For many of us a garden room is the dream, allowing us to extend our living space outdoors and create a sanctuary where we can relax and unwind. A garden room tends to be one of the biggest outlays, so you’ll need our garden room ideas to inspire you in your search for the right design.
It makes life easy if you have a specific purpose in mind. If you love the idea of creating a dedicated space to pursue your favorite activities, whether that’s mindfulness, yoga, or working out, or perhaps hosting in a space that’s specially styled up for the purpose, then choosing modern garden ideas that work for you is more straightforward.
Now find inspiration with our expert-led garden room ideas, which cover suggestions for everything from outdoor WFH spaces and games rooms to innovative designs like grill lodges and glass reading rooms (with the last one a big favorite with the team here).
1. Design a Multi-Purpose Space
This dream garden room ticks all the boxes with space for a living area, WFH office, bathroom, and integrated storage.
(Image credit: French + Tye)
The concept behind this bespoke garden room design was to introduce a modern structure rooted in simplicity and sustainability that mirrored the detail and clean lines of the main home. The result is a sleek and contemporary garden room that slots perfectly into its surroundings.
“Charred timber Yakisugi cladding, a sedum roof and bifold doors were introduced to enable an instant connection with the natural surroundings,” explains garden room expert James Home, founder of Okopod. ”The multi-use space had to incorporate a living room area, work-from-home office, bathroom and integrated storage.
“We opted for birch plywood walls and extremely innovative waterproof Creo laminate floor from Quick-Step to fit with the Scandi-inspired aesthetic.” Every detail has been considered with sustainability and durability in mind. The garden room is built on Okopod’s zero-concrete, raft foundation system, which enables rapid installation while minimising environmental impact.
James Home is the founder of Okopod, an innovative specialist in modular buildings located in Cambridge, UK. Founded in 2019 James wanted to build contemporary, premium garden rooms, sustainably and more efficiently than anyone else.
2. Aim for a Look That’s Harmonious With Nature
This garden room nestles so naturally into the garden setting it feels like it’s been there for ever.
(Image credit: Marcus Gilbert Studio)
“This garden room is integrated into a contemporary, staggered parterre, and sunk within naturalistic planting overlooking a reflective pond,” says the garden’s designer Lynne Marcus. “The ‘journey’ to the garden room is through staggered gravel paths or over a boardwalk by the pond.”
Settled into a secluded space surrounded by planting, huge windows bring the garden into the room. An airy screen of planting includes ornamental grasses such as Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Mill End’, with its tall and airy good looks, and dark and plummy Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Lady in Red’.
The sustainable Kebony cladding quietly links the garden room to the boardwalk, decking and cladding on the exterior of the house for a seamless look.
Lynne Marcus has been designing gardens for over 20 years. Her extensive portfolio includes contemporary, traditional, formal and naturalistic gardens and landscapes of all sizes, both in the UK and abroad. Lynne offers innovative design solutions that transform outdoor spaces. She has recently rebranded her practice, bringing in her son Matthew, to create Marcus Gilbert Studio. Lynne is a Fellow of the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers.
3. Find a Neat WFH Option
Working from home never looked so good.
(Image credit: Green Retreats)
The best garden room ideas will always include an option for working from home. If you’ve been browsing ideas for interior home offices but haven’t yet found ‘the one’ try refocusing your search and instead extending your living space with a purpose-built office space outdoors.
“This compact garden office built by Green Retreats was designed for a couple who both work from home and wanted to maximise the available space in their small garden,” explains garden designer Eve Hacking.
The brief was to create the dream combination of a well-functioning garden around a modern garden room for WFH with low-maintenance planting and a sunny seating area.
“The clients chose a modern garden room and the design linked the new office to the house via a decorative patio space with bistro seating area,’ explains Eve. “A modern planting scheme enclosed all areas to offer scent and color all year round.”
Eve Hacking is founder of Eve Hacking Garden Design. She works on projects across the UK and further afield, collaborating with local landscapers to deliver crafted gardens. Eve believes in the importance of beautiful and practical garden solutions that work for each individual client.
Tom Dixon
Groove Arm Chair
4. Try a Scandi-Style Grill Lodge
The concept known as a ‘Kota’ or ‘Grillikota’ originates from Scandinavia, and means providing a warm and inviting place for cooking and socialising.
