Gorgeous Garden Sheds from Chelsea Garden Show 2012

As we prepare our gardens for winter, stowing the tools encased with dirt and memories of spring, it's a fine time to begin planning for next year. So, while your garden sleeps under a blanket of snow, tuck into a warm armchair and dream up some pretty things to cultivate next season—and remember, your canvas isn't limited to the dirt. How about drafting plans for a pretty place to hang your tools and relax?

And so we bring you photos from the 2012 RHS Chelsea Garden Show's exhibit of "Artisan Retreats"—gorgeous garden sheds that bring the outside in, without even leaving the garden. All five Artistan Retreats were created by British designers with distinct styles and media, which come through in their designs.

'Vintage Inspired Retreat'

Designer: Orla Kiely, Orla Kiely Designs

Ms. Kiely, a designer of print, lifestyle, interiors, and, most recently, gardening tools, created a nostalgic retreat with a timeless lime green exterior and a fresh vintage feel. Her attention to time-period detail is wonderful—see the charming bicycle leaning against the shed?

The interior is rustic and stylish—just the essentials, but very neatly curated. Patterns inspired by flowers and leaves, as well a few well-placed potted plants, echo the world outside.

'Vintage Inspired Retreat' 

Designer: Orla Kiely, Orla Kiely designs

The London-based Irish designer included recycled furniture pieces and an old TV box, accented by her famous prints. Her garden shed is like a mini house.

'Vintage Inspired Retreat' 

Designer: Orla Kiely, Orla Kiely designs

'A Book Binder's Workshop'

Designer: Vicki Conran, Conran 

Vicki Conran owns Conran Ink, a small publishing studio that dabbles in bookbinding and letterpress printing. She envisioned her garden retreat as a bookbinder's workshop, designed with linear simplicity and maximum windows—indeed, it's a joy to work in natural light.

The interior is stacked with reference books, decorative bindings, specimen butterflies, and other inspiring ephemera—both natural and designed.  

'A Book Binder's Workshop' 

Designer: Vicki Conran, Conran 

'Needlepoint Haven'

Designer: Kaffe Fassett, Kaffe Fasset Studio

London-based American artist Kaffe Fassett is best known for his textiles, needlepoint, and quilts. His garden shed offers spools of thread, skeins of yarn, and bolts of cloth for creative hands to weave while being inspired by the gardens outdoors. 

Mr. Fassett was a painter before he settled on fabrics, a skill that is perhaps belied by his detailed textile designs, many of which draw on flowers, fruits, and foliage as motifs.

'Needlepoint Haven' 

Designer: Kaffe Fassett, Kaffe Fasset Studio

'Wild at Heart at Home'

Designer: Nikki Tibbles, Wild at Heart

Not surprisingly, this retreat was created by a floral designer whose cognoscenti client list includes Gucci, Givenchy, Ralph Lauren, and Harrods. Nikki Tibbles's garden shed is filled with notes of her work—pink and purple accents of foxglove and unexpected flower boxes, plus a carpet of roses arranged as a huge flower. 

Ms. Tibbles filled the interior with soft, cozy accents and vases of roses—living and painted—to coax the outdoor theme indoors. Floral motifs and and a charmingly curious collection of decorative mushrooms and assorted vases give the space a warmth (or is that the woodstove?).

'Wild at Heart at Home' 

Designer: Nikki Tibbles, Wild at Heart

'A Passementerie Passion'

Designer: Annabel Lewis, V. V. Rouleaux 

Annabel Lewis designed her retreat with trimmings and notions from V. V. Rouleaux, her ribbon shop. The shed is a gallery of creative repurposing and ribbon's versatility—Ms. Lewis has fashioned ribbon lampshades and a chandelier of old wire garden baskets.