Garden Guide To Outdoor Rooms

Date Published:

09/06/2008

There's no better way to make the most of your garden than with a stylish outdoor room. Here's how to plan your own sexier-than-a-shed hideaway.

Credit: Ray Main/ Mainstream Images

Outdoor rooms come in many guises. In its most basic form, it could be little more than a shelter, but with the unpredictable British weather, this is not a solution to be sniffed at. If all you require is a semi-enclosed area for alfresco drinks, you can probably make do with the simplest of structures.

But if you're after a real room with a view, there are also plenty of cool solutions. Most are designed to adapt to a number of uses, including that of a home office. Roald Dahl made do with a cramped shed, rug on knees, fingers poised over the typewriter, but these days you can opt for something more elaborate.

Alternatively, some people devote their outdoor rooms to pure indulgence - how does a spa room grab you? The point is that you can do whatever you want in yours, within reason and space permitting.

Credit: Chris Tubbs/Media 10 Syndication

It might look bespoke, but the smart-looking G-box comes as a flat-pack kit with a choice of window and door types. The big selling point, however, is that it's pre-wired, ready for connection to the electrical mains. We think it makes the perfect home-office hideaway. G-box by Sarah Wigglesworth Architects, approx £35,000.

Andrew Winter: How To Add Value With An Outdoor Room

To add appeal and, most importantly, value to your property, your outdoor room must be dry, warm and have power. If it has a toilet and a shower that's a whole different ball game as it can also be extra accommodation. Just remember that the more elaborate your scheme, the more likely you are to need planning permission. It's difficult to say what value an outdoor room could add to your home, but put it this way, buyers are bound to choose a house with an outdoor room as opposed to a similar property down the street without one.