Chances are, you, or someone you live with, have had to adapt to working from home or hybrid working. And while working from home has its perks, we've found it can be difficult to separate home and work life. Especially if your working-from-home setup isn't ideal. You might be working up to the dining room table, from a desk in clear view from the sofa, or struggling with the distractions of home life. We've got a solution: a garden office.
If you want to create an idyllic working-from-home environment and have the space to do so, a garden office can help restore balance to your work and home life. Plus, it can give you the privacy you need, and increase your home value.
We've provided a complete guide to building your own garden office with everything you need to know in one place.
How do I begin to build my own garden office?
First comes the hardest and most expensive task, building an office in your garden.
Some of you may know someone who works in the building trade. If so, why not shop local? Shopping local for construction businesses can help support local businesses. Plus, it might save you money, too.
As for the basic materials that are needed at this stage, such as concrete plates, bricks, and other materials for the frame of the structure, make sure to have a look around for the most cost-effective suppliers. The likes of Gumtree and Facebook marketplace are a good place to start!
However, if you’re looking for a simpler solution, you can choose a pre-made garden room from one of the following. Just make sure to measure your allocated garden space before buying and have the foundations ready, whether that’s a level paved patio or an area of concrete for a sturdy base. When buying your garden office building, the manufacturer will often list the required foundations needed.
What is a garden pod?
Chic and perfect for blending into your garden, a garden pod creates an extra living space in your garden. Rounded and mostly made from tinted but transparent polycarbonate, these striking beauties are happy to take centre stage. Here, you can work 'inside', sheltered from the elements, while enjoying a 360-degree view of your gorgeous garden.
They come fully equipped with heating, lighting, and an optional USB point. So, they make a useful garden office from the get-go. Their versatile circular shape is easy to position and with a range of sizes available, they can sit comfortably in the smallest of plots. The base for your garden pod will need to be around 30cm deep and roughly 60cm wider on all sides than the base. But, make sure to check the manufacturer’s product specification as measurements may vary.
Due to the glazed, transparent exterior and built-in furnishings, you’ll be limited in your options for decoration. However, you can still personalise the stylish sphere with cushions, throws, and table centrepieces.
Here’s a selection of garden pods to buy.
But, you can check out these and more by reading our garden pod buyers guide.
The best garden pods for a garden office - UK 2022
www.johnlewis.com
This pod gives you everything you'll need from a garden office; 360-degree panoramic views of your beautiful garden, ambient interior lighting, a 700W heater, electric socket, and an adjustable coffee-to-dining table with luxurious seating, ideal for working in comfort.
In fact, this pod seats up to eight guests, so if you end up going back to the office, you can use this pod for garden parties and entertaining. This futuristic pod is designed with spruce timber arcs and a stainless steel exterior that will deflect the summer heat - no greenhouse effect here - and is fully waterproof and stain and mould-resistant.
Dimensions: H2.2m x W2.9m x D2.4m; Base is 2.1m
Pros:
Ambient interior lighting
700W heater
Fully waterproof
Cons:
360 views may not suit every garden
Guarantee: 10-year guarantee
Customer Review: “A lovely addition to our garden. We’re very happy with our new summerhouse pod. It looks fantastic and is deceptively spacious. We’re very impressed with the speed and efficiency of the two lads who carried out the work.”
www.johnlewis.com
If you're after a pod with a little more space that's not just dedicated to seating, the Farmer's Cottage Medium Garden Summerhouse Pod packs all the benefits of the Farmer's Cottage Oval Garden Summerhouse Pod, and more!
This pod can seat up to 10 guests, comes with a 1200W heater, electric socket and Bluetooth speaker, and a fully adjustable table that can become a small tabletop, coffee table, and larger tabletop ideal for a large working-from-home setup.
An added perk of this pod is the ability to create your own interior. With the supplier's design team, you can customise the colour of the interior seating to match your preferences.
Dimensions: H2.3m x W2.98m x D2.98m; 3m Diameter
Pros:
Seats up to 10 guests
1200W heater
Electric socket and Bluetooth speaker
Cons:
None.
Guarantee: 10-year guarantee
www.cuckooland.com
Looking for a larger office space for multiple people to work? With space for up to 14 guests, the Ornate Garden Large Oval House Garden Pod comes with comfy cushioned sofas (customisable with a choice of six colours) and two separate tables at each end.
