Shed of the Year 2022: This colourful potting shed is made entirely from secondhand materials

The Potting Shed, made entirely from secondhand materials, is the winner of Cuprinol's Shed of the Year 2022 competition.

Kelly Haworth, an avid upcycler and baker from Bury, has won the competition with her budget-friendly and waste-saving oasis. Along with her husband Derrick, Kelly created the beautiful allotment retreat from their love of repurposing unwanted items.

The Potting Shed, measuring 2m x 3m, is made from old doors, pallet wood and other recycled materials found on Facebook Marketplace and from around their home. It took five weeks to complete and cost around £200 to create.

'This year, Kelly’s Potting Shed really impressed us with the use of secondhand materials. It just feels right with the current cost of living crisis to crown someone so cost-savvy as the winner,' said head judge and founder of the competition, Andrew Wilcox.

Beating hundreds of entrants, Kelly's Potting Shed is the first winner from the Cuprinol Shed of the Year 'Budget' Category in the competition's 16-year history.

From home pubs to nature escapes, 21 unique garden sheds were shortlisted in Cuprinol's Shed of the Year 2022 competition. Whittled down from 260 entries were designs from amateur to veteran shed enthusiasts, showcasing exactly what is possible inside these often small garden structures.

Shed enthusiasts submitted their creations to one of seven categories:

• Budget
• Cabin/Summerhouse
• Lockdown
• Nature's Haven
• Pub/Entertainment
• Unexpected/Unique
• Workshop/Studio.

Take a look at the winning shed and the runners-up and category winners below.

• SHED OF THE YEAR 2022 WINNER

• BUDGET CATEGORY WINNER

This pastel-coloured shed inspired by Kelly's love of upcycling and repurposing has been crowned the UK's best shed in Cuprinol's annual competition. Mother-of-four Kelly transformed her basic allotment plot into a beautiful hideaway where she could grow fresh plants and ingredients for cooking and baking – homemade lavender & lemon cake and nettle tea are regular treats at the Haworth household.

'It's been a real labour of love and I haven’t stopped dancing since I found out the wonderful news,' says Kelly. 'I was inspired by my dad’s shed and after waiting years for a plot, I couldn’t wait to build my own.'

The budget-friendly shed features a small kitchenette, a potting area, a tool store and even an off-grid bathroom. It's been decorated with beautiful pastel shades, including Cuprinol Garden Shades Sweet Pea Pink and Wild Thyme, and Cuprinol Ducksback Black to help protect and colour the shed's wood.

'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,' Kelly explains. '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. Kelly's prize includes £1,000, a personalised Cuprinol Shed of the Year plaque, and £100 of Cuprinol products.

'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,' Kelly adds.

Discover the other category winners from this year's competition below...

• CABIN/SUMMERHOUSE WINNER

Featuring striking stained glass windows, which were designed and handmade by shed enthusiast Rachel Carpenter over a five-year period, this shed in Burton-on-Trent depicts the relationship between our health and the natural world.

As a community pharmacist for the last 30 years, Rachel says: 'I think it is important to look after our natural world, so it can look after us. The creation of this small space can be used for relaxing all year round.'

• LOCKDOWN WINNER

Built during lockdown using whatever materials they could get their hands on, the Haar Hut was Alan's first ever wood build.

Creating an outdoor space to meet friends safely and comfortably during the pandemic in Portlethen, the shed incorporates chic design elements inspired by trips to Morocco and Bali, as well as Alan's wife's own artwork.

The Haar Hut includes an outdoor kitchen with a fully functional electric hob, and a sitting area with a cinema projector and screen. The living area has been used for summer parties, cinema parties and even a Christmas grotto for their kids, as well as serving as extra studio space for Alan's illustrator wife to use too.

'It gets the best light in the morning – the perfect coffee and sketching spot. We love it and pat ourselves on the back all the time for creating something that hasn’t fallen down yet!,' Alan said.

• NATURE'S HAVEN WINNER

Inspired by a love of the natural environment and a desire to spend more time in it, Simon built this shed at his spaniel's favourite spot – which has now become a family favourite for BBQs and picnics.

Located in Barnard Castle, this is a retreat into nature where you can cook, read, relax, meditate or sleep. Having started the project during the second lockdown, Simon used spare timbers and wood stored in outbuildings from his previous house renovation.

'The spot I choose to construct the shed on was a favourite of my old spaniel, Ellie,' Simon said. 'She'd always stop for a breather here when she got old. It’s on a steep inaccessible bank on my field so everything had to be carried down (and up).'

• PUB/ENTERTAINMENT WINNER

Created using a wide variety of reclaimed and traded materials, The Winchester in Newcastle under Lyme has been used as a space for gatherings with family and friends.

Developed in stages over the past six years, it offers an outdoor sitting area, indoor sofa, and projector. To fund the project, Andrew said that it has grown in stages: the lounge was a lockdown creation, that was placed in addition to the older bar area.

• UNEXPECTED/UNIQUE WINNER

Following the gothic theme of Jane's outdoor space and inspired by her passion for historic buildings, this five-sided shed/folly sits in the corner of Jane's London-based garden.

The shed is many things: a cosy coffee-to-cocktails venue, a shed for garden cushions, and a cabinet of curiosities exhibition space.

'All my visitors think I am completely mad and they all love it. This was my lockdown folly and kept me going through those difficult months,' Jane said.

The folly is constructed in cedar shiplap, has MDF Gothic doors and windows, decorative castellations, cedar shingles and a glass pyramid with pretend stained glass, plus a weathervane with a portrait of her own cat on top.

• WORKSHOP/STUDIO WINNER

Inspired by the work of J.R.R Tolkein, this shed in South Queensferry is filled to the brim with tools for Ali's artwork. The Wood Art Workshop is where Ali gets inspired to create her masterpieces. The small design is quirky, yet perfectly sized, to hide all the tools she needs.

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