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Creme de Menthe was not a cocktail recipe but Danielle Zarb-Cousin’s transformation of her parents’ old brown garden shed into a 1970s-inspired cocktail bar and writing retreat. She painted it orange and mint green in three days, furnished it with charity-shop and vintage finds, and filled it with vinyl records. The finished shed won the Pub/Entertainment category by public vote before judges awarded it the overall Cuprinol Shed of the Year 2021 title.
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What the Creme de Menthe makeover actually was
Danielle Zarb-Cousin began with an ordinary brown shed in her parents’ garden. In 2021, she turned it into a compact destination with two identities: a cocktail bar for entertaining and a quiet retreat where she could write. The name, Creme de Menthe, matched the project’s playful 1970s mood and mint-green color cue.
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Coverage describes three days of painting, followed by an interior assembled from retro decorations, furnishings and vinyl records found through charity and vintage shops. Those details matter because the makeover was not simply a new color applied to a shed. The character came from combining a strong two-color scheme with reused objects that already had visual history.
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Danielle described the finished space as “a little sanctuary” and said, “After building it, the shed became a place where I could sit and write.” Her comments explain why the project resonated beyond its appearance: it created a useful personal room without replacing every existing object with something new.
Creme de Menthe at a glance
| Detail | What coverage reports |
|---|---|
| Creator | Danielle Zarb-Cousin |
| Setting | Her parents’ old brown garden shed |
| Completed | 2021 |
| Theme | 1970s-inspired cocktail bar and retreat |
| Main colors | Orange and mint green |
| Painting period | Three days |
| Interior approach | Retro furnishings, decorations and vinyl records from charity and vintage shops |
| Competition result | Pub/Entertainment category winner by public vote; overall Shed of the Year 2021 winner by judging panel |
| Reported prize | £1,000 plus £100 of Cuprinol products |
The table separates the facts attached to the project from assumptions a reader might make. For example, the reporting identifies the colors and painting duration, but not the paint brand, finish, quantity or exact shades.
Why the color scheme made the shed memorable
Orange supplied the visual energy
Orange is a high-impact choice for a small outbuilding. Used on a door, trim or selected wall areas, it can make the shed read as a destination rather than background storage. In a 1970s-inspired scheme, the color also signals warmth and sociability, which suits a bar intended for conversation.
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Mint green provides a cooler counterpoint to orange. On a shed, that contrast can establish clear zones: one color for the principal exterior surfaces and another for the entrance or details. The documented palette does not specify which color went on which surface, so there is no reliable basis for reproducing Danielle’s exact layout. Anyone copying the idea should test both arrangements on sample boards before committing.
Color did the work of signage
A garden shed usually needs no elaborate sign to announce its purpose when its palette is distinctive. The orange-and-mint combination gave Creme de Menthe an identity visible before a visitor stepped inside. That is a useful lesson for small painting projects: two coordinated colors can create a stronger impression than a crowded collection of accents.
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How reused objects shaped the interior
Danielle sourced furnishings and decorations from charity and vintage shops, and she collected vinyl records for the bar. The reporting does not provide an itemized inventory, so individual chairs, lamps, glassware or record titles should not be attributed to the project. What is clear is the sourcing principle: choose objects for their character and reuse them rather than buying a completely new interior.
She explicitly connected the makeover to that principle: “I really hope it encourages young people to get a bit more creative and stop replacing things with brand new things.” The statement is broader than a decorating tip. It frames the shed as an example of adapting available materials, accepting variation and letting second-hand pieces determine the room’s personality.
For a small shed, reused pieces also solve a practical design problem. A collection built over time can provide seating, storage and display without requiring every object to match. Repetition can come from the color scheme, while differences in wood, metal, fabric and print keep the interior from looking like a showroom.
How Creme de Menthe won Shed of the Year 2021
First, a public-vote category win
Creme de Menthe won the competition’s Pub/Entertainment category through a public vote. That category result recognized the shed’s role as a social space rather than a conventional workshop or office.
Then, the overall judging decision
After the category result, a panel of judges selected Creme de Menthe as the overall Cuprinol Shed of the Year 2021. Head judge and competition founder Andrew Wilcox said Danielle’s “use of colour, interior design and vintage decorations” particularly impressed the panel. The sequence is important: the public vote and the judges’ overall decision were separate stages.
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The scale of the 2021 competition
The 2021 competition received 331 entries, according to an AkzoNobel press release. That was reported as more than double the 2020 total, and Goodhomes described it as the largest number of entries in the competition’s 15-year history. The figure refers to entries in the competition, not to sheds built by Danielle or to a sample of garden buildings generally.