As well as offering more space, it also provides home workers with embedded ceiling LED lights, an electric socket, heating and Bluetooth connectivity, and lockable French doors so you can keep your files and office equipment safely stored under lock and key. Plus, you can slide up and over five of the polycarbonate windows, perfect if you want to enjoy the garden more in the summer months.
Dimensions: H2.2m x W4.6m x D2.4m
Pros:
Lockable French door entrance
Embedded ceiling LED lights
Luxurious water-resistant interior
Cons:
It may be too big for some gardens
www.cuckooland.com
For a seriously chic garden office, look no further than the Ornate Garden Grande Deluxe Chic Garden Pod. It's not as large as the Ornate Garden Large Oval House Garden Pod but it does have large, sumptuous sofas for seating up to 12 guests that you can personalise to your taste with a choice of 17 colours.
It comes with lockable French doors, Bluetooth, ambient interior lighting, and an adjustable tabletop, but if you have the money to splash, you can upgrade your pod to include remote table adjustments, infinity lighting, and add quilted stitching to your cushions for extra comfy working.
Dimensions: H2.5m x W3.35m x D3.35m
Pros:
Seating capacity for up to twelve guests
Easy clean interior, stain and mould resistant
Create your own interior
Cons:
None.
Customer Review: “Great quality and fitting experience.”
What is a garden room?
For something a little more traditional, you can buy prefabricated garden offices with a choice of sizes, shapes, and specs available to meet your budget and needs.
The top-quality garden rooms are often built with modern pressure-treated wooden slates. Plus, they're designed to withstand the elements and reduce the likelihood of rot. Additionally, they can also have fixtures and fittings, double glazing, uPVC windows and doors, full insulation, and locking systems. Not only that, but they come with lengthy guarantees - that make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.
The only downside of a ready-made garden office is the expense, especially if you don’t want to build it yourself. If an assembly option is available, and you don’t trust yourself with the DIY, this can add quite a bit extra to the overall cost. But, it will give you the peace of mind that it’s definitely been built properly!
The best garden rooms for a garden office - UK 2022
www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk
This garden room can be used year-round thanks to the full insulation of the double-skin insulated walls, floor, and roof. It's stylish, energy-efficient, and low maintenance, the perfect combination, with a rot-resistant composite finish, double glazing, multi-point locking, and pre-primed interior walls for you to decorate as you wish. Not only that, but you can choose the colour of the exterior to match your garden aesthetic and it promises to be easy to install with the handy pre-assembled wall panels.
Dimensions: H2.28m x W4.13m x D2.96m
Pros:
Double-glazed doors and windows
Fully insulated
Cons:
None.
Guarantee: 10-year guarantee
www.johnlewis.com
If you want to fit your office neatly in a corner of your garden, this studio will make sure you can optimise the views of your garden and natural light with floor-to-ceiling, double-glazed, toughened glass panels on two sides. This attractive, contemporary design is fully insulated and lined, and the exterior is coated in an attractive micro-porous paint to protect the wood throughout the seasons.
Dimensions: H2.27m x W3.36m x D3m
Pros:
Toughened glass for durability
Roof overhang and veranda
Crafted from FSC-Certified redwood
Cons:
You need to have a reinforced concrete base
Guarantee: 10-year guarantee
Customer Review: “This was a big purchase for us so we wanted to make sure we got it right. We made the right choice. The building looks very contemporary and fabulous in situ. The manufacturers kept to their lead in time for installation and kept us well informed in the meantime.
The building was installed over two days a week ago. It arrived in semi-kit form but some of the work had to be crafted on site and has been done to a high standard. The quality of the finish and the attention to detail is first-class. For example, the interior floor was covered with a polythene membrane during installation. This was removed on completion to reveal a clean and unmarked wooden floor.
How are we getting on? We have installed electrics and a 750W infrared panel wall heater to keep costs down, so we can use the room all year round. So far so good. We have used it every day and it is cosy and warm. Don't forget however to factor in the cost of the groundwork. The manufacturer’s requirements in this respect are quite specific. You need to have a reinforced concrete base professionally installed to specific dimensions.
