RISE OF THE SHE-SHEDS

Girls start garden hideaway craze Clean up time for doggies’ dinners

FORGET man caves – “she-sheds” are the hot new craze.

Garden sheds conjure up images of piles of rusty tools and lawn mowers.

But that’s changing as women head outside to create their own girly spaces.

And these slickly designed luxury hideaways can be kitted out with curtains, sheepskin rugs, sofas and wine fridges.

Blackdown Shepherd Huts say they are getting dozens of calls every week from women keen to follow the trend.

Will Vickery, who runs the Somerset-based company, said: “Pretty much all of our sheds are being built for women.

“They are being created to use as craft rooms, ISOBEL DICKINSON sewing rooms, reading rooms, art studios – that type of thing.

“A lot of men are buying our self-build huts to construct them for their wives and partners as gifts.

“One man told us his wife said her hut would be a meditation room, but he thought it might be used as a wine or gin den as she asked for a fridge to be put in!

“We get asked to create all different kinds of she-sheds and we don’t judge!”

Jo Simpson, from Sherborne, Dorset, fell in love with her “sheshed” as soon as she bought it.

She said: “My sisters talked me into getting a hut, telling me that everyone should have a ‘room of

one’s own, particularly when you have a newly retired husband.

“I picked out a shed that I call Jabba and placed it under the ash tree in our garden.

“She is kitted out with a chair and a sheepskin and scatter cushions. I love being in there!”

People are forking out fortunes, with self-build huts starting at £3,150 and hand-crafted bespoke huts from £18,650.

The she-sheds are inspired by traditional shepherd huts of yesteryear but have a modern twist. Some contain a bathroom and a kitchen, while others include a log-burner to warm up those chilly autumn evenings.

Will said: “It’s great to see so much passion for something so quintessentially British and traditional but which lets us transform it for modern day.”