Could this be the tiniest man cave ever? It has been painted the perfect shade of rusty Swedish red and filled with wood and lots of mannish things. Inspired by our travels to Sweden earlier this year, we decided Dean’s shed should be a mini version of a Swedish cabin.
I have been working with B&Q to turn a small but perfectly formed 6X4 Apex Shetland shed into a handmade hideaway for Dean. I used Cuprinol Terracotta Garden Shades to paint the outside the perfect shade of rusty vintage red. Inside we went for a warm bright white. Built as a quiet getaway for the huz, while I am clattering about in the summer house – he says I talk too much when he is trying to read so we have to have separate reading quarters!
I know I hardly ever show the mess and chaos side of things here, it’s not intentional – we just get in full swing of ‘doing’ and normally forget to document the full scale of work involved! Our garden and home behind the camera are usually as crazy and upturned as that first picture below (with less mud and rust in the house). Our garden is insane and a full time job that neither of us have time to manage!
My dreamy assistants Dean and Wallis helped build and oversee the whole operation.
We placed the shed on a level hard standing of paving slabs – that were gathered from around our front and back gardens. Once it was built and painted it was time to fill it with lots of things. We built the wooden desk using a sanded slice of fallen local tree and two branches that were removed from our own birch tree earlier in the year! I love pattern of the bark and knots.
We try to re-use as many glass bottles as we can around here, and our new favourite use for them is bottle gardens. Plus our local beer and wine shop has some awesome craft beers with lovely branding and labels that are quite frankly – too good for the recycling bin!
A pallet wood shelf for favourite ceramics, a candle for an evening glow and tiny plants.
Tools, wood projects and an axe for chopping up fire wood for our brutalist (read that as breeze block) fire pit – which is a 3-metre walk from the shed. 
A first aid tin is a must in here, many notches will be cut out of his hands over the course of making me a set of shelves or a spoon or two. I picked this old rusty one up for £2 at a boot fair last weekend.
All the pictures have been used in the house at some point. All junk shop finds, they move around from room to room and will settle here for a while.
Clamps, cogs and hooks, Dean is always buying things like this, rummaging around in old crates and tool boxes at boot fairs – so this seemed like the ideal spot to home his collection of rust.
We are both in love with the grain on the desk, it is beautiful, another great example of Mother Natures magic and charm.
The vintage style bulb and lamp holder is from my summer house and makes for a warming glow at night!
Vintage horns dug out of the attic and woodland books for inspiration.
An old wooden stool to perch on, simple and just right in here.
A small wolf to guard the place – every shed should have one.
His shed is directly opposite mine and nestled between some birches and an oak tree. The autumn colour of this shed is perfect for seeing in a new season and we love it when the cats come and visit us down here. What do you keep in yours? Are you tempted to sweep out all the spiders and cobwebs and make a garden hideaway – if so you can find lots of shedspiration on this pinboard here and over at Cuprinol’s Shed of The Year!
Big thanks to B&Q and Cuprinol for collaborating with L&S to create this handmade hideaway, they generously gave us the shed and paint and we hand built it and made it extra special. It will be such a nice space to spend some autumn days and nights.
This is literally the loveliest man shed I have ever laid eyes on. When my husband and I finally move into our new home we have a shed which will be his space and now I can see all the potential in it. Thank you! S xo
Yay, thanks Sam! You can have so much fun with tiny spaces :)
have you insulated it or added in any form of heating? If not I guess it is going to be useless for winter use. This is what is stopping me from doing anything in my garden, in order to add in the insulation I would need a decent size shed and then it will be too big for the garden!
No insulation in this one – it’s only small, but we placed it right in the suns path, so on fair weather days it fills with sunshine and heats up super quick. We will just shelter inside from the wind and rain while tidying the garden in autumn and winter and then use it more in Spring and summer :). Definitely thinking about insulating the bigger summer house and having a small wood burner to make it cosy though :)
No insulation in this one – it’s only small, but we placed it right in the suns path, so on fair weather days it fills with sunshine and heats up super quick. We will just shelter inside from the wind and rain while tidying the garden in autumn and winter and then use it more in Spring and summer :). Definitely thinking about insulating the bigger summer house and having a small wood burner to make it cosy though :)
have you insulated it or added in any form of heating? If not I guess it is going to be useless for winter use. This is what is stopping me from doing anything in my garden, in order to add in the insulation I would need a decent size shed and then it will be too big for the garden!
wow this is so beautiful! We bought a shed for Adam’s tools last year, but it’s got so full with things you can barely even get in it now! That’s the problem with DIY enthusiasts I guess! The way you’ve decorated this one is stunning! Alice xxx
http://www.woodenwindowsills.co.uk
Thanks Alice! Defo need one for all the stuff and then another for making special – we are going to build a whole village down the end of our garden! Haha :)
Thanks Alice! Defo need one for all the stuff and then another for making special – we are going to build a whole village down the end of our garden! Haha :)
wow this is so beautiful! We bought a shed for Adam’s tools last year, but it’s got so full with things you can barely even get in it now! That’s the problem with DIY enthusiasts I guess! The way you’ve decorated this one is stunning! Alice xxx
http://www.woodenwindowsills.co.uk
Love it so much Jeska. You have done a wonderful job. That little wolf is super cute too x
Love it so much Jeska. You have done a wonderful job. That little wolf is super cute too x
He is isn’t he! thanks Mel xxx
He is isn’t he! thanks Mel xxx
Well, as a swede ( and an owner of one of the loveliest red and white houses in the swedish forest…) I have to say that you’ve done a fantastic job and I hope that you’ll spend many, many joyful hours in it!
P.s you know you can mix the traditional “Faluröd” color yourself? :) Check out gysinge.com it’s amazing!
Well, as a swede ( and an owner of one of the loveliest red and white houses in the swedish forest…) I have to say that you’ve done a fantastic job and I hope that you’ll spend many, many joyful hours in it!
P.s you know you can mix the traditional “Faluröd” color yourself? :) Check out gysinge.com it’s amazing!
Thanks Anna! We were coveting sheds, shacks and cabins the whole of our visit! Dream living :)
Thanks Anna! We were coveting sheds, shacks and cabins the whole of our visit! Dream living :)
This is incredible!!!!! What a dream!