Taking the inside outside
A garden summerhouse can be used as your very own special space.
It can be transformed into a studio for writing, painting or other crafting activities, or can simply become a space for you to relax in and enjoy your leisure time.
On sunny days, a garden building or garden room like this also provides welcome shade from the midday heat.
If you want to go for a country-style garden summerhouse, choose a style with a tiled roof, windows with small panes and details such as a weathervane or window boxes.
Choose a calming palette of neutral and pastel shades, and colour wash timber cladding with pale leafy greens.
When it comes to furniture, opt for wicker styles in pastel or sherbet shades.
A folding table is a good idea, as it can be moved easily into the garden and back again, and director’s chairs work well for the same reason.
The look doesn’t have to be perfect and pristine – junk shop and vintage finds work perfectly well.
Sheer curtains will let in the light, or alternatively try retro floral blinds to shield the interior from the sun.
For a real touch of indulgence, a daybed dressed with pretty cushions will create the perfect spot for a nap after an alfresco lunch. Plant windowboxes and tubs with scented flowers and herbs, and add a jam jar of blooms and foliage from the garden to your table or desk area.
Include a daybed in your garden summerhouse and on fine days it can be brought outside. For a modern-country look, opt for eastern-influenced furniture in a dark finish as a complete contrast to the classic white-painted timber cladding.
A leafy green paint colour on walls provides a fresh backdrop to the furniture, and a natural flooring rug draws the scheme together.
Decorate the exterior of your garden summerhouse in a fetching blue, and for a cottage-style effect, finish with a retro floral blind and a windowbox of miniature red roses and rosemary to scent the air.
A garden summerhouse is the ideal place to try out inventive design ideas.
Customise an occasional chair with a cover made from any old fabric including denim, to make an impact to your summerhouse.
Make the most of a garden summerhouse by turning it into a party venue on special occasions.
Dress it up with bunting, cover an outdoor table with fun candy stripes, and provide seating within, just incase the weather turns.
Provide your garden summerhouse with a decked area and you’ve the perfect spot for lazy summer lunches.
A mix of striped and floral fabrics and folding directors’ chairs dress up the typical clubhouse look.
In a garden studio you can paint, write or simply while away the time.
For a calm effect, paint the room white, set a table before the window, and put up an unlined curtain or blind at the window to shield you from the sun.