Garden rooms are an ideal way to increase the space of your home without the disruption of building a bricks and mortar extension. They can be used for many different purposes, such as a home office or gym; an entertaining space; a home bar; an arts and crafts studio or workshop; a kid’s play area, or a music room.
Whatever you want to use your garden room for, it is helpful to put some thought into landscaping so that the structure blends in well with the surroundings and complements the natural beauty of your garden. Here are some creative ways to integrate your timber cabin with landscaping.
Create patios or decking
If you want to use your garden room as a summerhouse or entertaining space, consider creating additional outdoor seating spaces with a patio or decking that extends from French doors. This will help to blend the outdoor and indoor spaces and you will have a pleasant place to sit in fine weather.
You may wish to consider adding a canopy or awning to the front or side of the cabin to provide some shelter or shade. Choose outdoor furniture that complements the style of your building such as rustic timber benches or wrought iron chairs. Add some weatherproof soft furnishings to create a comfortable and inviting space.
Installing paving in the area directly around your garden room not only increases the usable space but also helps to prevent the build up of moisture, which can cause mould and rot to develop in the base of a timber building. If you do not want to lay paving stones, consider using gravel, pebbles, or wood chippings instead.
If you do have grass or foliage directly around the base of your timber cabin, keep it trimmed and weeded to help maintain the condition of your building.
Integrate pathways
Hardscaped pathways are a practical addition to prevent wear and tear on your lawn and muddy feet as you access the garden building, and also provide a sense of continuity with your house and the rest of the outside space. Consider using natural materials such as stone, gravel, slate, or wood chips to complement the rest of the garden.
Irregular shaped slabs of natural stone can be used as stepping stones if you think that a full pathway would be too intrusive. You could also decide to make a deliberate feature of your pathway by building it in curved sections and integrating it with flower beds or other garden features. This can add interest to a flat expanse of lawn, for example.
Plant for all seasons
Planting around your garden structure can help to soften it and blend it with the rest of your garden. Choose a range of plants that will provide colour and visual interest throughout the changing seasons, such as evergreen shrubs that will endure the winter, and flowers that will burst into life during the spring and summer.
Consider the style of the cabin and your garden when choosing your planting scheme. For example, if you have a traditional rustic building, a wildflower bed with loosely defined borders will complement it well. You may wish to install trellises to the walls of the cabin to add extra colour and texture, and pleasant fragrances during the summer.
If you have a sleek contemporary design for your garden building, then a more structured planting scheme will pair well with this aesthetic. The use of pots and planters will soften the look and be easy to maintain.
Add lighting
Lighting is important to help you make best use of your garden building after dark, and it can also add to the overall ambience of your garden, particularly if you put some thought into the design and layout of your lighting. Functional lighting that is operated by motion sensors can be used to light pathways and steps to enhance the safety and security of your garden.
Enhance the rest of the garden with soft accent lighting to highlight certain features, such as trees, seating areas, flower beds and so on. Remember that a little light goes a long way in the darkness, and small solar lights that are readily available from garden centres should be adequate for most accent lights.
