The Shed Builder's Ideas & Photos

Bespoke Shed Build Examples

Below are just a few different examples of my builds, each one designed and built by myself or my team. We are constantly building, and it's impossible to keep updating, the best place to see more recent builds is my instagram @MrJoelBird

contemporary city SHED, london

I try not to use the word modern, but I'd describe this as a contemporary style, quite trendy right now. I love the clean lines, but they are nicely offset with the reclaimed cladding. I love the attention to detail in this shed, with 45 degree angles throughout. It was built as a gaden office space.

'Finally we found someone who understood what we were after!' JohnCONTEMPORARY CITY SHED, Hoxton, London.

GARDEN OFFICE SUMMERHOUSE SHED, london

This shed is one of my favourites, it had a lovely feel, but it's difficult to capture. The client wanted to be surrounded by plants when she worked, it was all about getting as many well placed windows into the design. We also added this ladder to grow plants around, it's going to look incredible when the garden is finished.

'I wanted to be surrounded by plants when I worked, it is so lovely to work out there'. LizGARDEN OFFICE SUMMERHOUSE SHED, Walthamstow, London.

tropical tiki SHED, london

This shed was built for pleasure. It was a space for enjoying the sun in a south facing garden. The client loved colour, so we wanted it to burst out of its surroundings. It had a roof light to give it that extra airy bright feel. I should pop back to this one to see how it has been decorated!

'Love the colour, love the lights, love the shed, everything that I asked for!' OlyTROPICAL TIKI SHED, Haggerston, London.

bespoke writers office SHED, london

It's really difficult to capture the beauty of this shed. It was a large shed, but I designed it with an angle so it wasn't so imposing in the mature garden space. The cladding matched the house, and it was lovely inside, with vintage furniture to inspire and underfloor heating so it was nice and cosy.

'It has transformed my working life, I am completely seperate from the house'. KirstenBESPOKE WRITERS OFFICE SHED, Dalston, London.

yoga office SHED, london

This shed was built 3m high. This was so the client could do all moves in yoga including reaching high to the ceiling. We had to apply for planning, but worth it! It has opaque glass so he didn't feel exposed to the neighbours. It has a green roof, and I love the weathered look, it fits with the whole philosophy of it.

'I am out there every morning, it has transformed my life'. JakeYOGA OFFICE SHED, Angel, London.

HOUSE extension SHED, london

This shed was pretty much a wooden shed extension, It was dead space and the family didn't use it, now they use it as a sort of outside dinning room. It is seperated from the house but acts as though it is a part of it. With cedar cladding it looks modern, sometimes it is better to not try to compete with the house!

'We love our new space, we have family dinners outside'. FrancoHOUSE EXTENSION SHED, Islington, London.

derek jarman style SHED, london

This shed was based on Derek Jarman's Prospect house in Dungeness. I'm a huge fan of both him and the building and I love grael style planting around it which I advised on. The shed filled the entire end of the narrow garden which made it really efficient. I've built a few of these style sheds.

'Such a dream to have this shed, and the low maintenance plating Joel advised on' Sue.DEREK JARMAN STYLE SHED, Chalk Farm, London.

summer house bike SHED, london

This shed was split in two, one half a summer house for relaxing the other a bike repair station. Black cladding gives the shed a contempory look, with reclaimed doors to fit the house. The bike workshop was plywood through with specifically designed tool storage.

'We have a 50/50 split, my daughter stores and repairs her bike, I have a place for me'. AnnaSUMMER HOUSE BIKE SHED, Hackney, London.

HACKNEY MUSIC STUDIO SHED, london

This Recording Studio was for a music producer in Hackney London, The build was designed specifically for its acoustic & soundproofing properties. The reclaimed cladding gives the shed a contempory look, internally the build is finished to a high standard.

'Finally I have a space I can work in properly instead of a pokey bedroom. Just a few steps down my garden and I am in a place that is wonderful to work in.' Olly.HACKNEY MUSIC STUDIO SHED, Hackney, London.