Very happy with the finished result!”
www.cuckooland.com
Create a garden office with the Forest Garden Xtend 4 Plus Insulated Garden Building for a contemporary space made from high-quality, energy-efficient materials that are completely weatherproof and fully insulated. It has multiple options to hook up some electrics including the ability to route electrical wiring and recess roof lights internally. The double-glazed windows will help to insulate your little cabin during the winter months, or you can open these windows and the double doors for a refreshing breeze when the weather is warmer.
Dimensions: H2.5m x W4.04m x D3.42m
Pros:
Waterproof roof covering made from EPDM black rubber
Lockable glazed 7-point multi lock single door entrance
Able to route electrical wiring and recess roof lights internally
Cons:
You need to treat the wood yourself.
Guarantee: 15-year structural guarantee
www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk
If you're looking for a cheaper alternative, the BillyOh Kent Garden Office provides a secure and strong construction that'll definitely do the job. It's a little simpler in design and more aligned with the appearance of a summerhouse, but it still gives you plenty of headroom, double doors and opening windows, and a notice lock system to keep your office hardware safe.
For a little extra, you can choose to have the exterior painted from a choice of 17 colours, add larger Tongue and Groove roof and floorboards, upgrade your windows to double-glazing, pressure treat the wood, and upgrade the wall thickness.
Dimensions: H4.18 x D3.2 m
Pros:
Complete with felt, fixtures and fittings
Secure locking system
10-year anti-rot guarantee
Cons:
None.
Guarantee: 10-year guarantee
Customer Review: "We loved the look and style of the Kent Garden Office. It fits perfectly with the rest of our garden decor."
Can a summerhouse make a good garden office?
If you are looking for a cheaper alternative and don’t mind putting in the extra work, go for a summerhouse. You can buy or convert a summerhouse you may already have in your garden. However, you’ll need to consider the extra costs involved to renovate it into a truly manageable office space if you want to use it all year long.
Depending on what it has, you may need to add extra insulation, heating, electricity, security, and a WiFi extender. This is so you can connect to your network in the office – an absolute must!
www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk
Much like the BillyOh Kent Garden Office, this summerhouse is quite basic with plenty of options to customise and upgrade the build for improved strength, durability, and style with 12 colours to choose from. This summerhouse comes in a pent roof design which makes it a stylish addition to any garden while offering excellent head height and versatile use options without taking up too much valuable garden space. It also has wide double doors, shatterproof glazing on the full-span windows, and strong Tongue and Groove construction for high-quality weather protection.
Dimensions: H1.84m x W3.61m x D2.41m
Pros:
Plenty of options to customise
Stylish and a good size
Shatterproof glazing
Cons:
Basic
Guarantee: 10-year guarantee
Customer Review: "Really reasonable price, good delivery time and modern look. The space inside is great… a cosy sloped ceiling and opening windows for when it gets a little warmer."
www.johnlewis.com
How beautiful is this summerhouse? A quintessential addition to an English country garden, this round pavilion summerhouse will provide a tranquil and spacious working space away from the hubbub of home life.
The leaded glass windows and doors allow natural sunlight to flood into the building for a light, airy feel, as well as adding more of a view. The Scandinavian Redwood exterior is coated in an attractive choice of Cream, Sage, Flint or Willow in microporous paint that protects the wood throughout the seasons, and we love that this particular summerhouse comes with security in the double door Mortice Lock.
Dimensions: H3.35m x W3m x D3m
Pros:
Double door mortice lock
Attractive, stylish look
Microporous paint to protect wood
Cons:
None.
Guarantee: 2-year guarantee
Customer Review: "I have been looking at this product for a while and am so glad I decided to purchase it. It is perfect...beautiful sage colour and a quality building! The assemblers were very competent, professional and pleasant. I am delighted with my buy and can't wait to show it to my friends.”
www.robertdyas.co.uk
This sturdy and strong summerhouse is constructed from robust timber and joints giving you a long-lasting and resilient structure. Perfect for DIY enthusiasts, this summerhouse provides you the chance to customise it how you want; Paint, stain or leave it natural.
As with most builds, this is self-assembly and a two-person job but should be a manageable without any professional help needed. All assembly instructions are included, as well as a Mortice Lock for added home office security.
