wrinkly, Rusty and Retro’ soared past 160 other entrants to claim top spot, after being voted king of the ‘Unexpected/Unique’ category by the public and selected as the winner by a judging panel.
This year’s victor built his winning shed by combining unusual and disregarded materials, such as corrugated metal from a torn-down stable roof, and windows from a recently demolished chapel. Most striking, however, is the colourful, hand-painted vintage signs he has decorated the shed’s interior and exterior with, a style he likes to call “industrial, ghost town chic.”
Wayne describes how the shed’s concept evolved to become the winner it is today: “The plan for the shed has always been for it to be a little hideaway for my wife and me. We love spending time in nature and watching the world go by from our garden – this shed gave us the perfect space to do that.”
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director and Colour Expert at Cuprinol, adds: “Wayne’s shed pays homage to everything I love about this competition. From such creative use of second-hand materials, to a head-turning use of colour and artistry, ‘Wrinkly, Rusty and Retro’ is a masterclass in how to bring style and creativity to what many would shrug off as mundane or useless.”
Founder and Head Judge of the competition, Andrew Wilcox, comments on the high calibre of entries submitted to this year’s competition: “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.”
Those looking to transform their gardens into a brighter and more colourful living space and feeling inspired by this year’s winner and runners up, can get a-shed of the game on their next garden project with the help of Cuprinol. For inspiration, advice and information on products to help preserve, colour and protect sheds and brighten gardens, visit www.cuprinol.co.uk/project/sheds.