BLACK CLADDING WRITER'S SHED, London

This Shed was built for a song writer of musicals. We made a feature of the windows which are in contrast to the black cladding. A porthole is a nice quirky element. Acoustic glass and acoustic plasterboard was used throughout to help with sound insulation.

'I really value natural light when I work, the glass was worth the extra money, the back of the shed over looks a park and it's like watching a little film' AlanBLACK CLADDING WRITER'S SHED, Crouch End, London.

walthamstow cabin shed, london

This well crafted, cosy wood cabin, was built as a little hide away from city life. It is referencing American shacks and nautical design mixed with Moroccan influenced interior. It has a wood burner, porthole, chevron pine flooring and bespoke workbench and shelving. The cladding was taken from a local London Plane tree.

'After the first meeting with Joel, if I could have transported myself to the finished shed, this shed is exactly what I had pictured.' Will.WALTHAMSTOW CABIN SHED, Walthamstow, London.

georgian STYLE shed, London

We wanted this shed to fit with the period of its surroundings. We managed to get the Georgian style columns from a reclaim yard and the glass doors also helped to make the shed feel oder than it really was. The left section was for storing costum design accessories, the right was built to use a relaxing summer house.

'I didn't want to have a standard, modern looking shed, I wanted it to look colonial or Victorian in style, I think it looks great.' JuliaGEORGIAN STYLE SHED, Finchley, London.

RECLAIMED CLADDING ART STUDIO SHED, london

This Studio was for an artist who wanted a light filled room with contempory design that fitted with her beautiful old garden in Islington. We decided on reclaimed timber and second hand crittall doors. The roof is split with glass one side and a sedum roof the other balancing insulating properties and light.

'We worked really well together deciding on a design that was right for our space, I am so happy with how it looks and works, it fits perfectly.' Teresa.RECLAIMED CLADDING ART STUDIO SHED Islington, London.

THE LITTLE COTTAGE SHED, liverpool

This Garden House has a tiled roof, two roof windows, rendered front, plastered interior walls and a tiled floor. A full breakdown of this build can be viewed in a step by step guide. The house is to be used as a family space, there's lots of light, good space for a meal and easy to clean out. It was designed to fit the period of the nearby house.

'Our Little House transformed a corner of the garden we didn't use into a favourite family spot. It seemed to add space & probably added value to our property.' JohnTHE LITTLE COTTAGE SHED, Liverpool.

BESPOKE window shed, london

This shed was built as a place to relax and hunker down in. It was squeezed into a small London garden. The different sized windows are fun and give the shed character. It has a reclaimed gym floor inside which continues up the walls. There is also a clever storage wall to hide a full sized matress.

'We wanted something a bit different than the usual off the shelf designs, something that reflected our personality, we spend more time in here now than we do our house.' Laura.BESPOKE WINDOW SHED, Tottenham, London.

reclaimed wood gym shed, LONDON

This large shed was actually built around a pre-existing climbing wall. It was truely a bespoke build, negotiating around various structural elements. It was built to use as a gym, with a punch pag and bike storage. The reclaimed cladding and nice looking copper guttering help to make it's large size seem less imposing.

'It was hard to find anyone else who wanted to do this job, the results are just what I was looking for.' Rob RECLAIMED WOOD GYM SHED, Muswell Hill, London

REd cedar MODERN shed, LONDON

This shed focussed on a clean look, whilst trying to achieve something personal. We decided the wings gave it enough personality but didn't compromise its contemporary credentials. The invisible door conceals storage for garden tools and the large glass doors and patio area make the shed a nice place to relax in on summer days.

