Exclusive
SO MUSH-ROOM
My teenage daughter wanted her own home so I built her one for £500 in the garden, it’s even won an award
The house is now earning Ben money
SHOWING guests through to the back garden Ben Swanborough proudly shows off his garden in full bloom.
But it’s not the lush garden landscape at the back of the family’s three-bedroom semi that’s getting the most attention but rather the spectacular wooden structure hidden amongst the trees.
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“I built a two-story wooden house for my teenage daughter,” Ben, 54, explains in this exclusive interview.
“It started out as a playhouse but now the mushroom-shaped home is helping her beat the cost-of-living crisis.
“I built it for my daughter Elsie when she was 13, now she’s a 20-year-old student and still uses it.
“It’s made of recycled and upcycled wood, doors and stained-glass windows.
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“The raw materials cost me £8k but it’s now worth £50k. It’s a labour of love that’s risen in value.”
Not only is the mushroom house worth a great deal more now, it has also become a nice little earner for the family.
“People even pay us to stay in the mushroom tree house. Everyone loves it,” Ben says.
“No one expects to find fairy tale buildings like this in our backyard.”
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Garden designer Ben lives in Guildford Surrey with his drama teacher wife, Samantha, 54 their children music industry staffer, Sebastian, 22- and Elsie, 20, a fine arts student at Loughborough University.
“As a child Elsie loved mushrooms and had bugged me to build her a little mushroom playhouse,” says Ben.
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Then in 2017 Elsie stunned her dad when she came home with a business proposition.
“Elsie is a great negotiator,” he explains.
“She came to me in 2017 when she was 13 and asked me again to build her a mushroom house in the garden.
“This time she gave me £500 for her savings and offered to pay me.
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“I was stunned at her determination. I agreed and Elsie and I started planning it.”
Dad Ben who runs Swanborough Garden Designs admits he loved the challenge and what started out as a small structure which became a labour of love.
“I did get carried away but the results are amazing, and Elsie still uses the mini house,” he says.
The two-storey treehouse boasts a trap door, stained glass window and even a glass floor section which looks out onto a stream below at the bottom of the garden.
“The top floor is built around a middle pole with a hexagonal shape,” Ben explains.
“The centre pole is what the main beams came off and the angle walls gave the top floor extra room.
“The rounded top floor gives the building its mushroom shape.
“The stalk of the mushroom includes stairs and the ground floor room with a recovered stone and brick floor.
“The roof is made of cedar shingles. I used larch and cedar in the walls as well.”
Ben sourced reclaimed windows and breathed new life into them in the mushroom building.
Ben's top tips for building your own shed
- Start with a drawing
- Choose a sensible position in garden and don’t ruin neighbours views
- Research recyclable materials and use them internally
- Consider breaking pallets for a simply structure on a budget
- Visit salvage yards to find interesting feature items like stained glass windows
- Watch YouTube videos to understand basic building techniques.
The chunky entrance door is an upcycled door with recycled wood added to it to make it solid and forest-like.
“The top floor has a floor to ceiling stained glass window to add a fairy tale touch.
The unique garden building also features a circular hammock chair and a glass skylight in the roof to allow for stargazing.
“I loved using reclaimed items,” Ben says.
You just need vision and a determined teenager
Ben Swansborough
“It gave the building extra history and showed how you can save money but add value using items other people were throwing out.
“The building's frame is built using new timber. This ensures the structure has longevity. The recycled items give the mushroom a vintage feel.
“The garden mushroom has electricity. I haven’t installed water or a toilet, but I am looking into that in the future.”
When it was finished in 2017 Elsie first used it for sleepovers.
“She and her friends loved it,” Ben says.
“My wife uses it for yoga. When Elsie comes home from university, she still loves sleeping in or using it for parties.
“We do occasionally list our house on Airbnb. Guests love the fact they can stay in the Mushroom home as well.
“We have a three-bedroom house and the mushroom which means we can sleep ten people.
“The treehouse is paying for itself. But that was never the plan. It’s a fortunate add on.”
“When I started the project in 2017, I never expected it to be as big as it is. Now with the cost-of-living crisis I know it’s been an investment for Elsie and the family.”
In 2017 the labour of love got international recognition when it was crowned Cuprinol’s Shed of the Year.
“Elsie’s Mushroom beat almost 3,000 rivals to claim the top prize for his mushroom-shaped treehouse,” Ben says.
The shed won the "cabin and summerhouse" category before being declared the overall best shed ahead of seven other category winners.
“Elsie and I never expected to win the top prize,” the dad explains.
“We won £1,000 which of course went back into the tree house.,
“Since Elsie’s house I have built other backyard cabins, tree houses and garden features for people.
“But none can compare to my daughter's Mushroom marvel.
“I am thrilled I built it. I have also shown you can build a treehouse for your child, and it turns out not just to be a plaything. It can add value to your home and even a mini money spinner.
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“You just need vision and a determined teenager.”
You can now vote for your Cuprinol Shed of the Year 2024. To find out more about each finalist, and cast a vote, please visit:
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