1) The origins of the term ‘shed ‘can be traced back to 1481 with the word ‘shadde’, an old Teutonic/Anglo-Saxon word meaning shade, shadow or darkness. It was also defined as ‘separation or division, removed from the home ‘ – a description that some husbands may be able to relate to all too well.

2) Only one in every two homes in the UK own a shed. The other half have very messy gardens.

3) To ‘woodshed’ or ‘shed’ in jazz jargon is to ‘shut oneself up, away from the world, and practice long and hard’. If they don’t improve, you can always lock them in and throw away the key.

4) A summerhouse actually means a ‘summer residence’ in Scandinavia, which generally refers to larger holiday dwellings such as cottages. Unfortunately our summerhouses in Blighty are a tad more modest, instead consisting of a pretty shed that sits in our garden.

5) The pergola or arbour comes from the Latin word ‘pergula’, which means projecting eave. Originally they were made of interwoven willow stems, changing to brick and stone material centuries later and then returning to wood again as it was much cheaper and more natural-looking. Plastic ones, however, never look good – so do yourself a favour and steer clear.

6) ‘Playhouse’ is in fact an Elizabethan term for a theatre and not a child’s garden plaything. The first child’s playhouse was a ‘Wendy House’, created in the J.M. Barrie play ‘Peter Pan’. Wendy was shot by one of the lost boys and a small house was built around where she had fallen.

7) The original log cabins were made of logs from felled trees, and may have been first documented in Turkey by the Roman Vitruvius Pollio. He noted that the dwellings he saw were made from logs horizontally laid over top of each other and glued together with mud and chips. However, log cabins may have existed as early as the Bronze Age, 3500 BC (but as they couldn’t write back then, nobody made a big deal about it).

8) Somebody who works in a shed is said to participate in ‘shed working’, and is affectionately known as a ‘sheddie’ (not all of which have beards, contrary to popular belief).

9) The Romans are said to have invented the greenhouse, and therefore the ability to grow fruit and vegetables in an environmentally-controlled building.  Emperor Tiberius had a thing for cucumbers, having them planted in wheel barrows to be brought in to the sun during the day and returned to the warmth of the greenhouse during the night. A lot of effort for a bit of salad, if you’d ask us.

10) The garden shed was voted into the Millennium Dome’s national identity display as one of the top symbols of Britishness. Another one was always failing at sport, although I may have made that one up.

Our customers have been very busy decorating the interiors of their garden sheds from Garden Buildings Direct, and many have been kind enough to upload the results. We’ve picked seven of our favourites – whether you’re wondering how a garden shed from us could benefit you, or how you can make the most out of your existing garden shed, these great examples should give you some inspiration.

So without further ado, here are our top seven picks of shed interior design:

7) Our first pick of the bunch is from Keith. His shed is simple yet functional, featuring a table and chairs, a television and radiator – everything he needs to kick back and watch a bit of telly in comfort. Fights over what to watch on the living room TV must be a thing of the past!

6) Next up is Gwyneth’s attractive little shed. We’re getting a bit of a seaside vibe from this pretty little summerhouse. With a table and chairs facing outwards into the garden, she’ll be able to admire the very best of what nature has to offer.

5) Ray’s shed has more of a classic, traditional feel. We like the calm blue colours and the very comfy-looking armchair and sofa. Everything about it emanates peace and tranquillity.

4) On the other hand, we’d guess that Michelle’s shed is anything but. This looks like a real lad’s pad through and through, complete with table football and a football-themed carpet. What more could young boys ask for?

3) From lad’s pad to girly room, Peter’s shed seems like a daughters’ haven. Pink cushions and blankets galore adorn the wicker armchairs, whilst a make-up box and stereo complete the young princess’s paradise.

2) David is our runner-up with his brilliant games room shed. A bold red colour scheme gives a vibrant appearance to the room, whilst the pool table, music gear, comfy leather sofa and minibar complete with stools ensure that he and his mates must never be bored.

1) Congrats to Pam for submitting our favourite example of shed interior design. We literally did a double-take on seeing her photo – you could easily be forgiven for mistaking her shed for a classy indoor living room. The stylish furniture, stove with hearth, vases of flowers… this is truly shed decoration at its best.

Please let us know what you think of the DIY designs in this article. Better yet, why not comment a link to your own garden shed, or upload a customer image of your Garden Buildings Direct shed to our site? We’d love to see how you’ve decorated yours, and you’ll get a voucher with 5% off your next order for your trouble.