A social media influencer’s 70s-inspired bar has been crowned the Cuprinol Shed of the Year 2021.
Danielle Zarb-Cousin, 29, channeled her heartbreak after splitting from her fiance – Love Island’s Jonny Mitchell – into building her Creme de Menthe shed.
“I went through a bad time with the break-up,” Danielle says. “It was the worst thing that could’ve happened, going into lockdown and not being able to see anyone or not being able to date. Building the shed became a focus in a time of chaos.
“After building it, the shed became a place where I could sit and write. It was a little sanctuary for me and it’s something I’m really proud of. The shed really represents that time in my life.”
Danielle, from Southend-on-Sea, Essex who is also a model, says winning Cuprinol Shed Of The Year 2021 “feels amazing.”
“I’m so happy I won,” she says. “It’s been a long process building the shed, so it’s nice to know it’s paid off.”
After moving in with her parents at the beginning of the first lockdown, Danielle transformed an old, unloved brown shed, which they were planning to knock down, into a retro haven – complete with an orange and mint green colour scheme and cocktail bar.
“I’m really drawn to that era. I love Elvis and Johnny Cash, and artists like that, so I made this whole moodboard and I didn’t want it to be a gimmicky or fancy dress-type 70s, I wanted it to be more authentic.”
Danielle spent three days painting the shed, before filling it with retro decorations, furnishings and vinyl records, which she collected from charity and vintage shops.
She says she hopes to inspire young people on social media to challenge “throwaway culture”, where items can be easily bought and disposed of.
“I really hope it encourages young people to get a bit more creative and stop replacing things with brand new things,” she says. “With my generation, everything is just so easily accessible. You can order something and have it so quickly, but it’s a throwaway culture.”
Danielle has been using the space to write a blog, on subjects from heartbreak and dating to lifestyle – which she is now in the process of turning into a book.
“I’m still working on the book because I want it to be perfect, and I always sit in the shed and write because it’s just so peaceful and quiet and I can really focus. I’ve also started writing some short stories, and I do that all from the shed.
“Moving back in with my parents for lockdown was not ideal and I needed my own space, so it was a place I could go and write and not be disturbed.”
Creme de Menthe topped the Pub/Entertainment category in a public vote before being awarded the overall title from a panel of judges. Alongside eternal shed glory, Danielle will receive £1,000, a plaque and £100 of Cuprinol products.
This year 331 hopefuls entered the competition – the most in its 15-year history.
This year’s entrants competed across seven categories including cabin/summerhouse, lockdown and budget. A public vote through readersheds.co.uk decided each winner, with a panel of judges crowning the overall winner.
Among the winners of the individual prizes are Joanna van Blommestein – the boss of a bra-fitting boutique in her back garden, Mark Campbell, who built a fairytale castle for his granddaughter during lockdown and Royal Navy Engineer John Williams who created a pop-up bar.
Head judge and founder of the competition Andrew Wilcox said: “We have been blown away by the creativity, passion and dedication on display from sheddies across the country. The amount of care and attention entrants have devoted to their sheds this year is inspiring.
“But it was Danielle’s Creme de Menthe bar and her use of colour, interior design and vintage decorations that really impressed us.
“We hope her win inspires a new generation of sheddies to get out in the garden and start building sanctuaries of their own.”
Kirsty Woodbine, Marketing Manager for Cuprinol, added: “The sheer ingenuity demonstrated by this year’s Cuprinol Shed of the Year winners is unrivalled in the competition’s 15-year history.
“At Cuprinol we’re committed to inspiring people to find creative ways to transform their outdoor spaces – whether it’s a vibrant lick of paint on a brand new summerhouse or handcrafting impressive structures from recycled materials! We are truly amazed and delighted by the creations we’ve seen this year – they just get better and better.”
