Planning a garden office or outdoor room

Planning a garden office or outdoor room

Have you started thinking about putting a garden office or outdoor room in your back garden?

If not, you’re definitely going to want to once you’ve seen what you can do with one. These types of outdoor spaces can be a whole lot of fun, or places of work, or even great gathering spaces.

Planning a garden office or outdoor roomBut a lot of people don’t even recognise all of the great things that they can do with a new space like this.

Here at The Idealist we’re dreaming about the spring and summer ahead, and we’d just love a garden room to head to on our way to work!

What is a Garden Office or Outdoor Room for?

Planning a garden office or outdoor room
A meditation space

Your New Garden Room or Yoga Studio

Do you love gardening? You’re definitely going to love having your own gardening studio where you can set up all of your tools and even have your own little greenhouse if you like.

You can have plenty of plants and a nice little oasis to take care of them in. You can also turn the space into a yoga studio, complete with space for your sun salutations and meditation all day. Having a little space outside of the house can be perfect for this because there is no noise or other disturbances that you’ll definitely find in your home.

You might also like: Zen Spaces for Yoga and Meditation

Your New Gym

Another great option that you can put to work with your garden room is creating a gym.

Similar to having your own yoga studio, it will allow you to set up a space that doesn’t have to be moved or torn down again and also that will be quiet. You don’t have to worry about disturbing the rest of the family or about them disturbing you because you’ll have your own space where everything can be as loud as you need (since that equipment and that motivational Ibiza megamix definitely isn’t quiet).

Planning a garden office or outdoor room

Your New Garden Office Workspace

If you want to be able to work from home but don’t really like the idea of being ‘in’ the home then you’ll love a separate garden office.

This gives you the freedom to set your own hours, be your own boss and even be around for your family when they need you. But having a separate building to work from also means that you’re going to be a little more focused on your work. (How many of us get distracted by housework or children when we’re actually working in our own home?) You’ll also be able to set up your new garden office just the way you want without having to worry about someone else (AKA your little ones) coming in and moving things around.

Planning a garden office or outdoor room

Your New Hobby or Music Space

Have you got a novel inside you burning to get out? Have you got a teenage son with a proclivity for snare drums and cymbals, or DJ mixing, or a wife who’s always wanted to learn the saxophone since Lisa Simpson was her childhood hero?

How about giving them and you their own space (and some peace) by taking a leaf from Virginia Woolf’s book and considering A Room of One’s Own?

Do Your Homework

Unfortunately, you might run into some problems setting up your new space depending on things like your budget, your neighbours and your neighbourhood.

Make sure that you are looking at all of the rules and regulations in your area before you get your heart set on your new garden office, because some areas (such as conservation areas) just don’t allow these types of free-standing buildings. And of course you need to own the garden you are planning to build in! Some areas will also restrict the size of the building, so make sure you know all of these things before you start the planning process.

Make sure you’re fully aware of your budget when it comes to setting up a new building as well. You want it to be nice and to work for your ideal purpose, after all, so you definitely want to make sure that you know how much you can afford and how you want to allocate that budget.

Once you’ve figured that out you can start working on things like the overall design. Make your special space look like you’ve always wanted and check out some of your options as well.

Planning a garden office or outdoor roomMaking Your Garden Office Right For You

One great option is with Crown Pavilions, who actually have some really stylish and versatile garden rooms.

You can create them to help showcase your own personality and preferences as well as making sure that they fit your design requirements and your budget. You can also check out a lot of other options and successful builds  here.

If you’re looking for something that you can put up extremely quickly and be ready to use right away then Modular 105 is another great option. They can get you a building that looks unique and reflects your purpose but they do it in just one day.

Plus, it’s a modular building, which means that you can take it back down and move it somewhere else if you want to. Prices range from around £5,000-32,000.

A shepherd’s hut is another option that you can get from Riverside with a variety of different options and great designs. They’ve actually built huts that work as schools, B&Bs, a mini store and even just places to relax or have guests over. There are so many options that you can get here that you’re definitely going to want to check it out for yourself and start dreaming about your own shepherd’s hut. Sheep, shepherds and other such ephemera not necessary!

If you have the space and the budget, there’s no reason your garden needs to be without a garden office or shepherd’s hut going into 2017.

They’re so versatile and so much fun and especially if you have a growing family, you’re definitely going to wish you’d had one sooner.

Planning a garden office or outdoor room

Image Courtesy
Man working from home (c) rawpixel, businesswoman entrepreneur (c) warrengoldswain, old wooden shed (c) dorazett">dorazett, meditating woman (c) boyarkinamarina /123RF Stock Photo

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