Dimensions: H2.14m x W3.03m x D2.93m
Pros:
Mortice lock for security
Robust timber
Cons:
You need to treat the wood every few years.
Additional fee for installation
Customer Review: " Bought this Summer house and I am so happy with it, it’s a perfect size and very sturdy. I put decking around it which sets it off … for what I paid great value.”
www.wickes.co.uk
Designed primarily for a corner location, this 7x7ft summerhouse will sit snugly in your garden and make an attractive feature. It's worth keeping in mind that this summerhouse is supplied unpainted, ready for your choice of paint or stain. With easy and sturdy Tongue and Groove construction, this build has a smart pent roof design, toughened glass and double doors with Georgian-style joinery. All fixings and instructions are included, and you can have an assembly service added at no extra cost.
Dimensions: H2.2m x W2.05m x D2.05m
Pros:
Sturdy Tongue and Groove construction
Smart pent roof design
Toughened glass
Cons:
Arrives unpainted
Customer Review: "I paid for assembly and on arrival, the guys couldn't be nicer and assembled it with no trouble at all. I really couldn't be happier it's made a beautiful addition to the Garden and the wood is such good quality that it's great value for money.”
Garden Office Interiors
Now’s the time to let your imagination run wild. Just because your office isn’t connected to the main house, doesn’t mean you can’t style up your home office to make it functional and inviting. Since it's your own personal space, you can decorate it how you like, or stick to a specific theme. If you’re looking for a little inspiration, according to the commercial property experts at SavoyStewart.co.uk, the biggest office design trends on Pinterest for 2022 are:
Minimalist: With no clutter, a minimalist office provides an airy environment, perfect for focusing.
Classic: Whilst some might find it outdated, classic offices with solid wooden furniture are making a comeback in 2022.
Scandinavian: Similar to the minimalist style, a Scandinavian-styled office provides a clean-looking environment with touches of nature.
• Modern: Usually achieved by choosing cool colours, simple designs, and smooth textures.
• Smart office: perfect for tech-savvy employees who prefer letting technology simplify their lives.
Colourful: With vibrant pops of colour, you can create a bright, energising office space that adds some fun to your working day.
Art deco: Using the mid-century accents that resurged in popularity last year, the modern art deco-styled office incorporates these timeless features with rich colours, geometric patterns, and luxe fabrics.
• Eco: Created with organic, natural elements and a touch of greenery, an eco-friendly office is exactly what the planet
Loft office: This doesn’t just mean an attic office. It is a modern urban style, characterized by an abundance of open space and industrial elements in décor.
When decorating the interior, here are some pieces you’ll want to consider:
Lighting
Alongside the natural light, you’ll be able to enjoy your garden room, you’ll want to get some interior lights. This will help open up your space and brighten it in the darker months. This is our top pick from Not on the High Street.
www.notonthehighstreet.com
Furniture
It goes without saying, but a desk and an ergonomic office chair are a must for your garden office. But, depending on the size of the garden room, you don’t need to be limited to just that. Add some handy shelving and storage, or even a lovely armchair or small sofa so you can use the office on your down-days to relax.
If you want to really make the most of the natural light in your garden office, leading interior designers Whinnie Williams and Kierra Campbell of Poodle & Blonde recommend: choosing light-coloured walls and furniture to help reflect the natural light from your windows. This creates a lighter, brighter space to work in.
We like this rocking armchair from Aldi:
www.aldi.co.uk
Curtains or blinds
Opting for curtains or blinds across your garden office windows isn’t a must, but we’d definitely recommend it. They can add some privacy for that important meeting, keep you from being distracted by the family waving from the kitchen window come deadline day, or just help block out the greyer, less inspiring weather.
We love these bamboo blinds from Dunelm:
www.dunelm.com
Décor
Whether it’s a small trinket on the desk, a vase on a side table, a beautiful cushion, or your own hand-knitted throw, little decorative touches like this are a great way to inject personality into the space and bring it to life. If you do choose to style surfaces with décor pieces, Poodle & Blonde recommends styling surfaces always in odd numbers. A trio of products is a great start and feels exciting on the eye. Why not get an indoor houseplant?
