People got very creative with their cars, homes and even sheds — here are 10 great shed conversion ideas for you to think about.
The man cave/she shed conversion
We’ve long had the man cave, manspace, manland, mantuary, whatever you care to call it, but in these woke times the “she shed” conversion is becoming something of a phenomenon too. If the man cave is the last bastion of masculinity, the she shed does the same for femininity.
His decoration is rather rough and ready, hers a little more subtle. But whatever the taste, the man cave and she shed are great places for relaxation and reflection, and no one can pass judgement on the decor – no member of the opposite sex that is!
The shed playroom
The children can get in on the act too. For the playroom shed conversion you’ll want a deep pile carpet to play on, bean bags and a sturdy low table for building blocks, games and colouring books.
It’s a good idea to rig up a CCTV camera too so you can keep an eye on them while you’re going about your daily chores, reading the newspaper and such like.
A shed playroom is great for children’s parties too — why get cake trodden into the champagne deep pile in the lounge when you can get it trodden in the off-cut you laid in the shed?
The shed conversion office
With more people than ever working from home, many have created offices in their sheds.
It’s a bit like making the commute to work, except you just stroll down the garden instead of creeping along at five miles an hour in a traffic jam, or battling your way through the crowds on the bus, tube or train.
Of course, if you convert your shed into your office, you’ll need a decent electricity supply. That’ll mean running armoured cabling down to the shed and, depending how much tech kit you need to use during the course of your working day, it might mean you need a new consumer unit installed too. With that in mind. It’s probably best to get a suitably qualified electrician in to do the job safely.
You will need to check if the shed office will impact on your home insurance too.
Apart from all your techie gear, second hand shops and websites are chock-a-block with decent desks, office chairs and cabinets so you should be able to kit out the shed conversion office pretty cheaply.
The shed conversion bar
Now we’re talking. Buy a decent beer fridge and a selection of spirits and mixers and you are in business, and saving (pardon the pun) a shed load of money.
Add some music, a dart board and the kids’ pool table and you’ll be all set for a night on the tiles. And there won’t be far to stagger home from your bar shed conversion.
The shed dorm
Kids love a sleepover and they will love them even more if they can have them in their own space, out of earshot of mum and dad and the younger brothers and sisters.
The shed is a great environment for children’s sleepover parties. At the end of the garden they will be safe and out of sight, but not out of mind. All they will need is a couple of blow up mattresses, sleeping bags, plenty of midnight snacks and a night light.
The shed workshop
Invest in a few tools, a workbench, a vice, a lathe, a drill… and the world is your oyster. You will be able to do whatever you want with that bit of 4X2 you’ve been hanging on to.
The shed is a great place for DIY and handicraft projects. You can get crafting and no one will disturb you. And, if it all goes wrong, well no one saw what you were getting up to anyway!
The shed yoga room
Empty the shed, unroll the yoga mat and get working on your downward dog. The shed is quiet, out of the way and a great place for a little calming exercise. Add an indoor running water feature and an essence burner and you’ll be going full feng shui and in a blissful transcendent state before you know it.
The shed conversion studio
Tucked away at the end of the garden, sheds normally present a quiet and tranquil environment, the ideal place in fact to get the creative juices flowing.
So, break out the easel, oil paints and brushes and do your thing! And if your thing isn’t painting, needlecraft, model making, puzzling, or the Guardian Easy Crossword will be just as relaxing in the confines of your garden retreat.
Just ensure you have plenty of piping hot tea — or whatever your preferred beverage — to sustain you through your next project.
The shed storeroom
No shed conversion here, just a good clear out and tidy up. The shed storeroom is the perfect place for all those garden tools — the mower, garden sprinkler, rake, shovels, forks, strimmer — it is a shed after all.
When you get your shed sorted you’ll find stuff, stuff that is very handy, that you’d forgotten you owned. And stuff you find that you no longer need you can put aside and save for a boot sale or advertise on ebay.
Don’t be shy with your shed insurance
If you have big plans for your shed conversion, or you intend to store high value equipment in it, you really should talk to your insurer. Adrian Flux is an insurance broker offering value for money building and contents cover. Your standard shed will be automatically covered too, but if you convert it for a different use you’ll need to let your insurer know.
Policies are bespoke to your individual needs – whether you convert your shed into a bar, an office or a playroom – and will help protect the things you care most about.
Call 0800 369 8590 for a great deal on your home insurance. The deal we secure for you will almost certainly be cheaper over the phone – 81.5% of customers receiving an online motor insurance quote in August 2022 could have obtained a cheaper deal if they had called (based on the information they provided).