The DIY-loving father transformed an abandoned pigeon shed in his backyard into his incredible man cave, complete with James Bond-style secrets.
Neil Wheatley was a resourceful father-of-4 and decided to renovate the wooden structure from his Jarrow property, just outside Newcastle. It would be a place for him and his family.
The shed was once home to racing Pigeons. It is now fully furnished with a sofa, log-burning stove and its own cooker.
Its most interesting feature, however, is its bookcase secret door which leads into the cabin’s toilet.
To use these facilities, guests will have to improve their intrigue skills as 007-esque. The door opens using a book.
Neil, a 40 year-old sales consultant, explained the inspiration behind the secret door.
An DIY-loving dad transformed an old, battered pigeon shed to create his man cave. It even has a James Bond-style hidden door. Neil Wheatley, father to four children, used the abandoned wooden structure from his Jarrow property near Newcastle as an area for himself and his family.
This shed used to be home for racing pigeons. Now it is fully furnished and has a sofa as well as its own log-burning oven.
Now, the cabin has its own table and wood-burning stove, as well as a sofa and magazines.
Its most interesting feature, however, is the secret bookcase door that leads to the cabin toilet. Because the bookcase secret door opens using a book, guests will need to be able to invent their own 007-esque tricks of intrigue to access the bathroom.
The toilet is located inside the bookcase. It has all been tiled with wooden panels, and the seat of the plastic toilet.
Neil’s family uses the man cave, along with his four children, at Neil’s Jarrow allotment site near Newcastle.
“The original idea was to just put a door in the tiny toilet cubicle. But it turned out that this was too boring.
“So, by making the book shelf door we were able to keep privacy for the bathroom but maximize storage space.
It was then that the door would open. Although it took some effort, the experience was worthwhile. It was important to me that it stood out.
Neil constructed the unique door by using wood pallets and wire. A hook, a wire and a metal piece were used for the latch.
Neil has a beautiful allotment in Jarrow. The shed was once occupied by racing pigeons. It is now home to his family.
The original purpose of the cabin was to store racing pigeons. It has been converted into a comfortable space that Neil can enjoy with his family.
The resourceful father has spent £1,200 on his beloved man cave so far. To ensure that the shed remains watertight, the father spent PS1,200 on a roof replacement and exterior cladding.
Neil was able to reuse and recycle all other items in order to cut costs. Windows, flooring and kitchen cabinets were donated by his friends.
The resourceful father has spent £1,200 on his beloved man cave so far. The shed now has a waterproof roof.
Neil managed to recycle and upcycle everything in an effort to reduce costs. Windows, flooring, and kitchen units were all donated by his friends.
His words were: “I have four children, and I wanted to make something that would be entertaining and exciting for them. Therefore, building something simple was impossible.”
He spoke about his reconstructed cabin and said that he had four children and was looking to create something fun for them. So, building something simple was not going to work.
Neil explained that Neil wanted the shed to provide a warm, comfortable place for his family to gather together.
Neil said: ‘If we are working on the allotment and the kids just want to chill out, there’s plenty of space for them to do that, and in the summer, we can just hang out, have a BBQ and enjoy the weather.’
It has its own wood burning stove. Neil said: ‘I think the main thing is there is no limit to your imagination, things might not be built to perfection in some people’s eyes, but I can look at things like the bookcase and say to myself I created that.
Neil can now have his family in a comfortable space while visiting his Jarrow site near Newcastle.
“The shed is a place where we can spend our time as a family, and it’s warm and cozy.
If we’re working on our allotment or the kids want to just chill, they have plenty of space. In summer, however, it’s possible to just relax and enjoy the great weather.
“I believe the most important thing about the internet is that you can create anything.
“It took a few tries to get the size right so that the book opened correctly. I tried different things and it worked. But, this is how you learn.