The Observatory

Category: Budget

The original idea of the shed was to create a space for my daughters who love writing to work and create in. This was inspired by their love of Roal Dahl as he did most of his writing in a shed so responded to a requested from the girls and built one. We have experienced a bit of project creep and it can be used by everyone and has my books in as well. Also I aimed to make it out off as many recycled or free items as possible , to have a green roof and to have at least one bubble window......all achieved! The neighbours gave it a number of names including the pink pagoda and the Observatory because of the bubble, we liked this and have stuck with it.

The shed took a year to build and was solely built and designed by me(a gardener) apart from the electrics. sometimes I had to wait to find the right materials before I moved forward or had other priorities set for me! i.e. inside the house or the kids ... I was inspired by the local vernacular i.e. the neighbours summerhouse and its octagonal. The roof was a rakish angle green roof and this was one of the biggest challenges, working out and creating a roof that would hold up the green roof and have a hole on top for the bubble. I believe its Buckinghamshires answer to the Cistern chapel! LOL

List of materials and source as follows:
Frame for walls was bought fence posts - seemed sensible..
Walls where made from the kick boards form the out side of hockey pitch that was being refurbished- free
Insulation for walls from roofing refurb job at work- free
Plaster board spare from job in garage years ago- free
Skirting here when we moved in free
Flooring from skip free, covered in cheap bought laminate
Roof carcassing old scaffold boards , fence posts and bit of bought wood
Ply for roof 8o% from skip
Windows from skip free
Door from Mums garage free
Door Handle surplus from building work here
Paint mostly left overs from house jobs free
Rubber from roof from skip from roofing project at work free
Other wood from skip.free
Bubble and green roof purchased
Table from skip and up cycled free
Chairs and pictures for friends house clearance and preloved free
Light bought, does include an up cycled phone

• Year first entered 2016