(Image credit: Chris Deakin Garden Design)
If you want to go for something different a grill lodge for year-round entertaining is one of the most inspired garden room ideas we’ve come across.
This beautiful lodge was built amongst a number of established trees, giving the site a woodland feel. “Its green canopy with areas of dappled sunlight creates a restful atmosphere,” explains garden designer Chris Deakin.
“I was asked to create a garden for outdoor living that fully utilised this peaceful space with a grill lodge integrated into the lush, textural garden design. Nestling it within thick planting gave it a cosy, sheltered feel.”
The lodge creates opportunities for gathering around an open fire grill whilst being inside and it can be used year round, extending the outdoor entertaining season.
Chris Deakin believes that garden design should extend the home well beyond the house, creating a seamless transition from home to garden. From small urban courtyard gardens to luxury rooftop spaces to beautiful residential garden landscapes and grand country estates, Chris puts his clients and their stories at the heart of the garden design process.
Adezz Forno
Adezz Forno Cosa Plancha Grill
5. Include a Garden Yoga Sanctuary for Mindful Escapes
Keep things simple and uncluttered in a garden room for activities like yoga, pilates, mindfulness, and journaling.
(Image credit: Green Retreats)
“There is a real trend for reinventing garden rooms as wellness retreats, and yoga sanctuaries are the standout favorite,” says Olivia Martin, an interior designer at Berberorugs LLC. “This is more than just functional space, it’s an emotional refuge from the noise of everyday life.”
Olivia recommends using soft tones, natural wood, and organic textures, together with floor-to-ceiling windows or sliding doors that beckon light and nature to create a serene space.
A yoga room in the garden provides a perfect place for quiet meditation, stretching, or journalling, without the intrusion of digital distractions or gym-like energy.
Olivia Martin is an interior designer at Berberorugs LLC, where she merges classic craftsmanship with modern living. Olivia works with clients to turn everyday spaces into soulful, functional retreats that reflect their personal style. Garden rooms are her favorite design challenge as they offer so much freedom for creativity.
Yogamatters
Yogamatters Hemp Restorative Yoga Kit
6. Max Up Available Space With a Games Room
Size is everything if you want a games room.
(Image credit: Ian Scott Photography. Design: Heartwood Garden Design)
If you have a big enough outdoor area games-themed garden room ideas where you can relax with friends and family are an ideal use of the space. This design has room to accommodate several sofas, a pool table and a small bar.
“This was a sizeable town garden with plenty of space for a garden room,” explains garden designer Judy Shardlow. “A feature this large will always be center stage so creating something with strong lines and visual drama was key. A dark composite exterior blended with recycled granite paving from an original patio and multi-tonal cedar vertical battens provide solid simplicity.”
The visual impact of the garden room is carefully balanced by the scale and drama of the soft landscaping elements, which need to have equally strong lines and visual impact. The garden room is anchored within a dramatic sweeping curve of lawn, paths and planted borders.
Judy Shardlow is a qualified garden designer with a diploma in Garden Design from Capel Manor School of Garden Design and a diploma in Planting Design from the London College of Garden Design. Judy has won Royal Horticultural Society and BALI Awards for her work.
Jaques London
Folding Chess Board
7. Work Out in Your Own Dedicated Gym Space
This garden room gym features distinctive redwood cladding paired with a graphite facia for a modern, timeless look.
(Image credit: Green Retreats)
The demand for the latest home gym ideas continues to soar, with a dedicated fitness space guaranteed to add value to your property. Meanwhile, advancements in customizable home-gym technology are taking equipment up to the next level, too. Plus, of course, the commute to the gym is oh so easy.
The inspiration behind this garden gym design was to create a private, purpose-built space that makes fitness part of everyday life, without the barriers of travel, time, or crowded gyms. It offers a beautiful, accessible environment that fits seamlessly into the home setting.
Wolf and Badger
Gym Dumbbells 1.5 Kilo Piece
8. Add a Whimsical Treehouse
This charming treehouse has a pulley system for hoisting up essentials, a bespoke fold-up bed to save space, and a log burner for cosy evenings.
(Image credit: Studio Loci Design)
This dreamy treehouse design is a garden room with a difference, a habitable space suspended in the trees. Designed with a rustic character, it uses hand-crafted and reclaimed materials to evoke a weathered, time-worn feel. The structure is fully insulated and waterproof, allowing for year-round use.
