The Cornwall shed in the running for Shed of the Year 2026

A garden building in Cornwall, painted to vanish into the trees behind it, is one of 38 sheds now competing for a national title.

Public voting has opened for Shed of the Year 2026, and the shortlist includes a Cornwall entry called “Can’t see the SHED for the TREES!”, owned by Melanie Portlock. It is up for the Colourful category.

A David Hockney shed for under £100

Melanie’s shed is plastic and cost less than £100. She has painted it in a bold, David Hockney style so it blends into the garden trees around it. One side is set up for gardening. The other side is for crafting. She shares the build on Instagram under melanie.portlock.

It is up against entries from across the country in the Colourful category, with the public now deciding which sheds go through.

20 years of Shed of the Year

The competition is marking its 20th anniversary. Judges picked the 38 shortlisted sheds from hundreds of entries, across categories that include Eco Haven, Workshop/Studio, Most Colourful Shed, Garden Sanctuary, Cabin/Summerhouse and Regional Winners.

Andrew Wilcox, Founder and Head Judge of Shed of the Year, said the standard had been extraordinary. “No two entries are ever the same. Some are workshops, some are sanctuaries, some preserve local history,” Andrew said, adding that he could not wait to see which sheds captured the public’s imagination.

Sam Jenkinson, Head of Marketing and Chief Sheddie at sponsor Tiger, said the range had been impressive, from workshops and studios to garden sanctuaries and even the world’s fastest shed. He said the passion behind each entry, and the personal stories that shaped them, stood out most.

How to vote

Public voting is open now and closes on July 14th. Category winners and the overall Tiger Shed of the Year 2026 champion will be crowned later this summer. To see the shortlisted entries and cast a vote, visit readersheds.co.uk.