Fed up of working on the dining room table? Tired of tripping over kids toys? Looking for a quiet haven for artistic pursuits? A way to squeeze in exercise around a busy schedule?
If any of these situations sound familiar to you, then you may be asking yourself ‘how can I upgrade my home to provide extra space and convenience into my life?’.
When it comes to finding this extra space the options are usually to sacrifice the spare bedroom, extend into lofts or garages, or move home entirely.
However there is a simpler, better value solution. Adding a ‘garden room’ is a home upgrade that is becoming increasingly popular with anyone wanting to add extra space without the upheaval and expense associated with the alternative options.
Garden offices, gyms and studios are all becoming a must have for homes where space and quiet moments away from the hubbub of family life is at a premium.
Why choose a garden room?
If you’re weighing up the benefits of adding a garden room to your home there are a number of clear advantages.
- A garden room is a quicker, easier and cheaper way to add space to your home compared to moving or extending.
- Planning permission is rarely required (subject to local council rules), and the whole building process is generally hassle free.
- It’s usable all year round if you add insulation, heating and lighting.
- You can customise size and style to meet your needs and available space.
- For a multifunctional space you can split your garden building into different areas as required.
- No need to nip into the house for teas or trips to the loo, you can simply add a kitchenette and toilets facilities.
Garden Room Ideas
With the ability to alter layout, choose materials and decorate to your taste, the possibilities for a new garden room are endless. But if you’d like a little inspiration as to what is possible please take a look through our portfolio of recent jobs below.
Pool House
This fabulous oak framed, fully glazed and insulated pool house also features:
- Fibre glass sedum green roof
- Kitchenette and toilet
- Loggia area for sun shelter
- Jura beige limestone tiled floor from www.londonstone.co.uk
- Electrics – www.lightingalfresco.co.uk
Garden Gym
A fully equipped garden gym allows a busy dad and business owner to fit in their daily fix of exercise alongside family and career demands.
Clad with cedar and fitted with engineered oak laminate flooring, a gym such as this could easily be tailored to other fitness needs such as a yoga or Pilates studio.
Garden Office
Moving your office outside not only gives you a purpose built space for your PC, paperwork and phones, but also the peace and quiet to concentrate away from the hubbub of normal family home.
This garden office provided our client with the perfect peaceful retreat for work and featured:
- Composite decking cladding from www.envirobuild.com for a low maintenance exterior.
- Full electrics with internet connection.
- Laminate flooring.
Alongside style, some other key decisions you will need to make regarding a garden room are as follows:
Size is important
You don’t want your garden room so big it overpowers your garden entirely, but you don’t want to feel that you are now cramped up in a glorified rabbit hutch. Think about how your needs for space might change over time to make sure you’ve got enough space to meet your needs now and in the future.
Orientation
Whereas an artist’s studio will benefit from lots of sunlight and a great view, a home office resident might find the same levels of sunlight (and heat) too much to handle during the height of summer. At the same time, a cold north-facing corner of the garden might not be the best spot if you are going to spend lots of your day there. Think carefully about how you will use your garden room and plan its position accordingly.
Power up
You will almost certainly want power, but rather than burying cables from the house, these days a self sufficient off grid solar approach may be a better solution. If you need Wi-Fi in your garden room then a repeater might suffice rather than digging up yet more of the garden to bury another cable.
If you are considering adding a garden room, we would also be more than happy to discuss your requirements and provide you with ideas that will suit your needs. Please give us a call or drop us a line on 01628 629720 or ask@thamesvalleylandscapes.co.uk