What the prize included
Coverage reports a prize of £1,000 and £100 of Cuprinol products. The award information does not establish that Danielle used Cuprinol paint for the makeover; the sources do not name the paint used during the three-day project.
What is known—and what is not—about the painting
| Established by coverage | Not stated |
|---|---|
| The shed was painted during a three-day makeover. | Paint brand, product line or wood-coating type. |
| The finished scheme used orange and mint green. | Exact color names, codes or sheen levels. |
| The starting building was an old brown garden shed. | Surface area, number of coats and paint quantity. |
| The interior included reused vintage and charity-shop pieces. | Preparation method, primer choice, tools and drying conditions. |
| The project became a cocktail bar and writing retreat. | Construction changes, electrical work or plumbing details. |
This distinction prevents a common mistake: treating a striking makeover photograph as a complete specification. Creme de Menthe is a documented design story, not a published materials schedule or step-by-step build diary.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical painting plan for a similar shed
The following is a planning framework for recreating the spirit of the makeover. It is not a reconstruction of Danielle’s exact method, because those technical details were not reported.
1. Inspect the building before choosing paint
Check the roof, cladding, doors, windows and base of the shed for leaks, soft timber, loose boards and areas where water collects. Painting cannot compensate for movement or damp. Repair or replace damaged wood first, and make sure rainwater can drain away from the building.
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2. Clean and prepare every painted surface
Remove dirt, cobwebs, flaking coating and surface mildew using a method suitable for exterior wood. Allow the timber to dry thoroughly. Scrape unstable paint, sand rough edges so the transition is gradual, and protect nearby soil, paving and planting before washing or sanding.
3. Select an exterior wood coating
Look for a product explicitly intended for exterior timber and follow its label for compatible primers, coverage, recoat timing and weather limits. The sources do not identify the coating used on Creme de Menthe, so do not present a particular brand or color as an authentic recreation. A sample board is the safest way to judge how orange and mint green behave on your actual wood.
4. Test the palette in daylight
Paint large sample patches rather than relying on a small card. View them in morning, midday and evening light, and check the colors against the garden, roof and neighboring fences. Strong colors can look more intense across an entire wall than they do on a swatch.
5. Establish the order of work
- Finish repairs and preparation.
- Prime bare or repaired timber if the coating system requires it.
- Paint the larger exterior surfaces with the first color.
- Mask or cut in carefully where the second color begins.
- Paint doors, trim and other details after the main surfaces are stable.
- Apply additional coats only as specified by the product instructions.
Work in dry conditions within the temperature range stated on the label. Keep newly painted surfaces protected from rain, dirt and contact until they have cured as directed.
6. Treat the entrance as the focal point
On a small building, the door is often the most visible feature. Use the orange-and-mint idea to make the entrance deliberate: one color can frame the opening while the other creates the main field, or the door can become the single bold accent. Keep edges crisp, because contrast makes preparation errors more noticeable.
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Creating a 1970s mood without turning the shed into a set
Period influence works best when it guides choices rather than dictates a museum recreation. Repeat the two principal colors in cushions, artwork or storage labels, then allow wood grain, aged metal and printed fabrics to vary. Vinyl records can supply both decoration and a reason to spend time in the room, but they should be stored away from damp and direct sunlight.
Measure before bringing in furniture. A bar-height surface, two compact seats and wall-mounted storage may leave more floor space than several deep pieces. Keep a clear route to the door and avoid blocking ventilation openings. If an item is unstable, damaged by damp or has unsafe wiring, repair it or leave it out; nostalgia is not a reason to compromise safety.
Making the retreat comfortable and safe
The reported shed functioned as a place to write as well as a cocktail bar. That dual use benefits from flexible lighting, a stable writing surface and storage that can be closed when the room is used for entertaining. A small rug or curtain can add softness, but only where it will remain dry and cannot obstruct the entrance.
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What painters can learn from the makeover
- Start with a clear visual idea. Orange and mint green gave the project an immediately recognizable identity.
- Use paint to define purpose. The building looked like a bar and retreat before the furnishings were examined closely.
- Let existing objects add complexity. Charity-shop and vintage finds created variety that a matching furniture set would not provide.
- Separate documented fact from imitation. The project proves that a bold palette can work; it does not provide a universal paint specification.
- Design for the way the room will be used. Danielle’s writing sanctuary and social bar occupied the same small footprint because the furnishings supported both activities.
Creme de Menthe succeeded because color, purpose and reuse reinforced one another. The shed was transformed quickly, but its appeal came from decisions that made the space feel personal rather than newly manufactured.
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