A new chapter begins - turning the garden shed into an art studio.

After many years renting an art studio in south London, I turned the back garden shed into my new creative space.

Due to the cost of renting in London and the increased cost of living in general, I decided to invade the only space that is currently affordable to me - a humble 2m x 1.5m wooden shed.

This is what the shed looked like after it had been cleared of dust, cobwebs, gardening tools and household knick knacks.

In order to brighten up the space I painted the walls and ceiling white.

This is the view from the shed window - not too shabby by London standards.

One of the advantages of being in a shed is that you’re surrounded by birds and other local wildlife so it almost feels like being outdoors. In the evenings I can watch the sun setting and listen to the birds’ final sing song before nightfall.

On a less appealing note, this shed is not insulated so I’m expecting it to become a greenhouse in the summer and an ice box during the winter.

My first rented art studio was a square room with a high ceiling and a corrugated plastic skylight without any opening windows. It, too, was like a greenhouse in the summer, but it was cheaper than other London-based studios (back in 2013, I paid just shy of £160 per month - not including electricity). That studio had the massive advantage of being located by the river, next to the Thames Barrier in Woolwich. It was a great place to work and also meet other creatives from all disciplines and backgrounds. The site was established and run by Second Floor Studios & Arts and is now managed by Thames Side Studios.

Several car journeys later, my shed is beginning to feel like a comfortable working space, despite the lack of room.

Moving one’s mountain of junk from one place to another is never an easy task, but I’m very pleased with the fruits of my labours so far.

To avoid spending money I haven’t got right now, I made use of old furniture, shelves and lighting.

My shed studio is of modest dimensions with nowhere near enough room to swing a cat in, let alone anything else. I’ve had to be selective about the things I chose to keep from my old studio, which was a larger space and had become rather full after five years or so of occupancy. At least with a tiny space like this, my stuff will be within easy reach.

The last art studio I rented was in a building managed by ASC in Brixton - another great London location. I rented a small top floor studio with large fully openable windows on the corner of Stockwell Road, in front of the Brixton Academy. While this space had everything I needed - including wifi - and I enjoyed being immersed in the vibrant local community, it came at a higher price. The rent I paid back in 2018 was approximately £300 per month (all bills included) but had increased over time to £350 per month and will most likely continue to rise in the future.

Here’s to a brighter future…

It’s still quite cold outside but Spring has officially sprung and the daffodils are out, so things are feeling considerably better already than they did in the depth of winter a month or two ago.

I hope that my rent free studio shed will be as happy and productive a place as my last two rented studios were, with the extra bonus of being close to home.

I like to share my studio space with my canine companions. My 14 year old rescue dog Lily has her own bed by the door and likes to snooze there in the afternoon sunshine.