Small garden office ideas

Many of us work from home now, even if it’s on a part-time or ad hoc basis, but it isn’t always quiet and peaceful enough in the house to get much work done. So, many of us are turning to garden offices to provide the perfect solution.

There are many advantages to working in a garden office:

🌱Garden rooms are a stand-alone space away from the hustle and bustle of family life.

🌱Working in a separate office means that you can close the door at the end of the day and forget about your work. It’s easier to switch off from the pressures of the job if you’re not working and living in the same space.

🌱It’s easy to concentrate because there are very few interruptions when you’re working on your own in a private office.

🌱It’s soothing and enjoyable as you’ll be surrounded by garden plants and birdsong. It will feel like you’re working outdoors even though you’re warm and dry in your cosy garden office.

🌱With large windows, you will enjoy plenty of natural light.

🌱You can personalise the garden room to your own taste, incorporating soft furnishings, leafy plants and attractive furniture to complement your style.

🌱Even if you have a very small garden or patio, you can still find a garden office to suit the space. Read on, to find out more.

Small garden office ideas include

Garden buildings

Forest Garden’s Xtend Garden Building is modern, sleek, warm and practical. Coming in a variety of sizes, the smallest Garden Office (Xtend 2.5) is 250cm high x 254cm wide x 290cm deep. Despite its compactness, it’s surprisingly spacious inside, easily accommodating an office desk and chair.

All of our Xtend Garden Buildings are fully insulated (walls, floor and roof), so they’re comfortable spaces to use even in the winter. An insulated garden office is definitely the way forward if you work long hours all year round. These Garden Buildings are also double-glazed, keeping outside noise to a minimum.

Log Cabins

Another option is a fully watertight Log Cabin. For smaller gardens, our double-glazed Chiltern Log Cabin measures 4m x 3m, while our beautiful Wolverley Log Cabin measures 6m x 4m.

Our Log Cabins come in a variety of shapes and styles, some having a contemporary Pent roof, others having an Apex roof. With attractive double doors and large windows, they let in a lot of light, and you can choose your own thickness of walls to optimise warmth and comfort.

Garden Sheds

Forest Garden’s Sheds are another possibility for an office space. The Beckwood 8×6 Pent Shed is pressure treated and has two windows and a double door, while the Timberdale 8×6 Pent Shed has three windows and a door. Both designs have weather-beating protection, and you can always opt to add insulation to your shed if you wish.

Go posh!

Our sister company The original Posh Shed Company produce exclusive garden sheds. All Posh Sheds come with double glazing, and if you choose Comfortably or Unbelievably Posh, your shed floor, walls and roof will be fully insulated.

The space-saving yet charming Kensington Shed measures 6’ x 4’. It comes in a variety of colours and has a secure, lockable door.

Tips on building your small garden office

What is the minimum size for a garden office?

There isn’t really a minimum size for a garden office; it depends on how much space you need. How large is your desk? Do you need other furniture in your office – e.g. a bookcase or filing cabinet? What are the essentials that you need and what do they measure? Also, will you be holding meetings in the office? Try to consider all the possible uses for the space.

If possible, ensure there is easy access to your garden room, so that installation and future maintenance don’t become a problem. Also, try to make sure there’s a clear space of roughly 46cm (18”) on all sides of the cabin or shed.

Do I need planning permission to put an office in my garden? 

You don’t usually need planning permission to erect a small office or garden room in your outdoor space. As it’s a domestic outbuilding, being used for domestic purposes, permission shouldn’t be necessary. However, we always advise you to check with your local planning authority, to be on the safe side.

Do I need foundations for a garden office?

When building your garden office, make sure you have a flat, stable and permanent base for it with a strong foundation. The base shouldn’t deviate by any more than 15mm. You could choose concrete slabs, a solid concrete base, or a timber shed base frame as the base for your garden office.

To find out more about our construction recommendations, please have a look at this page: https://www.forestgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Sheds-Storage-Summerhouses-Base-Preparation-Guide.pdf

How do I keep my garden office warm?

To keep your garden office warm, you may want to locate it in a south-facing direction and in the sun rather than shade. You can add your own heating to any of our garden buildings and shed. Gardening buildings with thicker walls and more insulation will be your best options for retaining the heat. We suggest Xtend Garden Buildings, Log Cabins and Posh Sheds for maximum warmth. Xtend and posh sheds each come with double-glazing on the windows and insulation.

When you’re sitting working all day, the optimal office temperature is between 20 and 25 degrees C, so you may want to invest in an electric, oil-filled radiator or an electric fan heater to keep you warm in the winter.

If you’d like to discuss the options for your garden office with us, please contact Forest Garden on 0333 321 3142. We’d be happy to help.