The demand for Shomera’s Garden Rooms is rapidly rising, which is no surprise. A Shomera Garden Room is a perfect addition to outdoor living while increasing family living space. From increasing visual appeal and square footage to creating a private zone, Garden Room are a smart choice.
Shomera’s versatile structures can serve as a peaceful retreat, a functional workspace, or an entertaining area. When you decide to invest in a Garden Room, carefully considering its design is crucial. Every architect knows that the key to a successful project is proper planning. To make the most out of your new outdoor feature, here are 11 design tips to help you create a stunning and functional Shomera that enhances the beauty of your outdoor space.
Garden Room Purpose And Size
Before starting the design process, clearly define the purpose of your Garden Room. Are you planning to use it as a home office, a yoga studio, or simply a space to relax and unwind? Determining the purpose will guide your design decisions, ensuring that the room fulfils your specific needs. Bigger isn’t always better, but it’s always more expensive. So before you design your Garden Room, ask yourself why you want to build a Garden Room. What’s your primary goal? For example, if you want to create a garden office, it’s wiser to keep the Garden Room small and intact so it doesn’t get used for multiple activities in the future. It’s important to stick to the initial plan and decide the size and proportions based on it. To get a better perspective on the matter and to find the right size for your Garden Room, measure the rooms in your home and compare sizes. This will help you visualise the space you want to build and determine which size will fully satisfy your needs.
Everything Is About Proportion
Garden Rooms are small compared to other buildings like houses, offices, and retail units. Because of their smaller size, finding the right proportions presents a unique set of challenges. If you want to stay on the right path, ask yourself questions like: How big should the fascia and soffits be? What is a proportionate overhang? How can I make a smaller footprint building not look too tall? What window size works best? Learning as much as possible will mean the world to your Shomera’s future look. It will positively influence its functionality and help you design a place that fits your wants and needs.
Placement And Views
In the past 26 years, we have heard people express this concern repeatedly, only to come back after and say they wish they had gotten a bigger Garden Room. In most cases, a Shomera Garden Room will take up less than 20% of your outdoor space. Don’t let the tail wag the dog! Choose a Shomera with large sliding doors and picture windows which easily pushes the line between indoor and outdoor space. With a design that highlights natural elements and open views, your Shomera will quickly blend with the outdoors and provide shade and comfort at the same time. Large, unobstructed windows not only bring in abundant natural light but also provide a sense of connection to the outdoors. Plus, with the amount of rain in Ireland, sometimes it’s better to enjoy the view from the inside.
The Right Materials
The right materials for your Garden Room are essential for its durability and aesthetic appeal. Our Shomera Garden Rooms are available with a variety of exterior finishes to choose from, including a stunning composite cladding that is sustainable, weather-resistant, and easy to maintain along with natural timber cladding options. The interiors of our Garden Rooms are fully finished and primed, ready for painting. They feature high-quality oak grain laminate wood flooring, skirting boards, architraves, and doors all of which are primed and ready for painting.
Consider The Orientation
When designing your Garden Room, consider the orientation to maximise natural light and energy efficiency. The position of your Garden Room determines how much you will enjoy the space afterwards. Think about how the sun moves across your garden while deciding where to place and how to design your new Garden Room. You don’t want to build a garden office pod with a desk placed directly toward the sun since you won’t be able to see or concentrate fully. Orient the room to capture sunlight during the day, considering the sun’s path at different times of the year. This will not only enhance the overall ambience but also reduce the need for artificial lighting. Most homeowners who have a north-facing garden position the Garden Room facing south and vice versa.
Create A Seamless Transition
Design your Garden Room to integrate with the outdoor space seamlessly. Consider adding sliding or folding glass doors to your existing home to provide a smooth transition between the indoor and outdoor areas. This will create an open and inviting atmosphere, blurring the boundaries between the garden and your beautiful new Garden Room.
Pay Attention To Lighting
Proper lighting is crucial for creating the right ambience in your Garden Room. Incorporate a combination of ambient, task, and accent lighting to cater to various activities and moods. Consider using energy-efficient LED lights to minimise energy consumption. Additionally, incorporate dimmers and adjustable lighting fixtures to create versatility in illumination levels.
A Beautiful Backdrop Or A Garden Divider
While some of our customers are initially concerned with the Garden Room taking over their outdoor space, they later find that it creates a beautiful backdrop, whether for the back of the garden or the end of their patio. The decision for where and how to place the Garden Room should depend on the size and shape of the garden itself. For people with very long gardens, it can make sense to locate the Shomera mid-way down. This way it will conceal some parts of the garden – a look that can add more depth and excitement to any outdoor living space. Many homeowners decide to use this hidden area behind the Garden Room for secret gardens, a place to grow veg/plants and compost.
Enhance With Greenery
Even though small, Garden Rooms completely transform the look of your outdoor space. That’s why it’s crucial to use this opportunity to vitalise your garden and give it a fresh and exciting aesthetic. Combine soft and hard landscaping to bring the right finishing touches. Adding greenery to your Garden Room can create a calming and refreshing atmosphere. Consider incorporating indoor plants, vertical gardens, or living walls to bring nature indoors. Plants not only improve air quality but also add visual interest and a sense of tranquillity to the space. It’s best to choose a style that matches the rest of the exterior. Even before the pandemic, people used their gardens as a place for hosting parties and dinners. A Garden Room will make socialising easier since it provides more space for entertaining. Plus, it’s a great conversation starter.
Personalise With Furnishings
Choose furnishings and decor that reflect your personal style and complement the Garden Room’s purpose. Whether you prefer a minimalist, rustic, or contemporary aesthetic, select furniture, accessories, and textiles that enhance the space’s overall design and functionality. Consider incorporating multi-purpose furniture to maximise the use of limited space.
Garden Room Storage
Adequate storage solutions will keep your Garden Toom organised and clutter-free. Utilise built-in shelves, cabinets, or storage units that blend seamlessly with the overall design. Consider storage options that are both functional and visually appealing to maintain a clean and tidy space.
In conclusion, designing a Shomera Garden Room requires careful planning and consideration of various factors such as purpose, views, materials, and lighting. At Shomera with over 26 years of experience, our team of experts will handle and guide you through all aspects of your Garden Room project – including site survey, design, planning, build, and installation. We will guide you through each step and provide detailed information on these design tips, ensuring that you can create a Garden Room that not only enhances the beauty of your outdoor space but also functions as a welcoming extension of your home.