Display your trinkets on this beautiful hanging shelf unit from Etsy:
www.etsy.com
Prints
If you have the space and aren’t using a garden pod as your office, prints on the wall are an easy way to add personality and stylistic flair to your office - without spending a fortune. You can buy prints online, or choose to frame wallpaper, a poster, or even your own artwork. Plus, if you get bored, you can easily swap these out.
If you want to cut costs during the interior design stage, you could always search for second-hand pieces. Or, try your hand at DIY. Platforms such as YouTube and Pinterest are full of easy-to-follow guides. They have guides on how to DIY everything from building a desk to making an entirely new room. Of course, some work might require the help of a professional depending on what it is. But, assessing what could be done yourself will help to save money.
We love this plant-themed lino print from Etsy:
www.etsy.com
Finishing touches
After the main interior work is done, the exteriors of your garden office can also be enhanced with some creative flair to help prevent it from sticking out like a sore thumb.
Framing your garden room with an array of vibrant flowers and plants can help bring your space to life. Moreover, you could also purchase a variety of solar-powered lights suitable for outdoor use and create a cute and cosy nighttime setting to relax in after work. This can be a relatively inexpensive task too. All you need is a few garden tools and some seeds for your chosen flowers and shrubs.
Compost Direct has a handy soil calculator, which can help you figure out just how much soil you’ll need for the borders around your garden room.
FAQs
Are garden offices a good investment?
The average cost to create a garden office can vary between £5,000 and £25,000 and while that might seem pretty hefty, it comes with some incredible benefits:
In the long run, a garden office can add huge value to your home - between five and seven per cent to be exact
It’ll provide you with a dedicated space to work at home, saving you time, money, and effort from having to commute to the office every day, and save you from working in less than ideal ‘work stations' in the home.
Working in a garden office creates a better space to concentrate away from distractions, whether that’s loud gossip at work or the noises of home life.
It also helps to create better work and home balance with separate spaces for each. Sometimes when working from home, it can feel like ‘living at work’ with the constant view of office equipment making it difficult to detach and relax. Having to exit your home and walk to your garden office helps to separate the two.
Nothing will aid productivity more than having natural light and being stationed in the garden, you’ll be surrounded by it.
Do you need planning permission for a garden office?
It’s really important to check this before investing in your new garden office. If you don’t, you could risk spending a lot of money on it just to be taken down.
According to the Planning Portal website, outbuildings are considered to be permitted developments (i.e. they don’t require planning permission), provided certain conditions are met.
These include:
• Your office can’t be built beyond the front wall of your house – not an issue for a back garden
• Your garden office must be single-storey with a maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres. Plus, it should have a maximum overall height of four meters with a dual-pitched roof.
• If you want to place your garden office within two metres of your garden boundary, the maximum overall height must be no taller than 2.5 metres.
• You can’t have verandas, balconies, or raised platforms. Decking is allowed assuming it is no more than 30cm above the ground and together with the garden office, covers no more than 50 per cent of the garden.
Similar conditions apply to building regulations too: “If you want to put up small-detached buildings such as a garden shed or summerhouse in your garden, building regulations will not normally apply if the floor area of the building is less than 15 square metres and contains NO sleeping accommodation.
“If the floor area of the building is between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, you will not normally be required to apply for building regulations approval providing that the building contains NO sleeping accommodation and is either at least one metre from any boundary or it is constructed substantially of non-combustible materials.”
You will need to get planning permission and building regulations if your garden office plans exceed these conditions, or if you live in a Listed Building, within a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Beauty, The Broads, or a World Heritage site. However, outside of these areas, you’re always recommended to check with your local planning authority to check in case there are local restrictions in place.
What to read next:
Garden sheds to store all your outdoor essentials in one place
Garden lights: the perfect way to illuminate your outdoor space
Get inspired each month with Modern Gardens magazine. In every issue you will find the latest trends and shopping hints (that won’t break the budget), easy and simple DIY projects with clever upcycling ideas, and a look at some of our readers' gardens for you to enjoy. Love your outdoor space even more with inspiration from our magazine. Whether you’re looking for the latest digital edition or are interested in our monthly subscription, Modern Gardens has everything you need. Available to download on Android and Apple devices so you can take Modern Gardens with you wherever you go. Not only that, make sure you look out for our exclusive gifts when buying either your digital or print subscription.