Until my first day at Appliances Online (which was last Monday, and it’s going well, thanks for asking), it had never even occurred to me that appliances could live elsewhere than the kitchen. But, I’ve since learnt that in parts of Europe, it’s common to have your washing machine in your bathroom, and I’ve also discovered that many people keep an extra freezer in their garage (what a sheltered life I’ve lived until now!).
And so, thanks to these revelations, I was reminded of an event a couple of weeks ago. ..
Recently, my mum and dad bought a new shed. It’s a standard, everyday shed that you’d see in a million gardens all over the country – wooden, a little window and a door. Nothing to write home about.
The new shed had been erected for approximately half an hour when the argument between my parents began over what was going to reside there. My mum, a traditionalist, felt that the new shed was an appropriate place to store general garden maintenance equipment, bikes and a bit of garden furniture. My dad, on the other hand, clearly hoping to inspire, directed us all to readersheds.co.uk, a website created for shed lovers, where people can submit pictures of their sheds, and even enter the competition to have their glorious garden feature win the ‘Shed of the Year’ award.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am no shed expert. If I had £600 to spend (an estimation – I told you, I’m not an enthusiast!), it would most likely be invested in a handbag, or shoes, or perhaps this shiny Pink Smeg Washing Machine, which I seem to have developed a little obsession with in my one week at Appliances Online. It would not occur to me to spend it on a shed. However, after browsing readersheds.co.uk for longer than I care to admit, I’ve seen the potential for what a shed could be used for, and the appliances that could potentially fill it.
My particular favourite ‘flavour’ of shed featured on this website are the Pub Sheds. Take a look at Leah’s Bar, The Ugly Duckling, and Mick Dundees Bar – tiny locals located as local as local can be – the back garden.
So I’m considering opening Lauren’s Local.
Appliance wise, the first purchase I’d have to make would be the Beko TZDA504FS Upright Freezer. Able to withstand temperatures as low as -15°c, the Beko freezer would function perfectly in my shed throughout the cold winter months. The Beko is smaller than the standard upright model, so it won’t take up valuable bar space in my establishment, and yet it is larger than under the counter freezers, meaning that there’d be plenty of room for ice cream (vital for Pina Coladas), frozen fruit (a necessity for Strawberry Daiquiris) and large pizzas (because everyone needs a good pub snack).
The frost free silver freezer would be the perfect accompaniment to the trendy chrome bar stools and black marble bar surface I’ve already envisioned, and it won’t break the bank either, which is good, because apparently marble bars don’t come cheap, not to mention the fact that I’ll need some sort of power supply and weather protection in my shed if it’s going to be housing my appliances. Still, these are just little details in the grand scheme of things!
Now all I need is to convince my mum to find a new home for the lawnmower, and soon Lauren’s Local will be open for business.