Garden offices gallery
Photos of garden offices shared by readers
Go on, share your garden offices, workshops or studios with us – these are very popular pages and readers appreciate seeing how others set up their workspaces. Guidelines for submission are at the bottom of the page.
Click on the image to see the garden offices full size.
‘The Poki is my upcycled, recycled garden studio, it measures just 2m squared externally. I have used as many recycled and online auction items as possible in the construction of it, from the stable door and sash window, to the recycled bed slats and pallets and even to the artwork on the wall. It is fully insulated and I have added a solar powered lamp, upcycled of course! It’s a fantastic space to work in (despite its size), which fills me full of creativity every time I’m in there!’
Huw Grantham, The Poki blog
‘I run Mangle & Wringer from my home, a farm in the Cotswolds, and I’ve been lucky enough to convert a redundant hay barn as the business has grown. I’ve consciously renovated it using recycled materials from the farm: fencing panels, old doors, an unused staircase and old timber for example. It’s a great place to work and only 10 steps from my back door! This is the office end of the barn, where we make our natural cleaning remedies by hand from food grade ingredients. We also have a kitchen and a dining table so we can have lunch together.’
Vanessa Willes, Mangle & Wringer, award-winning natural cleaning remedies. (You can also read the amazing story of how a kitchen maid’s soap recipe led to the creation of Vanessa’s business).
‘My office in the garden is an old wash house – a curious little stone building (above) that I knew would make a great office the moment I saw it. Years later I decided to set up my own technical writing business and work from home, and so the transformation finally happened. With a new roof, french doors to allow plenty of light and about a dozen coats of white paint, it’s a lovely place to work all year round – see below. Most importantly, the office is completely separate from my house, so it really does feel like ‘going to work’ when I make the daily commute (about six steps) with a mug of coffee and the cat in tow…’
Claire Yeomans, freelance technical & business writer, Author Ink Limited
‘Sitting at my cluttered desk in my office outside the house one morning, struggling to focus, I looked around and saw a total mess (above). The clutter was creating a blockage in my energy, creativity and overall performance – it had to go. So off I went to the wonderful IKEA and as usual bought almost too much to fit into my car! I decided to opt for white, and fresh clean lines with a splash of colour! Then I got creative and had a good spring clean – it’s amazing what that can do for the soul! The results? See below – an office I want to be in, an office I can work to full capacity in, be happy in and, of course, find my creativity again!’
Janine Beattie, marketing and business support for small business at Optimum Business Support
‘My work place is very different from most. In the beautiful valley in Symonds Yat is where my boss lives and nestled away in the wood is a bespoke garden office. I feel very lucky to work from there with a full glass front I get to make the most of the beautiful views overlooking the river. Its snug and warm in the winter covered in the snow, but in the summer, with the doors open and the fresh air coming in its like working outside – inside! With all that natural light I feel totally inspired at work, enthused and motivated.’
Robyn Fletcher, marketing assistant for The Garden Escape
‘My office was my dog grooming salon for many years (see above). 2013 I decided to retire from grooming and sell the business. I set to work removing the bath and tiles, and with a lick of lovely lemon paint and retro 60s carpet, it has a bright and cosy feel to it (see below). My home office enables me to run my business professionally, arrange meetings and dispatch all small to medium sized orders. My home office is the heart of my business and being able to combined quality time with my four dogs what else could I ask for.’
Jacqueline Williams, Baskit Geni, the award-winning anti-theft device for hanging baskets
‘Our studio is a working space for three generations of artists working harmoniously under one roof; as well as making our own work we host workshops and courses.
The studio stands on the shore line and we wanted the interior to be just as inspiring as the view and so have used recycled natural materials wherever possible to make sure our guests feel nurtured and at ease.
The space includes a wet area for fabric dyeing and a dry area for photography and laser cutting and most importantly we have squashy sofas overlooking the magnificent view for tea and cake.’
Laura Heath, Shore Cottage Studio, art courses from a beach front studio. Find out how the studio was created.
‘Recently an opportunity came up to provide content for the
Gardening World Cup in Japan, so off I went to experience eastern culture, or so I thought! Finally I arrived at Huis Ten Bosch, not a very Japanese sounding name – it’s a Dutch theme park, a reproduction of the royal residence of The Netherlands. In English, Huis Ten Bosch means “house in the forest” and this residential resort is striving to become the top flower resort in the world. Flowers are in full bloom here throughout the year. This is a view from one of the gardens that has been popular with the western media as a nice place to write – only space for one at a time!’
