A MODEL and social media influencer is set to go shed-to-shed with other garden fixer-uppers as she hopes to win the “Shed of the Year” competition.

Danielle Zarb-Cousin, 29, from Thorpe Bay, released her creative flare after splitting from her Love Island fiancé, Jonny Mitchell, at the start of the pandemic.

After moving in with her parents, Danielle decided to create her own authentic 1970s style bar, spending three days painting an old brown shed.

The animal activist is now hoping to win the pub and entertainment category of the Shed of the Year competition with her chic bar, Creme de Menthe.

Read more:

Tributes paid to 'no-nonsense' landlady who spent 30 years running seafront pub

18-year-old left 'seriously injured' after attack on Southend seafront

Danielle said: “I basically went through a bit of a bad break-up just before lockdown, so I moved in with my parents so that I wasn’t on my own.

“I didn’t want it to be a gimmicky or fancy dress-type 70s, I wanted it to be more authentic so I spent loads of time painting it all myself, then ended up getting everything from charity shops and second hand and vintage shops.

Echo:

“With today’s generation, and with social media, everything’s so easily replaceable with something new and I just thought it was so nice to look at something and say actually that could be really cool or beautiful.

“Now the whole garden is being planned around the shed, so my parents love it and say there’s a ray of sunshine in the garden”

Danielle started using the shed as a space to start writing a blog, which is now being turned into a book.

The competition will see the 22 finalists compete across the nine categories in a bid to win £1,000, a plaque, a £100 of Cuprinol products and a giant golden crown.

Head judge and founder of the competition, Andrew Wilcox said: “The past year has been a challenging time for all of us and, now more than ever, we’re aware of how important the humble shed can be.

Echo:

“Sheds are not just unloved, brown structures at the bottom of the garden that house tools and household junk, they are vital spaces where you can go to relax, work on a project or burn off some steam.”

Voting for the competition closes on July 12. Visit http://www.readersheds.co.uk/