Room with a view

This month we revisit the ongoing trend for garden rooms. They've been around for quite a while now but their popularity really soared during the lockdowns of 2020 and they continue to be a sought-after garden element. Just to clarify what we mean by garden room: simply defined it's a stand-alone structure, not physically connected to the home, providing views across or into your garden unlike a conservatory which is typically attached to the property. Although highly desirable, the old adage 'you get what you pay for' really applies here: from a low-budget garden shed room to one complete with kitchen, toilet, electrics, air con and heating. So, budget constraints aside, what else should you consider when weighing up the pros and cons of installing a room in your garden?



After budget, size is the key thing to consider. Though directly linked to cost, the size of your proposed garden room will determine if planning permission is required or not. Generally, garden rooms can be built without planning permission so long as the structure is no higher than 2.5m and does not take up more than 50% of the total garden space. Additional requirements may apply in areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) and you also need to make sure you are leaving enough clearance to neighbouring boundaries, not least because it's always sensible to allow space for airflow and future maintenance but again, depending on its size, there may be limitations on your building's proximity to boundaries.

 

The next big consideration is what you will you use it for: gym, home office, artist's studio etc. Seems pretty obvious but you'd be surprised how often the 'if we build it, they will come' approach is taken to garden rooms. Design-wise, it's a key part of the decision-making process. It may be simply a case of keeping up with the Joneses but it's worth asking yourself why you want one, who's going to use it, how and when. Answers to these questions will likely affect the size of room too. It can be a very expensive waste of money if it goes unused, or is so far away from the main house that it can be a bit of a trek or is unusable for more than half the year due to lack of lighting and heating.



With the primary purpose of the room established, we can now look at another key consideration: where should it be located? This is where speaking to your garden designer early on can really help resolve questions such as 'what will be the primary view/focal points? how do I get to it ie do I need a purpose made path? does the room need to be (partially) screened from view in any way: this could be important if going for a dual purpose workshop/storage building for example. Considering these questions will ensure the garden room is positioned optimally in your garden space. Last but not least, think about its style (modern v traditional) and build material choice (eg western red cedar v a composite alternative) and how the style contrasts or complements that of the main house.