I am super excited as we embark on our next home project - a garden room!  We have a long 90 foot garden and ever since we moved in to our home three years ago, we’ve always thought a room at the bottom of the garden would be ideal.  We have plenty of space to section off the bottom of the garden and create some sort of annexe. 

We’ve had various ideas of what to use a building for, but ideally we’d like to make a self-catering short stay holiday cabin to rent out on Air BnB or similar.  We’ve toyed with the idea of a compostable toilet and camping style lodge, but we think it will be best to run water pipes to the garden room and even add a portable generator or run electricity to the bottom of the garden.  This will mean we can add a small kitchenette and ensuite shower room. 

Our ideal plan will be to make some extra income from our garden room, but if this is not possible for some reason then it will still be a great family space.  Ben loves woodwork and DIY so wants to build it himself so it’s a great project for him to learn new skills and master the ones he already has.

If we don’t go down the renting it out route, here are five great ways to use a garden room:

Guest bedroom

If, like us, you don’t have an extra bedroom for guests then a garden room is the perfect option.  A garden room with its own toilet and kitchen is even more ideal!  Your family and friends will feel like they’re on holiday every time they stay.  It’s the perfect solution for having your closest to stay, but still retaining your own privacy.

Teenage hideout

As the children grow older and especially once they are teenagers I just know we’ll need more space for them and their friends.  A garden room means we can boot them out of the house and to the bottom of the garden.  I know as a teenager I would have absolutely loved my own private space with my friends away from uncool parents!  It will also be the perfect place for them to host sleepovers.

Gym

I sold my treadmill to turn my home office into a playroom for the children and I really do miss it.  Unfortunately we have nowhere else in the house to home such a large piece of equipment.  A garden room gym would be the perfect solution!  With big sliding or bi-fold doors to keep cool and a view of plants and trees, it would make the perfect gym.  I’d add a cross-trainer, treadmill and perhaps even some decking out front with a hot tub to relax in after!  Perhaps we need to build two garden rooms so I can have a gym too...

Office

A garden office is a great idea for those who work from home.  I often find it hard to separate my work and home life and can be easily distracted by the children or household chores.  Having an office outside of the house, but still close, is a great idea to separate the two.

Summer house

A beautiful summer house at the bottom of the garden with plenty of windows and large open doors, filled with plants and comfy sofas.  A summer house is a place to relax, work, play, host BBQs and really spend time outdoors making the most of a garden.  I love this idea too and can imagine making such a room a plant filled paradise with hammocks and all sorts!

 

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