The Tiny Workshop

Shed Features

Faced with a postage stamp garden, here is the Tiny Workshop. It’s a toolshed, workshop and storage all in one tiny footprint. One half holds materials, toy boxes, tool boxes and anything else that will fit and the other holds a makers, fixers and tinkerers dream. The pinnacle of usefulness in a small space.

The back wall here in the garden is off-square by a mile so off-the- shelf sheds couldn’t fit. We set about building it ourselves with two sets of heavy duty steel shelving units bolted together and clad with painted OSB in Cuprinol Black Ash.

The righthand side is the best side. We switched the hinges so that the doors would flap open, the bottom section creates the floor and the upper section raises to provide a bit of protection from the rain. The workbench and tool walls are made from birch plywood off cuts. We tried to curate a collection of favourite tools from the cache, but they’re all favourites and all good to have on hand. The workbench is 130.5cm x 70cm which can get messy quickly but it’s ample space to get making in there.

Fitted 4 LED light panels inside the workshop and fold out roof and with a LED strip under the shelf too, we have a nice diffuse light with no harsh shadows. Optimum pottering conditions.

We designed the roof to work in three ways, four if you count keeping the rain off. It’s oversized with an overhang to store garden tools and saw horses under. It’s raised up from the shed to store long materials, sheets and planks underneath. And we’re developing a green roof planted this year with wild flowers. A lovely spot for the birds and bees.

Finished off on the outside with old imperial ring spanner handles with 3D printed brackets to attach them. A little clue to what’s inside.

Though it can be a bit chilly in the winter, a good pair of long johns and you’re good to go. And all is made well on those long summer evenings having a potter about at the workbench.

Overall footprint 3m x 1m x 2.4m.

The roof is slightly longer at 3.6m.

Other Shed info

The shed was designed and built by us over the course of a few weekends. Some materials and fittings we already had, most of the OSB is pallet boards discarded by my workplace, the doors were made from fresh sheets.

We were going for an industrial look and feel, trying to keep it as simple as possible with a single colour and limited material types.