Working from a Home Office or Studio is very much the in thing to do these days, it offers very low cost overheads for any business start up or long term venture.

A few benefits include no traveling to work, no being stuck in traffic jams which seem to get worse year after year.  You work your hours around your family life, you take holidays and breaks when they suit you and not your employer or clashing holidays with other employees. You get to do what you want to do, what makes you happy and live your life with the freedom of being your own boss.

The Home Office or Studio

Come what may, a simple Garden Shed or Log Cabin can soon become the answer to working for yourself at home. Providing that professional presentation of business in your own garden.

This is what Nicola did from ‘In The Shed’

‘In The Shed’ is an inspiring space where ideas become real and beautiful things are designed. While it may look like an ordinary garden shed from the outside, the inside has evolved into a lovingly decorated workspace  (Home Office) with a charming atmosphere that can only really be sensed by stepping through the door…

‘In The Shed’ is home to me, Nicola Rust and my adorable chihuahua Boo, who joins me everyday and loves to keep me warm, curling up on my knee.

I am a graphic designer, a dreamer, believer, optimist and creator. I love the feeling of being inspired and will often wake up at 4am with a mind full of ideas waiting to be created. Inspiration creates dreams, dreams create vision and a vision can be brought to life. I truly believe that ‘if it can be imagined it can be created’ and my shed is proof that dreams really do come true.

And thats how it all began – with with a sudden burst of inspiration…

For the past 5 years, the shed has been home to my graphic design business, called of course ’In The Shed’. The shed itself was built some years before whilst I was at university, desperate for my own space to design in. After a sudden burst of inspiration, a shed was my genius solution. Some people thought I was crazy at the time and before I had even worked out the practicalities, I had visualised it, talked about it and was ready to make it happen… and I did!

The shed itself was a timely second hand find that cost me 200 pounds, which after a little help from family to put the panels together and wire the electrics, I insulated and boarded the inside myself during a very cold Christmas holiday ready for a new term.

Whilst setting up my business in 2009 after being made redundant, deciding on a name was obvious, I could always be found ’In The Shed’! The shed is now the perfect studio space, with a calm and inspiring interior of peaceful colours and up-cycled furniture, just how I imagined. What I didn’t anticipate when I had that sudden burst of inspiration, was that this amazing space, my simple little shed, would transform my life in such a wonderfully positive way… It is part of who I am and allows me to be me – a space to be inspired, create and be happy, it really is home.

I love that something so ordinary can be transformed into something so magical and meaningful. You can take a simple shed, it doesn’t have to be a grand log cabin, an expensive summer house, or anything unusual and turn it into an amazing space where you can do and be anything you dream of! Remember, if it can be imagined it can be created!

Original ‘In The Shed’ Blog at Reader Sheds Website – http://www.readersheds.co.uk/share.cfm?SHARESHED=2868

In The Shed Website – http://www.in-theshed.co.uk/

Cinema Shed, this is a perfect example of making a shed your own. This can work for any shed or Log Cabin, all you need to do is use your imagination to create the space you want.

The Cinema Shed all began with an entirely unremarkable plan for a shed…

Ashley soon began to start making the real thing

He erected the walls

Put the roof in place

And added some light fittings

Some tiling and a porch gave the little shed a cute appearance

And finally it was ready!

But it’s not all that it seems from the outside…

…that’s right, it’s actually a mini movie theater! aka the Cinema Shed.

Complete with real cinema lighting and traditional velvet seats

And of course, plenty of candy and popcorn

Fancy playing a game after the film? There’s a whole shelf of options to choose from

The only problem, of course, is that when your friends hear about it, they’ll probably want to move in with you!

I do like the detail of the pick n mix stand, I don’t think there would be much left in there after a film or two with me, I think replenishing that stand may work out more expensive than the shed in the long run! I also like the fact the games consoles are in there too, count me in for a gaming session on that big screen.

It looks simple enough outside, but inside creativity has sparked and in this case resulting in a pretty amazing Cinema Shed and it’s not so extravagant to be out of anybody’s price range either.

All Credit and Original Blog at Brightside.me

The Daily Mail has claimed that sheds make men healthy “could help men live longer.” The newspaper adds that the “therapeutic effects of pottering around relieves stress, which lowers blood pressure and even boosts self-esteem”.

There’s no proven link between garden sheds and male longevity.

This shed story has shaky foundations. It is loosely based on an article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) about the need for policy, practice and research aimed specifically at men’s health in Europe. Sheds are only briefly mentioned in this article, and not in this particular context. The references to “Men’s sheds” relate to an Australian skills and wellbeing programme that provides a place for male-focused activities outside work, but not in a small building at the end of the garden. The BMJ article does not discuss the potential health benefits of sheds, but instead describes the growing “Men’s sheds” programme as being a way to target health promotion messages at a male audience.

The rather gimmicky coverage of sheds in the news should not distract from the important questions raised by the article of how European men’s health could be improved, perhaps by following the example of the Aussies.

What is the basis for these current reports that sheds make men healthy?

The news story has been prompted by an editorial in the BMJ on men’s health. In this article, the authors discuss the conclusions of a report published this year, called “The State of Men’s Health in Europe”, which was produced for the European Commission. This extensive report found that there are “marked differences” between the health of men and women, and that there is a “high level of preventable premature morbidity and mortality in men, which will only be addressed by targeted activity across the lifespan”. The average difference in life expectancy between men and women in the EU was found to be more than six years.

The BMJ editorial discusses the idea that some of these health discrepancies are due to lifestyles and behaviors traditionally considered as “masculine”, and summarises possible policy measures, practice and research directions aimed at improving men’s health.

So, what does the article say about men’s sheds?

The “Men’s sheds” programme is one of several examples of new initiatives targeted at engaging men more effectively that the BMJarticle mentions, although these are not specifically mentioned in the report on men’s health for the European Commission.

The “Men’s sheds” programme provides spaces and workshops specifically devoted to men who want an activity outside home and work. The concept of providing these spaces was developed in Australia, and is now being trialled in Europe. The Age UK website reports that there is a pilot “Men in sheds” project operating for older men in the UK. The project aims to reduce feelings of isolation and improve health and well-being.

The BMJ article does not specifically discuss any potential benefits of the “Men’s sheds” programmes. It provides a reference to a small study in which just five older men who took part in these programmes in Australia were interviewed about their experiences. Their experiences were reported to be positive.

What about the benefits of other men’s health programmes?

The article gives some examples of programmes that have been reported to have been beneficial, including the Scottish Well Men Health Service pilots, the BT Workfit initiative and the Royal Mail’s health initiatives. These initiatives and their benefits included:

• contacting men who had not seen their GP in the past two years
• introducing changes in lifestyle
• reductions in weight
• reductions in work absences

So what is the main message of the BMJ editorial?

The BMJ editorial aimed to highlight that, in Europe, men still have poorer health than women and that there is a need to work with men in a focused and constructive way to remedy this.

Therefore, some news headlines have been misleading by suggesting that men can improve their health simply by tackling crosswords and DIY in a garden shed; the benefits of which are not discussed in theBMJ editorial.

Analysis by

Edited by NHS Choices

Blog Source – https://www.nhs.uk/news/2011/11November/Pages/claim-sheds-make-men-healthy-and-happy.aspx