There haven't been too many winners emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. But, alongside Zoom quizzes, Tiger King and Joe Wicks' annoying voice, self-build garden rooms started popping up everywhere during the UK's various lockdowns. But, unlike the first two things we just mentioned, garden rooms are here to stay (unfortunately for anyone with ears, Joe Wicks doesn't look like he's going anywhere either).
The great thing about building your own garden room is that there are so many possibilities. You could go for the standard garden office, or you might opt for something wacky that satisfies the child inside. The dreaming stage is the best part of the process, as it allows you to fire up the imagination and be creative.
However, not everyone is the creative type. And even the most bohemian among us might find their creative juices lacking somewhat after a full day of work or looking after the kids. That's why we're here to give you a little nudge in the right direction.
Here are 5 ideas for a garden room that will impress your friends, add value to your property and, crucially, result in something that you and your family can treasure for decades.
Garden Office
Sigh. Yes, this is the boring option. But it would be remiss of us not to include a garden office in a list of ideas for your garden room. And let's remember that remote working is something that will continue long after the pandemic, and there's no better place to work from home than in your own little space at the bottom of the garden.
But yeah, it's not the most exciting idea. We promise the rest of the suggestions on this list will be more interesting.
Cinema
With the addition of a few chairs, a projector, a big screen and a popcorn machine, you can transform a boring garden room into a personal cinema, where you're free to make as much or as little noise as you like.
The best thing about building your own garden cinema is that it doesn't matter if you're a social recluse or you have four kids. If you're the former, you can escape the world by having your own little movie shack. If you're the latter, you can watch the delight on your kid's faces as they watch Frozen Sing-Along for the eighth time in a row (okay, you might have to smile through the pain on that one).
Love Shack
Are you fed up with your kids knocking on the door and interrupting your once-in-a-blue-moon lovemaking session with your partner? Are you looking for a place where you can pretend they don't exist? Well, forget about dumping them at Grandma's and staying at a hotel you can't afford; the bottom of the garden is now the place to be. And if little Jimmy asks where Mummy and Daddy went for those long two minutes, you can just say you were out gardening.
Or, if your marriage is deader than a doornail, it can serve as a separate bedroom. Who says garden rooms can't be flexible?
Yoga Room
This one's for you hippies and Old Man Gerald, who hasn't been able to rotate his hips since 1978.
We know absolutely nothing about yoga, so we're stumped for what to write here. Downward-Facing Dog and all that, innit.
Pub
Just imagine:
It's late June. Summer is here and COVID restrictions are becoming a distant memory. England are playing Germany in the Round of 16 at the Euros. Instead of desperately trying to find a seat in a packed-out pub, you invite your mates over to The Garden Arms to watch the match. The game ends in a draw, but England win on penalties. As the winning kick hits the net, everyone inside your little garden pub goes mental, and the party carries on all night.
We might as well end the list there. It's not getting any better than that.
Final Words
Now, we didn't just provide you with three minutes of entertainment and inspiration out of the goodness of our hearts. We're a business, so we have to sell stuff to put food on the table and a love shack in the garden.
At Made Of Bits, we combine traditional joinery methods with state-of-the-art CNC technology to build timber frames for garden rooms, glamping pods and pretty much any other structure. Below is a frame design we recently did for a garden room client, and this has since been built and delivered.
So, if you're thinking of building your own garden room, even if it's just going to be a garden office, give us a call on 07557 435164, or drop us an email at hello@madeofbits.co.uk. In the meantime, feel free to have a browse of some completely unrelated projects we've worked on, and take a look at our Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram pages. We look forward to hearing from you.