“The treehouse was such a wonderful project to bring to life,” says Nigel Prince, director at Studio Loci. “Built almost entirely from recycled materials, it’s a playful nod to a weathered Midwestern shack nestled in the English countryside. Reclaimed decking, pine cladding, and greenheart skimmings come together to give the treehouse its aged, lived-in feel.”
It’s a perfect example of how creative design, sustainable materials and a bit of imagination can turn new garden room ideas into something full of character and old charm.
Nigel Prince is a director at Studio Loci. The central ethos of Studio Loci is one of ‘whole system’ design involving the combined disciplines of landscape architecture, urban design, architecture, environmental sciences, engineering and the arts.
9. Surround Yourself With Plants
Set up a garden room as a lifestyle space where you can immerse yourself in plants, as well as grow them.
(Image credit: Gabriel Ash)
Think flexibly and make garden room spaces multi-purpose. We love the idea of a greenhouse, for example, that’s big enough to act as an informal area for relaxing or dining while surrounded by pots of growing plants. What a great way to enjoy being outside if it’s raining, for example, so you can still make the most of your garden.
“We’re seeing a growing trend in the multi-use of our greenhouses,” says Iain Cumming of Gabriel Ash. “While still being the perfect environment to grow plants, more people are choosing a larger structure that can be used as part greenhouse and part lifestyle space, whether that’s for hosting or relaxing.”
Iain Cumming oversees daily operations and sustainable production for Gabriel Ash. His hands-on leadership and commitment to innovation help maintain the company’s reputation for excellence in the greenhouse industry.
10. Retreat Into Nature With a Reading Room
This is a place of calm for reading and reflection.
(Image credit: Unique Homestays)
As garden room ideas go, this one is pretty much up there with the very best. Who wouldn’t love to while away the afternoon with a good book in this beautiful spot?
The glass box reading room has been designed to seemingly float above a large wild pond. With glass on three sides, the room acts as a window to the world, created in this way to capitalize on the light and views across the water.
Its suspension over the pond allows a reflex-angle view into nature, with the water mirroring the trees and sky above. A central log burner, a stack of logs, and a single chaise keep this purpose-built space simple, with the log burner incorporated to give the garden room year-round appeal.
La Redoute
Gorman 8-Compartment Bookcase
11. Turn Your Garden Room Into a Guest House
What better way to invite family and friends over than to create a garden roo
For a clever garden room idea, why not convert yours into a guest house? Perfect for housing family and friends during those cozy summer nights.
This garden room, designed by London-based architects De Rosee Sa draws in a warm feel as you look into the space. The deep blue walls and lighter-hued ceiling create a welcoming atmosphere for guests. The guest room also features an open-plan living area as well as a kitchen.
12. Take a Dip in Your Pool House
Grab a drink, because it’s time to sit by the pool house.
(Image credit: Jenifer McNeil Baker. Design: Maestri Studio)
Do you want to take a dive into your pool? Then why not extend your space and create your very own pool house? Pool houses are a great way to unwind, sip on your favorite drink, and embrace the sunshine.
Creating a pool house with a roof is a great way to get some shade, too, once the sun comes out to play. This pool house
Always Sunday
Candy Stripe Ring Pool Floats
FAQs
Do I Need Planning Permission for a Garden Room?
Generally you do not need planning permission for a garden room. “From a practical standpoint, these rooms typically do not need planning permission when they fall within certain height and usage restrictions,” says Olivia Martin.
No planning permission is needed as long as the garden room is within the permitted height regulations for your local area, there is no sleeping accommodation within the building, and the building is presumed to be within permitted development. But it’s always a good idea to check with your local planning team.
Is It Cheaper to Buy or Build a Garden Room?
In terms of whether it’s cheaper to buy or build a garden room, this very much depends on the project you have in mind. You can pick up a budget garden room online as well as having one made that falls within the cheaper end of the range.
“Although prefabricated garden room ideas may be cheaper, a tailored build mean that your surroundings are refined, encouraging relaxation and quality of use over time,” says Olivia Martin.
Now you have plenty of inspiration for garden rooms discover more urban gardening ideas that will make even busy city spaces feel like a retreat.