In the course of our work we see a lot of garden office buildings. We have picked up on a few design elements we keep seeing and thought we would share them with you – they might inspire your garden office project!
Mixed Cladding
Cedar cladding has been the most popular external finish for a garden office for several years. Recently though we have seen garden office designers mix this with other finishes, this might be a paint effect or another material like powder coated aluminium sheets. One of the most common combinations we’ve seen is stained black cladding and natural cedar.
Roof Windows
Roof windows have always been popular in pitched roof garden office designs, but we are seeing them more and more in flat roof designs. There are various ways of creating a roof window – Velux windows, roof lanterns and frameless sheets of glass. Some suppliers use systems operated by remote control which have the glass sliding open – cool! Not only is a roof window a striking design feature, its a clever way of getting more natural light into your office.
Inside / Outside Seating Areas
Verandas running along the front of a garden office have been around since the early days of garden office design. Today though we are seeing garden office designers creating more of an inside / outside seating area. These areas sit alongside the office and because they have a solid roof and wall they provide a sheltered seating area. These seating areas allow you to sit outside even if the weather isn’t great, and really extend the usability of a garden office.
Desk Height Windows
Casement windows like those used in a house have been the traditional option when positioning windows at desk height, but garden office designers are putting a new twist on this with lozenge windows. These rectangular windows are positioned at the same height as the desk and really frame the views of your garden as you work. Its rather like sitting in a plane cockpit. Desk height windows like this are a good idea if you are short on space as you can easily incorporate storage above the windows.
Floor To Ceiling Glazing
Floor to ceiling glazing is perhaps the biggest trend currently in garden office design. This could be just one window or a whole wall or corner of the building. A cost effective way of creating this look is to mix French doors with side light windows alongside. A more expensive option is to use bi-fold doors that can be pulled back to open up the whole wall creating a real connection with your garden.
Garden Office With Shed
More and more garden office buyers are looking for a building that incorporates a storage room. This is normally done very discreetly so that the ‘shed’ element doesn’t stand out. Designers use the same cladding on the door of the shed as is used on the main building making it almost invisible. Specification wise, while your office area has all the bells and whistles internally, the shed area is normally lined with plywood. Creating a building with two uses like this is a good use of space in your garden.
Plywood Interiors
We are seeing a trend with creative buyers for plywood interiors. Large sheets of plywood are being used to finish all elements of the interior – walls, floor and ceiling creating a pared down look and feel. The plywood is chosen for its grain and oiled to bring out the grain detail. Finishes like this takes no prisoners, so takes skill to get right.
Inspired? Take a look at our garden office galleries for more inspiration.