Jonathan Ward, Ginger Horticulture, working at the Gardening World Cup 2013 in Japan
‘Because of my disability I cannot sit at a desk for any length of time, so The Garden Room Guide is actually run from a comfy armchair! My garden room is more than 15 years old and has quite a traditional feel, a contemporary garden room was unheard of back then! As you would imagine from a garden room it is in the heart of the garden, and I like to sit by the doors so that I feel part of the garden, and in the summer the doors are always open creating a real connection, on the hottest days I move from my armchair by the window to the seating on the patio area outside Garden Room HQ!’
Woody, founder of The Garden Room Guide, helping home workers make a fully informed choice when buying a garden room
‘My ‘bottom of the garden’ blind-making workshop used to be a row of school toilets! It’s not quite big enough but I make do with a sliding worktable top so I can get around the fabric for cutting & gluing & in the adjacent (even smaller) room is my noisy chop saw for cutting the track & packaging materials (Mylar/Thinsulate offcuts). Sewing happens in a room in the house as it’s slightly more dry but it’s fabulous to trip down the path in the sun & open the doors to birdsong, with the salvaged rooflight giving lots of daylight. It’s a bit Heath Robinson but I love it.’
Katy Duke, founder of The Thermal Blind Company and winner of the 2012 PEA (People & Environment Achievement) Award for the Best Energy Saving Idea.
‘I work from the back half of our garage that my wonderful dad converted for me. It’s away from the hustle and bustle of the house but close enough so that my family can come and bug me if they want to. As you can see I often have my cat Kira as a companion, although she usually sits next to me on my writing pad; the comfy cushion I gave her not being close enough to me. My dad is making me a bigger desk area soon which I hope will enable me to be tidier. My walls are full of things to inspire me or to remind me of fun times. I would love a bespoke office in my garden but this beats working as a drone in an office any time :-)’
Sharon, web designer, www.baywebdesigns.co.uk
‘My studio is a wonderful place on the banks of a Scottish river – right next to the salmon leap. The peace of the place helps me to create and I have lots of inspirational bits and pieces around me to help the creative process! My studio is a place where I can be completely myself and, with the help of radio 4 and my ipod make my best work. Time both stands still here and flies by!’
Jennifer, artist, www.spanglefish.com/Ashfield/
‘When I set up my studio I deliberately put my desk facing away from this window, as the view is just too distracting to have in front of me all the time! But I have a swivel chair so I can turn and look at it whenever I need a break. Our house is at the top of the old cobbled lane in Lyme Regis and over the top of the houses I can see a strip of blue sea and the cliffs of the Jurassic Coast leading east towards Portland Bill. In the foreground I can see the church clock and the seagulls landing on the rooftops.’
Margaret, author and illustrator, www.margaretchamberlain.co.uk
‘You can probably tell from the rough brick walls that this is an old building – in fact they used to make coffins in here years ago! I have two computer screens so I have more room to work on my projects. The pad in front of the keyboard is a pressure-sensitive tablet I draw on. I can get much more detail on it than on the screen – for example, a thin line if I press lightly, a thick one if I press harder. From the windows I can see the clifftops to the east of the town. I took the picture in the morning so I expect there was coffee in that mug!’
Ian, illustrator, www.dicks-chamberlain.co.uk
‘Perhaps I am reluctant to send some photos of my office in Urchfont, Devizes where I have worked since 1999 because it would shatter the illusions of the perfect ‘designer space’. It looks ‘good’ from outside and the view from the window is uplifting every day of the year.
‘I have not regretted giving up that hour long slog to the centre of Bath to work slavishly for a well known Bath Architectural Practice and relying on networking skills, contacts etc etc have eeked out a reasonable living with much minimised costs, overheads and stress ( although current climate is giving a bit of concern…) so 13 years on and still enjoying the daily challenge!’
Mark Ellerby, low energy architecture
‘Every day I am grateful that so many smart people are inspired to “think different” and create technology and mediums to make it possible for successful home working. In 2009 I moved from New York to the South West of France determined to start a business that I could do “virtually”. I am now set up in the attic of a renovated barn supporting small companies and entrepreneurs to do the same. While my day is very busy, I find great comfort in the warmth of my home office and hope this can become reality to many who wish the same.’
Sandra Lewis, Virtual Professional Services, www.worldwide101.com
‘I actually design and build about fifty garden offices every year for customers across the UK, so in 2010 I thought I’d treat myself and included myself in our production list. In my garden I have a Smart Quarto garden office with my unique VersaDesk. I love the interior feel of the space especially with the extended, vaulted ceiling. The Quarto is fully insulated, double glazed and of course fully cabled. I have a beautiful view down our garden and find it very therapeutic watching our chickens gently pottering around the lawn.’
