10 Of The Best Garden Room Ideas To Inspire

Extra space in most homes would be a welcome asset, but a loft or kitchen extension may not always be possible. So, it could be time to break with the usual solutions to growing a property and head outside. From luxury garden sheds to a fully-fledged extra guest room in the garden, open up your options by re-thinking your outdoor spaces.

1. Designing a Sanctuary

Your garden room is likely to have two key advantages: privacy and quiet. So, it’s an ideal opportunity to use it for something indulgent, be that ‘me’ space just for your record collection or a rather grand reading nook or a man cave. Start with your requirements then plan your structure. How do you want to feel in it? Relaxed, inspired, focussed? How much light will it need? For example, a painting studio needs more than a music room. So, to get that level of comfort, you’ll need to manage the heat in the summer and cold in the winter, and the natural and artificial light throughout the seasons and the day.

2. Different Types of Garden Room

One of the best things about a garden room is that you can choose the type of structure you want, including cost and commitment. You can look to get planning permission for a more permanent structure or consider the wide range of neat garden pods or small garden rooms. Often made from wood/glass they can feel secure but are also moveable so don’t come under the same planning rules. Eco garden rooms can use small wood burning stoves or natural insulation to make them a self-sufficient small haven with little maintenance or running costs. So, think beyond the draughty shed when you start researching.

3. Practical Ways to Decorate Your Garden Room

Garden room designs need to put usage at the heart of the planning. If you want an area to be a more indoor/outdoor space to do yoga with a sauna attached, or have large windows that open up onto a deck, consider that you may need furniture for garden rooms with fabrics and finishes that can take damp (such as water-resistant seat cushions). If you’re looking for furniture for small spaces try and choose items that are flexible, like a desk with a section that pulls out to extend for larger work projects, or a day bed rather than a sofa, so it can be used for house guests.

4. Decorating a Garden Home Office

A home office in the garden is the dream of many a freelance or home worker. Home working has become such a common trend that there are many bespoke garden office solutions to choose from. Contemporary offices that are well insulated and heated (go solar panelled to be totally self-sufficient) are a great alternative to the kitchen table and the disturbance of family life that comes with it. Lighting is key here; blinds for garden rooms need to allow for the changing direction of the sun, to stop you from being blinded at noon but make the most of any available light at other times in the day. Look at our Twist® range for ideas on how to manage light and privacy throughout the day. A wifi signal booster and good locks are also important if your home office contains computer equipment. Roller blinds you can pull down at the end of the day to obscure the view inside are also a useful simple deterrent.

5. Creating a Garden Gym

Home gym equipment can be cumbersome and clutter up the home. It’s also not that inspiring working away in a spare bedroom facing a wall. So, when planning a garden room gym, try and consider the best way to bring the location into the experience. An exercise bike that looks onto the greenery or glass doors that fully retract to allow training on an outside space, such as yoga in the garden or a working on a rowing machine in the fresh air are the best ways to have an inside and outside gym. (No excuses for bad weather though).

6. How to Design a Teen Garden Den

All parents must sometimes wish for a teen room that is near enough to keep an eye on teens but far enough to give them privacy; the garden room a clear win for both here. A kid’s garden room needs to follow the teen room design requirements you might have in the main house. Places to lounge such as low level sofas or large floor cushions, an entertainment system for films or games such as ceiling projector and a cupboard and small fridge for sodas to stop them tramping mud into the kitchen in search of snacks. And if you really want peace and quiet, make sure you build a soundproof garden room. For your sake and for the neighbours.

7. Day Beds & Furniture

There’s something about a day bed that says understated luxury. Remember though, good design means form follows function – so plan what you want from your space before taking up valuable flooring space. Perhaps your new conservatory or garden room opens out onto a stained deck or patio, creating an inside/outside illusion to be enjoyed in high summer. Outdoor patterned tiles might blend seamlessly into your indoor flooring design, continuing a theme complemented by carefully chosen garden room furniture. Choose some elegant coverings and suddenly, a clever use of limited space can turn into a talking point.

8. Connecting Interior & Exterior

Connecting interior design inside and out can tricky, but a few clever choices make the transition seem more natural. When considering sunroom designs opt for large windows to let in plenty of light and greenery, then continue the theme inside with real succulents and large indoor plants. Choose plants that don’t need much water and you won’t have to worry that your décor will wilt, either.

Your garden room décor should be leafy and light-filled, letting simple materials like solid exterior French doors or black bifold doors (pictured) provide solid, clean lines. Throw in some rattan furniture and you’re good to go – even better when the sun does decide to come out, and you can throw open the garden room doors to reveal an oasis just outside…

9. Make it Usable All Day

All these ideas are well and good, but garden room lighting can be problematic without a little planning. Aggressive daylight can make a perfectly good garden office unusable during the day, but simple measures, like fitting a stylish awning, can keep the sun at bay. PowerView® blinds can help keep the room insulated and shield computer screens for freelancers trying to get ahead (or watch a little daytime TV undisturbed – we won’t tell if you won’t), then lifted as the sun goes down to add some natural light.

As evening falls, solar deck lights (for outside) can look stylish glinting through your garden room’s large windows, and you could consider a conservatory ceiling fan light for the summer months, too. While garden room decorating ideas are plentiful, practicality is key.

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10. Make Use Of What You Have

Inherited a glass conservatory and want to make it a more integrated part of the home? Analyse your utmost needs and dress the space accordingly – the beauty of contemporary glass sunrooms being their versatility. Do you have young children who need more play space? A large garden room can house shelving for toys (and provide out-of-the-way floor space for race tracks). Desperate for more storage? This is where clever extension design ideas come into play – built-in wooden storage benches and shelving can make great use of a transitional space. Better yet, a small garden room can become a serene reading or pottery space (no kids allowed). We can’t think of a better use for an indoor outdoor room come rain or shine…