ALL IN A DAY’S WORK

The garden office Tim Denton created from scratch has come into its own in recent months, providing the work-life separation he needed

of us have spent the last few months balancing work and home life from our houses. It’s been a mixed bag: we’ve welcomed the much-needed flexibility working from home has brought to our lives, but we’ve also realised just how ill-suited our living spaces are for this modern way of working. It’s for that reason that we’re turning to extensions, loft conversions and garden rooms to create the home offices we need.

Designer Tim Denton built his garden office from scratch long before the Covid-19 lockdown began. He hadn’t used it as much as he’d hoped, but it came into its own when he was suddenly confined to the house he shares with his wife and two children. The building is a pleasure to look at, clad in undulating shingles that add pattern and texture to the exterior, with a warm, woodclad interior that’s flooded with light from the huge picture window. It’s also practical, with a low-fuss interior that allows for pinning, sticking and screwing in everything from blueprints to furniture – perfect for creative types.

Tim has found so much value in his new garden office that he’s decided to develop a modular version for his customers. ‘The last few months made me realise how many people would be thinking about having a space like this,’ he says. ‘I’d always intended to develop it as a product, but having the time to breathe and reflect during lockdown gave me that space to tie up the loose ends.’ Here, he explains the steps he took to create his unique design.