Charlie Dalton, garden office designer and builder, www.smartgardenoffices.co.uk
‘I work from home and my job is creating new spaces for other people to work from home…it’s great!
Having run businesses from home, I am a great supporter of this commute-less lifestyle. Sure, there are some downsides that you can easily plan to compensate for, but the advantages are so rewarding. Having a garden view and being able to work outside in the sunshine is a privilege. I consider the greatest benefit is the time that I don’t spend commuting.
Professionally the task of designing a garden room to match our clients specific needs is a very rewarding role. Creating a room that can be an office and a family space frequently makes excellent sense.’
Martin Lawson, designer & supplier of garden offices, www.swiftorg.co.uk
‘I work from home in our garden office running a company that designs and builds garden offices for people who work from home! I share the office with my partner who’s an architect. We were both sick of our working arrangements. I was working in the spare bedroom as a textile designer and Gordon was commuting to Lancaster where he ran his practice. We thought about moving, but a friend of ours who is a rocket scientist (yes really) said “why don’t you build an office in the garden?” So we did, we love it and now we build them for other people. Photo is rather old, office now has boat hanging from the ceiling, muddy floor and boxes everywhere. We are about to have a major overhaul to try to get back to this level of tidiness.’
Lynn Fotheringham, InsideOut garden offices
‘I run Irishwoodstyle from here with my son Aaron which is very appropriate as we supply and fit these structures all over the UK and Ireland. The flexibility of having your office by your home, while having all the obvious benefits (no commute etc) also has a few draws that need to be addressed. The office is at the back of our home and backs on to a great view. It is fully contained with w.c. and kitchenette. Looking out the window you can see for miles, all rural landscape which at this time of year has so much colour. There are some alder trees on the boundary, full of nesting birds now, adding a nice distraction in the window during the day.’
Eddy Hamilton, Irish Wood Style
‘This is my YardPod, my home office. It is only 30 strides from my front door, but is on a different continent as far as the environment is concerned. Here I can work, free of distraction, but still connected (computer, phone, wi-fi). The REAL difference is that I work with the doors open as often as I can (which is most of the year in California), therefore, I feel as if I am working outside. The hummingbirds are constantly visiting the flower bed just outside my door, as are a variety of birds and many bees. The squirrels sit and watch me work and I am able to enjoy the smells of the outdoors. I am happy and productive here!’
Malcolm Davies, CEO & Co-Founder, www.podsystems.com
Simon Layfield taught physics for 20 years. He can now be found juicing apples out the back of his house with help from his wife, Lisa, an acupuncturist. Each pressing takes around an hour with the press taking 60kg of apples at a time. It takes about 2kg of apples to produce a litre of juice. The juice is then pumped up to barrel height and then gravity fed into a double siphon bottle filter: ‘It’s so rewarding working for yourself. I love the variety – everything from the grunt-work of washing the apples to delivering to retailers. It’s pretty relentlessly non-stop – you spend every hour working or thinking about the business and working from home means it’s difficult to switch off. But there’s nothing like producing a bottle of juice that people love to drink. I love doing local farmers’ markets – it’s so nourishing when people come up to you and give you feedback. It keeps you going.’
Simon Layfield, High Peak Juice Company
‘We bought our house back in October 2011, and one of the main advantages was the office built as an extension to the garage. As I work from home full time it’s the perfect place to go to for peace and quiet, particularly when I’m recording podcasts (which is what the microphone is for). Technically, I share the office with my fiancé, his desk is the other side of the room, but he’s much more likely to be found in the garage (otherwise known as the ‘man cave’). The Do What You Love Love What You Do print is one of my favourite parts of the room, as it sums up exactly how I feel about my job. That and the hugely comfortable chair, which was a surprising bargain from Tesco.’
Emma Cossey, freelance blogger/writer/web editor
‘This is the first year of the office roof being in flower, it’s specific seed mix from Emorsgate Seed, who are specialists in British wild flowers and grass seeds.
‘We kept the soil nutrient poor deliberately (we didn’t want a lawn up there) so used a mix of 80% crushed brick and 20% soil for the wildflowers to become established this year and the slower grass growing grass seeds to come later.
‘The mix is beautiful and includes cornflowers, corn cockles, poppies and oxide daisies and next year there will be some grasses and of course the random inclusion of any passing seeds that happen to land.’
Maria Varallo, trainer and coach, Illuminate