'We wanted a contemporary design that was different than the brochure sheds' Sam.RED CEDAR MODERN SHED, Waltham Forest, London.

hardwood bi-folding door shed, LONDON

This shed was nestled into the corner of a garden. The back of the garden was actually slanted quite a bit, so the bespoke design helped to maximise the space, something a pre-fab would never do. The hardwood reclaimed timber cladding really helps it to blend into its surroundings. The shed also boasts roof windows and bespoke shelving.

'It was worth squeezing every bit of space by building it on an angle and we decided speding money on a nice cladding with a history helped us connect to the shed.' MinaHARDWOOD BI-FOLDING DOOR SHED, Stoke Newington, London

large Cedar studio SHED, LONDON

This Studio was for an artist who wanted a contempory design with a quality finish and measures a substantial 6m x 4m. It has a steal running through the centre to help keep a clean look to the roof. It has an EPDM rubber roof and is clad in Cedar.

'I am so happy with the build, other firms quoted a cost of more than double and the structure and finish would have been of a lesser standard.' Conall.LARGE CEDAR STUDIO SHED Woodford, London.

COMMERCIAL OFFICE shed, london

This small office shed was squeezed into a tiny space at the back of a clothes shop in Portabello Rd. It was designed to maximise the work area with two built in desks and in doing so increase the shop area. It has a large bronze tinted window and reclaimed pine cladding.

'We didn't want just an ordinary shed, we wanted something that would look cool at the back of the shop, it's also released the old office in the shop for clothes storage.' PhilCOMMERCIAL OFFICE SHED, Brixton, London.

Carpenters Work SHop, derbyshire

This is a true carpenters workshop. Built onto the walls of an old swimming pool on Derbyshire Farmland, it houses bench saws, table saws and all manor of power tools. The impressive wild flower roof protects a large wood store, it even has a built in owl nesting site.

'The walls were already there so it was dead space. Now the workshop provides my living, it's as simple as that. ' BobbyWORKSHOP, Derbyshire

garden music room, london

This was built as a music room for practicing piano and clarinet. It has a partition so that a small section can be used as a conventional garden shed storing garden equipment. You enter this section through a 'secret' external door so as not to spoil the look of the design.

'Our daughter calls it the holiday home. We love the look of the build and it is a joy to use it for music. A space like this is a beautiful adition to our home.' Jo & AlanGARDEN MUSIC ROOM, hampstead, London

little writing shed, london

This tiny little writing shed was designed for an authro to fit within her small garden.She wanted plenty of shelving for her books and she wanted to be surrounded by light when she was writing. There is a fold down table to make room for when she has guests. The pink colour of the skylight reflects the light of the sunset in the evenning.

'I love to write looking out onto my little garden' Abigail.LITTLE WRITING SHED, South Hackney, London.

BEACH HUT SHED, london

This was built as a relaxing area, an escape from city life. It is clad in reclaimed wood, with reclaimed flooring painted white to give the feeling of a sun bleached cabin. There is a bed for a daytime nap and mid century furniture from the family to make it feel familiar.

'I love to retreat into my little shed after a long day, to get rid of the stresses.' AnneBEACH HUT SHED, Leyton, London

cedar box SHED, london

This neat little box shed was designed with efficient proportions so it went up realatively fast. Ideal for a small garden space, bi-folds and a roof window help to amke the space feel bigger inside. The shed was designed as a London office space and high speed cables were used.

'The space is so valuable to our little house, it frees up a bedroom' John.CEDAR BOX SHED, Harringey, London.

SOUNDPROOF practise room SHED, London

This Shed was built as a practise room for a live band. There are various levels of soundproofing we use. This was mid range, we used resilient bars and genie clips to de-couple the interior walls so the sound wouldn't penetrate. We also doubled up the weak spots of the door and window and we built a raised drum platform.

'We decided to build a practise room, so we didn't have to hire one, we wanted it to be functional, but not ugly' JonathonSOUNDPROOF PRACTISE ROOM SHED, Enfield, London.

green roof office SHED, london

This shed was built as an office space for a garden designer. She eventually wanted to plant the roof herself with ferns. The roof is strong for extra soil depth, there is also a roof window for light because it was quite a dark corner. The interior is clad throughout with birch ply and the square copper guttering looks a little nicer than the plastic.

