WICKES’ ANNOUNCE ‘SENSATIONAL SHED IN SCOTLAND’ AS THE WINNER OF ITS FIRST-EVER HOME OFFICE AWARDS

Judged by TV celebrities and property experts Phil Spencer & Ben Hillman, Wickes awards were created to celebrate and reward the creators of the best WFH spaces across the UK

The winner of the Wickes Home Office Awards has been crowned, alongside four shortlisted winners from across the UK. Launched in mid-April, the awards sought the best in home office set-
ups, after more than a year of video calls led the nation to upping their creativity when designing working from home spaces.

After weeks of social media entries, Claire Hughes of Caithness, Scotland, has taken the top accolade for her sensational shed office in her garden.

Judge Phil Spencer said: “The office made excellent use of space, combining design and practicality to create the perfect workspace. The addition of plants and a large, glamorous desk helped to elevate this simple shed to an award-winning home office. Looking at property value, home offices are far more sought after than they used to be, and I’m sure this style of outhouse office will help to add value to Claire’s home.”

Claire’s inspiration came when she decided to build a shed for her children’s toys, commenting:
“Unable to find a shed sturdy enough for the toys I set about building it from scratch. With the help of a friend, I designed and built the shed – which turned out to be the perfect room for home working and has become a sanctuary of peace and quiet for the family. I’m really surprised, it feels amazing to have won. It was hard work so to be recognised for that is incredible, especially from a company that sees a lot of sheds!”

Claire was awarded the shortlist winner Sensational Shed and was then championed by the judges as the overall winner For the Wickes Home Office Awards 2021.

Created to mark the launch of their new Fitted Home Office range, Wickes was on the lookout for a mix of spaces, with five shortlist awards for Minimalist Master, Best Interior and Mindful Design Award, Cleaning up in the Dining Room, The Sensational Shed and The Savviest Set Up, up for grabs.

Ben Hillman, who joined Phil on the panel said: “It was amazing to see the different ways the nation have set up working from home spaces, and after the challenges of this past year, every person who entered deserves a prize. The range of winners has really shown what is possible with different spaces and budgets to create a practical and stylish space within the home, or garden.”

Katy Stevens in London received the shortlist award for Minimalist Master after submitting her converted and refurbished cupboard. Katy said: “I knew I needed a dedicated space to work from at home around my flatmate, so I thought of the cupboard! I put up simple shelving into the area and created my own little desk. I find my mind wanders a lot when I work in other locations, but# here I am able to concentrate without taking over the whole flat.”

Anj Handa from Leeds wowed judges with her alcove home office to walk away with the shortlist award for Best Interior and Mindful space. She commented: “I used this alcove to keep tropical fish previously. The current setup allows me to look at the trees outside my window – it’s such a therapeutic environment, soothing and calming which is exactly what I need to deal with the nature of my work. I am able to move the desk for versatility, and plan now to put in some soundproofing such as textured wallpaper for delivering even better webinars”.

The shortlist award for Cleaning up the Dining Room went to Ria Roe of Pinxton for converting her conservatory dining room table into the perfect spot for work/life balance. She said: “I wanted to
create the feeling of working outside, especially as I live in a rural area surrounded by trees, without actually being outside. All the windows open up for fresh air, and it really feels like I am outside
with nature. It’s just making the most of this room. Now all I need to do is update the carpets in there with new flooring – whether I choose wood or stick with carpet is yet to be seen!”

Jenni Griffin from Hartshorne highlighted how to be creative with space winning the Savviest Set Up, impressing judges with her workspace for two, “I used to use our bedroom in our last house, but it just wasn’t big enough to work from, especially when my sister was hired by the same company. We decided to convert the dining room into a large double office and create our own ‘Midlands Office’!”

Mandy Minichiello, Head of Marketing at Wickes said: “With home working set to be part of the new normal, we wanted to celebrate the lengths people have gone to create their own unique workspace, and hopefully inspire others to follow suit. It’s been amazing to see all the entries and the effort that has gone into creating these beautiful spaces. We look forward to seeing what the winners do with their vouchers to enhance their space even more!”

With the recent launch of the fitted home office range, as well as a collection of drop down desks, wallpaper, shelving options and paint colours and types, Wickes is here to assist whether you’re looking to create an outhouse office, make an efficient use of space under the stairs, an alcove or a cupboard or transform a corner of your room.