Behind the shed - Issue #32 - The winner of Shed of the year 2022 is.......

Sep 1, 2022

UPCYCLING SHED ENTHUSIAST IS CROWNED

CUPRINOL SHED OF THE YEAR’S 2022 WINNER

The first winner from the Cuprinol Shed of the Year “Budget” Category in the competition’s 16-year history
‘The Potting Shed’ is made entirely from second-hand materials

Avid upcycler and baker from Bury, Kelly Haworth, is named Cuprinol Shed of the Year’s 2022 winner with her budget-friendly and waste-saving oasis – ‘The Potting Shed’.

Kelly, 41, along with her husband Derrick, created the beautiful allotment retreat from their love of repurposing unwanted items.

The mother of four transformed her basic allotment plot into a beautiful hideaway so that she could grow fresh plants and ingredients for cooking and baking – with homemade Lavender & Lemon cake and Nettle Tea being regular treats at the Haworth household.

Made from old doors, pallet wood and other recycled materials found on Facebook Marketplace and from around their home, the 2m x 3m budget-friendly shed took only five weeks to complete and cost around £200 to create.

Featuring a small kitchenette, a potting area, a tool store and even an off-grid bathroom, ‘The Potting Shed’ has been decorated with beautiful pastel shades, including Cuprinol Garden Shades ‘Sweet Pea Pink’, ‘Wild Thyme’ and Cuprinol Ducksback ‘Black’, to help protect and colour the shed’s wood.

Cuprinol Shed of the Year 2022 Winner, Kelly Haworth, comments: “I’m over the moon to have won this year’s Cuprinol Shed of the Year. It's been a real labour of love and I haven’t stopped dancing since I found out the wonderful news. I was inspired by my dad’s shed and after waiting years for a plot, I couldn’t wait to build my own.

“It’s just so peaceful, I can stay in the shed for hours on end, in fact, I often lose track of time while I’m down at the allotment. It was fun being able to share the journey with people on Instagram – it even encouraged others to start collecting doors for their own ventures too!”

‘The Potting Shed’ topped the Budget category in a public vote before being awarded the overall title by a panel of judges. As the worthy winner, Kelly will receive £1,000, a personalised Cuprinol Shed of the Year plaque and £100 of Cuprinol products as her prize.

Head judge and founder of the competition, Andrew Wilcox, beamed at how impressed he has been with the calibre of entrants this year, commenting: “We’ve seen some first-of-their-kind designs, making it nearly impossible to choose just one overall winner. Every year, people’s creativity really levels up.”

“This year, Kelly’s Potting Shed really impressed us with the use of second-hand materials. It just feels right with the current cost of living crisis to crown someone so cost-savvy as the winner.”

Kelly comments: “I always enjoyed upcycling and reinventing items, which is even more important now that prices are on the rise again. I hope those that see my shed can look at it and say: ‘I can do that’ – so much so that I’m actually going to start my own Potting Shed blog.”

Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director at Cuprinol, added: “We love seeing all the entrants making the most of the outdoors and that’s exactly what Kelly has done. She’s managed to create a special place for herself, without it costing the earth – which is so crucial at the minute. We’re thrilled that Cuprinol could play a part in Kelly’s creation, her use of Sweet Pea pink next to Ducksback Black is simple yet effective - such a deserving winner.”