'I wanted a place of my own to work, I wanted it to feel nice inside but also functional' Lara.GREEN ROOF OFFICE SHED, Hackney, London.

PUB SHED, London

This Shed was built in a tight space, it was designed to have a strong over hang to support the weight of a hammock (and a person). It looks simple, but the size and the strength required needed some thinking about. It is used as an office a writters den and a pub, or all at the same time!

'I am going to have a shed party every year to celebrate.' JimPUB SHED, Crouch End, London.

sedum roof SHED, london

This Black clad, sedum roof office shed, was designed for two people to work in. A full length skylight roof window and a full length fixed pane wall window was fitted on one side to make the most of the natural light. The sedum roof used a light weight system at just 100mm to ensure the build remained below 2.5m high.

The house looks down on this shed, so the sedum roof really makes the difference to the way it looks.SEDUM ROOF SHED, Muswell Hill, London.

GUEST ROOM SHED

This was for a house in the countryside near Epping Forrest. Quite often the spare room is needed for a new adition to the family and a great way to add a new guest room is in the form of a shed. electrics and good quality insulation allow it to be used throughout the year. Again we see the 'invisble' door which houses a small storage shed for garden equipment.

'We needed a new guest room for family who were coming over to stay, the house was just too small, this shed was the perfect solution.' GaryGUEST ROOM SHED, Epping, London.

the yoga shed, london

This beautifully finished shed was designed as a theraputic consultancy space which doubled as a yoga space. Integrated shelving and a custom made folding desk, help to keep the floor space clear. A roof window allows natural light to flood in, the light colours and simpe wood textures make the space feel bigger than it is.

'It's a very spiritual space, we find it is close enough to the house to feel accessible whilst, being far enough away to get into a new headspace.' Louis.THE YOGA SHED, Highgate, London.

SUMMER HOUSE SHED, SOUTH London

This Shed was clad in rough sawn larch from a reclaimation yard, it works well blending the build into an old oak that sat along side it. Nice big double doors can be openned up in the morning sun, the long full length fixed glass looks nice contrasting with the rough cladding.

'We wanted something that would blend into our garden space, but still have a modern look to it.' SrvidyaSUMMER HOUSE SHED, Wimbledon, South London.

drum studio SHED, SOUTH london

This Functional Work Space has a living roof, wooden windows and doors & wood clad exterior walls. The studio has two rooms, the first used for writting and entertaining, the second is a music & drum studio, sound proofed with sound board, the living roof also helps with noise.

'I helped with the build to keep costs down, I enjoyed the whole experience. I use my green roof so it feels like I've gained space, I use the eves for bird nest boxes.' JamieDRUM STUDIO SHED, South London

moroccan blue summer house, london

This Summer House has a composite tiled roof to reduce weight on a shallow pitch. It has a roof window and is clad internally and externally. It is split into two sections the smaller of which is used for garden tools. The blue is fitting with the garden space which had a variety of Moroccan pots and tiles.

'It wanted a space for my young daughter to have tea with her friends, it replaced a delapidated old tool shed, in effect I now have both.' Ian. MOROCCAN BLUE SUMMER HOUSE Snaresbrook, London

THE WRITERS' CABIN, london

This Cabin was desiged for a childrens author who wanted a place to get away whilst remaining at home. It was a cost effective design, using treated feather edge cladding and torch on roofing felt. There is also an internal wall which provides a small storage section.

'I was paying £100 a month for storage anyway, so this was a no brainer. I now have my lovely little escape, I have decorated it with wallpaper and old display Cabinets,' JaneTHE WRITERS' CABIN Wanstead, London

garden OFFICE, london

This Garden Office is a simple compact unit that will house a computer desk, shelving and storage and was made just big enough for a sofa bed to comfortably open. Clad with shiplap and stained black. For light it has large double doors and a long thin south facing window above next doors fence.

