Garden Room Extension Ideas: 7 Ways to Create Extra Living Space in Your Garden

Garden room extensions are becoming increasingly popular in the UK. People want to make the most of their gardens without spending a fortune on a full property extension, and garden rooms provide a simple, convenient and versatile alternative.

Here, we take a closer look at some garden room extension ideas to create extra living space in your garden.

What Are Garden Room Extensions?

Bespoke Room – Into the Garden Room

Garden room extensions are not like traditional home extensions in the sense that they aren’t built onto your home.

While they are sometimes called extensions, garden rooms are actually standalone buildings that are detached from your property. This makes garden room extensions different from conservatories, garage/loft conversions and property extensions, all of which involve making physical changes to your property.

Why Choose a Garden Room Extension?

High-quality garden rooms, like those we provide, offer qualities that make them increasingly popular:

• Built to high standards
• Fully insulated
• Made with durable materials
• Available in a wide range of sizes and designs
• Comfortable to use all year round

They are also very cost-effective and can be far more affordable than a full house extension. Garden rooms are easy to arrange and quick to put up. There is no need for builders to be in your property for weeks on end, and the disruption caused is minimal. Plus, there is usually no need for planning permission either.

As long as they are made to a high standard, garden rooms can add value to your property. They are also popular for their versatility; you essentially have an extra room that you can use for almost any purpose you wish.

Create More Space in Your Garden

Bespoke Room – Into the Garden Room

When you decide to get a garden room, you want to maximise the amount of space available both in your garden and in the garden room itself. This is especially important if you have a small garden.

You also want to enhance the feeling that the garden room is part of the garden, rather than something separate from it.

So, how can you create space in your garden in a way that achieves these goals? Read on for seven of our top garden room extension design ideas.

1. Choose a Design that Complements Your Home

When you are considering garden room extension ideas to create extra space in your garden, make sure you choose a design that fully complements your home. Our skilled garden room designers can help you here.

You want your garden room to feel like an extension of your home even though it is separate from it. As such, the style of the building should complement the architecture of your home, including the doors, windows and right down to the furnishings and the interior design.

2. Make Full Use of Your Garden’s Space

Gardens come in all shapes and sizes; whether you have a small or large garden, your goal should be to make full use of the available space.

This is especially important with a small garden. It’s easy to assume that a garden room will take up too much space. The truth is, however, you’ll probably wish you ordered a larger room when you see how it makes effective use of otherwise ‘dead’ space. Just because it takes up space in your garden, it does not need to look out of place.

With a well thought through design, use of natural timber and careful colour choices, you can ensure your garden room blends into the garden and looks completely at home.

We have plenty of experience in designing garden buildings for small gardens – ensuring they fit perfectly and blend in with their surroundings.

As a quick extra tip, consider landscaping your garden after your garden extension is finished. A garden room positively changes the look and feel of your garden – the perfect opportunity for a professional garden makeover.

3. Enjoy a Panoramic View

Bespoke Room – Into the Garden Room

You can create a feeling of extra space in your garden room by incorporating a panoramic view using a large glass sliding door. This is one of the best extension design ideas for garden room extensions because it really helps to bring the outside in – enjoy opening the door up on warm days to seamlessly blend your interior space with the garden to feel like you are sitting outdoors. 

If you have a small garden, a large open sliding door also increases the feeling of space in your garden itself as you look out upon your garden room from your property.

4. Create an Outside Living Space

Decking, a courtyard or patio outside your garden room is the perfect way to make more use of available space. A well-designed outdoor living area becomes an attractive feature in your garden, as well as an extended part of your garden room. A decked area with an overhang, for example, gives you a sheltered place to sit from which you can enjoy both your garden and garden room extension.

It’s another way to help bring the outside in, and should blend with the garden room in harmony. To achieve this, you might position plants both inside the entrance to the garden room and just outside.

If you opt for a courtyard or patio, you could feature the same (or similar) colour stone tiles/slabs as any in your garden room. These little touches all help to connect your garden extension with the outside.

5. Use Your Room’s Full Height

Creating space in your garden with a garden room extension also involves making full use of your interior space. The garden building may occupy a specific area, but there are plenty of ways to make more use of the space.

One is to use the wall space available from the ground to the ceiling. Open shelving can make the walls functional, while also being beautiful. This is particularly suitable for garden offices. It all comes down to careful interior design choices.

6. Incorporate Skylights

Bespoke Room – Into the Garden Room

Skylights are another stunning way to invite the outside in, while also improving airflow and creating a greater sense of space.

They help the room to blend in with its natural garden surroundings, keep it cool in the summer, and allow you to enjoy looking up at the sky from the comfort of your garden room.

7. Invest in Space-Saving Furniture

When it comes to small garden room extension ideas, another way to make full use of available space is to use furniture that doubles up as storage. Chairs that open up and have storage space inside, fold-away tables, hidden storage units – there are many ways to make great use of all the space available.

This is particularly useful if you have a small garden room extension, or you just want to make full use of all space available.

Garden Room Extension FAQs

If you’re interested in a garden room extension , you may have further questions – here are some common FAQs to help. 

Can a garden room be used as an extension?

A garden room extension is simply another name for a garden room. It is not an extension that is built onto the side of your home, but it can be used in a similar way. However, a garden room cannot usually be used as a permanent bedroom to live in without planning permission. If you want an extension to gain more living space, a garden room is a flexible and more cost effective alternative to a house extension or loft conversion.

How much does it cost to extend into the garden?

Costs can vary quite a bit depending on the quality of your build, as well as its size and design. Some are very small, some are very large, and some have multiple rooms. At Into The Garden Room, our rooms usually cost between £23,000 and £35,000, but we can give you a more accurate quote when we know exactly what you want.

Is a garden room cheaper than an extension? 

A bespoke garden room is usually more affordable than an extension, but it depends on the specifics of the project. A high-quality garden room does not require builders to knock down existing walls and it does not cause significant disruption to daily life.

Get Your Own Garden Room

Signature Range – Into the Garden Room

Garden room extensions are very popular, and their versatility is one of the main reasons for this. You can use a garden room for almost anything you want, and they are an excellent way to make full use of the available space in your garden.

If you’re interested, start by looking at some of our signature garden rooms for inspiration, then you can get in touch to discuss your ideas with one of our friendly and experienced team members.