I never thought I’d end up with a shepherd’s hut, let alone one that would house an office and a workshop combined. It took a while to convince me.

My journey started by researching high quality and high spec garden pods and eventually I narrowed it down to two possible options. I then discovered the high cost of putting in foundations and all the extra costs for heating and finishing pushed the cost up to almost that of an extension on the house. So I decided I wanted to find something I could take with me if I sold the house, given that I was potentially spending 50k.

I started looking at shepherd’s hut companies and found that there were many. A lot of them looked too playful and twee, and I was concerned about the lack of quality materials like hard woods and poor build quality. I wanted something that would last, and it also needed to be big and spacious inside. Then I came across Hannam & Taylor. I was immediately struck by the quality and handmade nature sourcing the finest sustainable materials to ensure the huts are environmentally friendly but also durable and long lasting. I loved the fact that the hut is cladded with Oak, and the walls are insulated with Lambswool.

When I spoke to the founder Richard, it became clear that I would be able to tailor the hut to my exact needs. I needed an office desk at one end where I would do my work on a laptop and at the other end on the hut I wanted a workshop where I could have my leather work tools, an oak bench work top and specific lighting for close up work. All of this was possible with Richard and his team due to their flexibility and creative solutions. I absolutely love the result of my hut. It’s spacious, practical, beautifully executed, and the underfloor heating with electronic thermostat keeps the hut warm. The wood burner is the icing. Makes the hut a cosy place to be and my dog Coco likes sleeping in front of it in her basket.