Adding a garden office

Quite often clients come to me because they have added a garden office to their property. This is normally a pre-purchased building which they have installed in the corner of their garden.

These days with remote working it is possible to work from home at least some of the time. The market in garden offices, studios, or pods has been steadily increasing especially during and since lockdown. Finding the right one of the right size and shape is important, my advice would be to make sure it is well insulated against heat and cold because uninsulated ones are not usable in very hot or cold weather.

The landscape challenge with most garden offices is being able to have them integrated into the garden be it a small town garden or a large country garden. Changing a number of things can help. Firstly access needs to be right. Often increasing paving or decking or creating separate paving areas by the side or front of new offices is the answer. Somewhere to take a coffee or lunch break. No one wants to have to swop shoes to go from their house to their office so a well connected paths or linked decking is often the answer so you can keep your slippers on!

Then soft landscaping and planting needs to be related to the overall garden so the introduction of planting around a building can soften it and make it look like it is meant to be there and not just plonked!

Services such as internet and electric lighting need considering. Often garden offices double as another use in the evening such as a gym or extra sleeping space for guests so night time security is important. As is the selection of furniture inside. A sofa bed is ideal for occasional use. Zoning space and choosing the right desk is as important for one day as everyday to avoid back and neck issues.

If you are interested in getting a garden office and want help on location or integration then do get in touch. Here are some photos of work in progress on various garden office projects.