This handmade Shed of the Year entry from Yorkshire is absolutely remarkable
The Cuprinol Shed of the Year competition, run in conjunction with readersheds.co.uk, the go-to website for sheddies and would-be sheddies, is now closed for entries and the judges are busy pouring over the many and varied garden buildings that are in with a chance of being a category winner and possibly taking the overall prize.
Among the entries from Yorkshire is The Handsome Devil’s Club shed, which was conceived and constructed by Joe Swift, 27, a human dynamo with a gift for designing, making, bright ideas and above all grafting.
Written off at school, he was told by one teacher that he “wouldn’t get anywhere” presumably because academia and sitting still at a desk were not his strengths.
It is a shame that someone in authority didn’t point out that passing exams is not the only way to demonstrate a high IQ and neither is it the only route to success.
“It wasn’t a nice thing to hear but I wasn’t bothered. My mum and dad were great. It didn’t matter to them if I did alright in exams or not,” says Joe.
Having inherited his father’s gift for and love of stone masonry and stone carving, he joined the family business JMS Stone Mason/Builders, which specialises in extensions in stone, dry stone walling, walls and stone carving.
“I love working with natural stone and shaping it to make it fit,” says Joe, whose spectacular pub shed is testament to his attention to detail.
He classes it as his second greatest achievement. The first being buying a three-bedroom, Victorian house with his partner in a popular, semi-rural Bradford village and spending every spare minute renovating the property while teaching himself new skills, including plumbing.
“The house was in a good location and it was stone built and had loads of character,” says Joe. “It has needed a lot of work but it’s been worth it.”
The idea for the 5m x 3m pub shed was born when he and his partner were staying with his parents during the pandemic and he turned an old Wendy House in the garden into a bar.
“I thought it would be a good idea to do something similar in the garden of our house but I never expected it to be like this,” says Joe.
He began in February this year by making a frame with some 4 X 2 pieces of timber. This was topped with upvc cladding from Bradford Building Plastics that looks remarkably like wood but is waterproof.
Snow and ice didn’t stop progress on the roof complete with overhang. “I used a heat blower to get the ice off the wood. That’s how determined I was to finish it,” he says.
He used a tower scaffold system to reach roof height and the roof itself was constructed with 4 x 2 and USB boards topped with felt and then shingles.
“I had looked at EPDM rubber for the roof but I was concerned about getting a hole in it, plus I wanted the shed to look like a cottage when we looked out at it from the bedroom window of our house,” says Joe.
Inside, the shed is sensational not to mention immaculate and reveals Joe’s love of antiques and collectables.
The only thing he believes he compromised on was the panelling, which is not original. He made it from marine ply sheets and decorative beading, which he then stained, but few would spot the difference between this and the Real McCoy.
To further improve the “olde worlde” look and to have somewhere to wind fairy lights round he added decorative beams and trusses.
He also made the fireplace from timber, plasterboard and brick slips before adding an electric “wood-burning” stove found on Facebook Marketplace.
The Chesterfield sofa was also from FB Marketplace, the pub stools are originals and the vintage pub signs add interest.as does the Stags Head from Wilsden Antiques.
A dartboard and a TV complete the pub entertainment while pints are pulled from a proper keg and pump.
There’s a TV on the wall and music is from a record player with a preference for Elvis, rock’n’roll and Johnny Cash.
Outside, an American style verandah creates shelter and somewhere to sit and admire the view over fields.
The pub was named The Handsome Devil’s Club after the mirrored sign he and his partner Lauren found in Home Sense.
“I am pleased with the shed as I’m not a joiner. I’m a stone mason but I am a perfectionist and that’s why it looks like it does and it’s been worthwhile.
“It’s been great to have family and friends round to enjoy it,” says Joe.
It took him four months to complete the project at a cost of £15,000 on materials and fit out, which would be around £30,000 if labour was included.
Having mastered the art of creating a garden building, Joe is branching out into doing it for others.
Find more images on Joe’s Instagram swift.cottage. Garden rooms by Joe Swift at J.M.S stone_mason_builders_ltd. Tel: 07955 119983
Suppliers : Onduline Building Products Ltd; decking from Newtechwood, Cladding from Freefoam Building Plastics Centre Ltd, Posts and spindles from Estate Sawmills, Windows and door from Carousel Windows, Lights Dunelm