Garden rooms: A different way of living, a new way of working

Homeworking is likely to stay the norm for some time to come, meaning it is worth investing in the perfect workspace. By offering a multifunctional space that is filled with natural light and feels connected to the outdoors, a bespoke garden room can be just that.

2020 has led to many changes in our lives, not least of all changing how and where we work. No one expected the world to lockdown for so long, and so workarounds were found to keep us working from home – which was often coupled with the challenge of home-schooling. Quiet studies and home offices became shared workspaces, where couples would compete for space and struggle to be heard over their partner’s Teams call. Dining tables were commandeered as makeshift classrooms and living room furniture was pushed aside to make way for P.E with Joe.  

How to make working from home, work for you

This “make do” approach saw us through the lockdown, and many of us enjoyed this new way of living and working from home. With a third of British office workers (and 44% of Londoners), indicating that they would like to routinely work from home after the Covid pandemic restrictions have been lifted, it looks like homeworking is going to stay.

Homeworking can lead to an increase in productivity, but it is the improvement to our work/life balance and personal wellbeing that is the real benefit. It’s not hard to achieve the right balance between working from home and living at home but having an organised and functional workspace makes all the difference.

The physical separation between our home and work lives is crucial for the psychological segregation; you need to have the ability to “leave work at work” at the end of the day. It also has a practical advantage; our work tools can be left where they are at the end of the day without the need to clear them away to serve dinner to the family – no need to search for our mouse or diary amongst the children’s toys in the morning.

The benefits of having a functional and beautiful workspace

A glazed garden room or orangery makes an ideal study. How many times have you come home from spending all day in your artificially lit office, with no idea what sort of day it has been? Especially in winter, one can go the whole day without seeing daylight, which is so crucial for physical and mental health.  

In contrast, working in a glazed garden room means that you’re spending your day surrounded by mood-enhancing daylight. If you’re concerned about the glare on screens, our Sun Guard glazing consists of a coating which lets in a very high level of visible natural light, while reflecting 65% of the solar heat off the window. This also means your garden room office will not become too hot and stuffy.

A multifunctional, open-plan living space with different ‘zones.’

A large enough garden room can be workspace whilst still maintaining the work-life segregation, especially with careful design and the use of zoned lighting bringing each area alive as we use it. There’s enough space for everyone to come together and work or learn as a family. What could be better than streaming your latest Instagram live video from your beautifully styled reading area, while your children sit and do their homework on the dining table and your other half prepares lunch – all in the same space.  

Feeling connected to the great outdoors.

Due to its high proportion of glazing, a garden room or orangery extension connects us to nature in a way that a corporate office rarely does. To avoid eye strain, it is recommended that you look away from screens for at least 20 seconds, every 20 minutes. What could be more pleasant than gazing at nature, be it a bird feeder or a blossoming cherry tree or far off fields? Working environments that are surrounded by nature are shown time and time again to be conducive to concentration and creativity. They enable us and our children watch birds, squirrels and foxes at close hand, getting closer to nature in a way that is so vital now with a possible future of rolling lockdowns.

With the abundance of natural light streaming into the interior, a garden room or orangery can also be used to inspire creativity in recreational pastimes too. Sewing, needlework, painting and writing music is easier to do in good light. Many of our clients have also told us how their extensions are perfect spots for yoga or meditation sessions.

If one good thing has come out of this pandemic, it is that we can now work in a way that is beneficial to us. By choosing a bespoke garden room for your home, you can have a space that fits with you and this new way of working will bring light and nature into the workspace like never before.