How to choose your garden office furniture

Lots of home workers dream of working in a garden office, and we partner with some wonderful suppliers to bring you the latest information and designs.

Today’s sponsored post from Kit Out My Office takes the process a step further by looking at planning and choosing your garden office furniture:

Each year in the UK we see record numbers of people working from home – 14% of the workforce in 2014, according to the Office for National Statistics. It’s fair to say a good number of these home workers will have moved from their cramped bedroom office into a purpose-built garden office.

Numerous bespoke suppliers (like those on the right) have shot up to cater for this need for new buildings, whilst sites like Work from Home Wisdom offer advice and stories for the people who have adopted this way of working.

But what if you have the desire, the space, and the building, but don’t know where to start when it comes to the office itself? There are numerous types of desks and storage in the market to suit all types of offices buildings, but the deciding factors are usually steered by two key things – price and space.

When it comes to a garden building both of these factors are relevant. The price can be decisive if you have a strict budget for the build, often making furniture the last consideration. And space is an issue for most, as a garden building usually has limited room for manoeuvre so space becomes a huge consideration. Let’s look at these two points in a bit more detail:

Price: remember to include the cost of garden office furniture when planning the build
Cost is an important factor when it comes to the overall project planning for a garden office. Usually the decision is led by the debate between whether to rent office space rather than working from home, and usually the winner is the most affordable overall.

That doesn’t mean people don’t spend money on their garden office, it usually just means that there is a set project budget for the whole job. The main reason that this becomes an issue when it comes to the interior is that décor and furniture are usually the last part of the jigsaw, and normally well after planning the actual build.

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, if you’re planning a building of this type, we recommend doing research for the interior as well as the exterior – at the end of the day you will spend more time on the inside than you will on the outside.

There are numerous types of desks, at a wide range prices. From bespoke wood builds to MFC flat packs, there is something to match your budget, but the level of investment needs to consider a few things:

The shape – if you have a nice square room you can use the readily available rectangular options, but if you need to make best use of space you may want to look for an L shaped workstation.

The impact – do you want to make a statement to visitors? Or do you just want a flat surface to put your laptop on? This often steers the quality of the goods dramatically.

Space: planning the interior of your garden office
Unless your garden office is the size of the house it compliments, there will be a need to plan the space efficiently. There are a number of online room planning tools which can help with this, but if you are looking to really get the most out of the space you need to ask a few questions about the functionality of the space.

Key space considerations:
Who is using the office? Is it one desk and chair, or will it grow to be a multi-person space? This will determine if you can have a corner or workstation style desk, or a more functional bench system.

Will clients visit you? If so you need space for chairs or sofas, and a more brand-led style will be expected – if the space is an extension of your brand then the aesthetics need to match the business.

Other factors of note when planning your garden office furniture:

Comfort – you will spend many (many) hours in your garden office, so comfort for you and your visitors needs to be an essential consideration. This can mean paying for the right chair with proper support, but also desk shape, lighting, position of windows and doors, and even the heating. If you have visitors, comfort for them is equally as important for your image and customer satisfaction.

Hidden storage – Unless you live a fully paperless life, most offices need some sort of storage solution. Lots of modern offices demand a crisp clean space, so it is essential that everyday files and folders are hidden from view where possible.

Designers have used multiple ways of offering hidden storage, from under-desk cupboards and pedestal drawers, to flush wall storage made to measure to the space. In garden offices the latter is a popular solution for offering maximum storage with minimal disruption. It’s common to find cupboards or drawers being used as an extension of the space, as most companies offer matching units to create multiple shapes and styles and compliment most interior decors.

Kit Out My Office is based in Yorkshire, and make all their own furniture to FSC approved standards, with 10 year guarantees on all their next-day delivered products.

Third photo credit: The Garden Office Guide