As a mum to 7 (and now grandma to one lively 2-year-old) space has always been at a premium in our home. We extended our home with a wooden custom-built conservatory rescued from a friend's home, built a large wooden gazebo for family meals al fresco and have a large caravan which doubles as a spare room/studio flat.
We have a large garden and I have often toyed with the idea of installing a garden room, especially during the pandemic when like a lot of families we really felt quite overcrowded, especially when two of my adult children needed to move back in.
The wonderful thing about garden rooms is that they are so incredibly versatile and easy to repurpose if life and requirements change.
Obviously during lockdown in the UK at least garden rooms proved the perfect solution to those forced to work at home, especially for those who also had children at home trying to adapt to home learning. I was trying to continue running my own business whilst grappling with school video lessons while my eldest who is in recruitment boiled in the conservatory with the doors shut trying to get some peace and quiet to make vital work calls. We would both have very much appreciated a garden room as a home office. Well actually I still would! Fully insulated and double glazed to be warm in winter and cool in summer and away from the hectic demands of a big family during "office hours."
When I first met my husband one of our spare rooms was a home gym. Obviously that was sacrificed to make way for first cots then bunkbeds as our family grew from two to nine. A garden room makes the perfect home gym, fitness room or yoga studio or all three in one depending on the size of garden room you choose.
My friend has a gorgeous garden room where she makes beautiful jewellery based on nature at one end at the other end? A lovely sauna space where she can relax after a long day hunched over her delicate work. She's landscaped round her garden room and now overlooks beautiful flowers and a pond while she works.
Even if you don't believe you are living in your forever home yet, a garden room might still be worth considering. They can prove an attractive addition to potential buyers when you decide to move on or it might make your current home useable for longer with the extra space. Whether they need an art studio, writing room or simply a sheltered space to enjoy the garden it might mean homeseekers choose your property over another.
Got teens? A garden room makes the ideal den or gaming space leaving you free to relax without the shrieks of youngsters or a host of youngsters crowding your house. One of my daughter's friends has a sibling with special needs who needs a lot of attention so his parents had a garden room installed so he had somewhere to retreat to and study away from the distraction.
To be fair, it's not only teens who might enjoy a den. I'm sure my husband would enjoy a man cave where he could watch sports without my eye rolling. A comfy chair and a beer fridge would probably be all he required.
The great thing about garden rooms is you really can turn them into whatever you want. It might be important to many to have wifi or a TV while others might want a space where they can detox from tech and maybe enjoy looking at the garden while knitting or crocheting, crafting or reading. And if your needs change you can adapt the space making it an excellent investment extending your home and enhancing your life.