After spending much of 2020 and 2021 inside their homes, British people are discovering the joys of creating their own private spaces in their gardens. These are often timber buildings, which are turned into man caves or she sheds (also called “she caves”). In keeping with the times, they should probably be called “they cave” or “they shed”. Most of these inspiration ideas start life as a timber garage or wooden workshop.
If you have an outdoor area on your property, you can easily build, or convert a shed into, a garden studio with all the comforts. Spending some time apart from your partner or family, focusing on your own hobbies, is thought to be very healthy. And for those who now work from home full-time, stepping outside, albeit briefly, and spending time in a different environment is hugely beneficial to their mental balance. If you’ve decided to take the plunge and you’re looking for inspiration, we have put together a fantastic list of ideas for creating your very own cave.
Making items out of wood is extremely rewarding and can be done while listening to some quality music or a good podcast. You’ll need a decent-size garden building to work from, so you can store the wood (especially longer pieces) and tools you need.
If you keep your woodworking simple, you can use hand tools, which don’t require electricity to work. Need power? Then you’ll have to hire an electrician and fit the building with electricity. In case your shed is very close to your house, you could use an extension. If the equipment you plan to use is very heavy, consider installing a concrete floor.
Woodworking is fairly physical, so you don’t necessarily need to heat up the shed. However, if you plan to just sit and carve wood for hours, you’ll want to find a heating solution.
Do you enjoy tinkering with engines in your spare time? Consider creating your own private garage on your property. An oak-framed garage with a couple of shelves to store the tools you need will do. You could even use a timber carport and simply take the toolbox with you when you go visit your vehicle(s). If you plan to be able to jack up your car or motorbike, think about the height of the building, too.
Before you settle on a structure, make sure to plan around your power needs. Bear in mind that a good-sized rechargeable battery, those you take camping, would easily satisfy many of your energy needs.
There’s nothing better than freeing your creativity to escape the daily grind. Whether you enjoy painting, sculpture, or illustration, you will need a garden studio with plenty of windows for natural light, heating, electricity, and potentially plumbing.
You could furnish the shed with an art desk, a taboret, shelves, lamps, a rolling cart, print racks, and more. The size of the garden building you need depends on how much furniture you want to store in it. Creating such a comfortable garden studio will take a little more time and money, but it will be a priceless addition to your home.
If you love beer, you’ll relish experimenting with your own brew. Imagine spending your evenings slowly perfecting the recipe to create the perfect tasting-ale. The process is easy to master after a few gos.
To create a proper home brewery you’ll want to be rather serious about this hobby. In order to brew beer, you’ll need heating, plumbing, and electricity. To complete the process you need a kettle to boil some water, a sink you can fill with iced water, a stove on which to simmer the priming sugar, and a place to store the brew at room temperature. It’s going to take some time to set a proper brewery up, but you’ll be able to serve your very own home brew at dinner parties.
Do you need a private, quiet space where to write your book, poems, short stories, or blog? A garden studio may be the perfect solution. If it’s big enough and has windows, you can even think of turning it into a writer’s room where you can invite other writers to join you.
To turn your garden building into a writer’s shed, you’ll need to fit it with electricity and heating. Plumbing and a bathroom are optionals- you can always pop back to the house to pick up a cup of tea or take a loo break. If your energy needs aren’t high, you could even get away with a big rechargeable battery.
Play your favourite instrument(s) and learn new songs undisturbed in your very own garden music studio. To start with, you could build a medium-sized timber building with insulation, soundproofing, walls, flooring, and heating. Do you need to use amplifiers and other electrical equipment? Then you’ll want to fit the shed with electricity.
If the garden studio is big enough, you could even start a band or invite friends over to jam.
Yoga and meditation have become increasingly popular practices to help people deal with stress and create mental clarity. To meditate in peace, choose an insulated medium-sized timber building. Soundproofing is also a nice touch.
Some form of heating to get the shed to room temperature is also needed; you don’t want to practise with bulky clothes on. However, you won’t necessarily need electricity or water - simply bring a bottle, a tablet, and a portable speaker from home. For lighting, use battery-powered LED lights. A small battery pack will help you keep your small appliances running, should they run out of juice.
A small, basic shed with no frills would be enough to get you started with gardening. Simply keep your seeds, tools, and most delicate plants inside it. It’d be best if it had windows to provide natural light for the plants. However, if you don’t have the space or budget, you could just use the shed for storage and do the gardening directly in your garden.
Creating handmade jewellery is extremely relaxing and rewarding. A small to medium size timber building with a table and a few shelves is all you need. As you’ll be mainly sitting down and using your hands precisely, you’ll want to install heating, insulation, windows, and lighting in the building.
Do you only have space for one garden building on your property? Divide the shed into two parts, so both you and your partner get your very own dedicated area.
If instead you and your partner or family share a hobby, you can spend quality time in the shed together. Whatever you use the outbuilding for, spending time there will transport you away from home and distract you from the daily routine and stress. Who knows, maybe your hobby will become a second income one day.