'We moved the office to the Garden and now have a childrens' play room, we also wanted a place for our parents to stay over to save on hotels' BobGARDEN OFFICE Walthamstow, London

Living roof shed, north london

This living roof shed shows how the footprint of your shed does not neccessarily reduce your garden space. It has two large sections and upcycled windows and doors that were taken from their house renovation.

'I feel as though my garden is bigger, I love to walk on to the roof and see how it has changed, each year it is different from the last.' SaraLIVING ROOF SHED, North London

BUG HOUSE HOTEL CONSERVATION SHED

I built this shed for a Wildlife trust education centre. We carfeully planned habitat for a variety of creatures including bees, lacewings and newts, there's even a bat box in the roof. The rear of the shed is used for storing children's fishing rods, pads etc, so they don't have to be transported.

'We have had so many wonderful comments about the bug house, it's a great talking point. And with the grass roof and log gutters it looks perfect in it's setting' LynnBUG HOUSE HOTEL CONSERVATION SHED, Oxfordshire

LUXURY Wendy house / PLAY HOUSE, london

This Wendy house was built to last. It has treated cladding a shingle roof and painted WBP ply interior. It has toughened glass windows, polystyrene insulation and I made the small stable doors to be child friendly. It is also designed to taken apart in panels and transported should you move house.

'We wanted a more apropriate childrens play house that looked nice in our garden, and the design was just perfect.' Anna. LUXURY WENDY HOUSE/ PLAY HOUSE Kensington, London

recording studio shed, london

An example of how the interior can be suited to your needs. This is a recording studio. Extensively sound proofed for playing live, the dimensions of the build where optimised for acoustic properties perfect for mixing. It is good to get a feel for the life of the room before the dampening is added.

Remember a bespoke shed can have a bespoke interior. These acoustic sound diffusers where specially built to fit the build. They are designed to soak up wavelengths without loosing the life of the room. They are also a real feature and look great in the space.

'My shed is basically an extension for a fraction of the cost, there was no way I could afford to use a room in the house for a music studio, this was the perfect answer'RECORDING STUDIO SHED Hackney, London

Woodland cabin

This Beautiful little Cabin is a portable toilet and shower room built with my cousin for his Glamping Site in Matlock. It is built onto the base of on old caravan so it can be moved across the feild. It has a compost toilet, the shower used an external water source.

'We needed a portable bathroom to avoid planning permission, we love the way you walk through the trees and discover the quaint looking cabin.' Caroline and Robert. WOODLAND CABIN Matlock, Derbyshire

Shed of the Year - my multi-award winning sheds.

allotment roof art shed INSPIRED BY GAUDI AND HUNDERTWASSER

I won Shed of the Year 2014 as featured on Channels 4. I have built my own work spaces for over a decade and importantly I work in these spaces everyday, so my knowledge is not theoretical, I live it! I know how a space should feel and function to work properly and the shear variety of the builds I have done in my life mean that I have a solution for any problem. I offer consultancy, which is almost always worth it, it can give you direction and avoids wasting time and money on ideas and designs that won't work. I am also a garden designer with a specific interest in sustainablity and wildlife, so I can certainly give you ideas and tips about your garden space also.

My Build Experience - Loft Converisons & Renovations.

My extensive building knowledge arises from a twenty year invlovment in building, including loft conversions, house renovations and house builds. A large part of the loft conversions is carpentry and roofing so the transistion to studio and shed design was a straight forward one. I would also design the interiors, and I would often do all the work myself, the skill set I have learnt over the years gives me an understand of both the practical and the aesthetic side of building, as well as how to communicate with outside outside contractors and architects.

The Shed Builder

Builds bespoke Sheds, Garden Offices, Garden Rooms & Garden Studios