7 Garden Rooms For Small Gardens

Need additional living space, but think you don’t have enough outside area for a garden room? Garden rooms for small gardens are one of the most common projects for the Make Room Outside team.

Small spaces aren't a barrier to some of the charming, practical designs on offer today, and even a compact garden room will be a positive addition to your home.

In general, a garden room won’t need planning permission, as it is usually considered a permitted development, subject to a number of caveats. However, it’s worth mentioning that even under permitted development rules, you are only allowed to build structures on up to 50% of the total area of your garden.

In this post, we feature 7 recent projects undertaken in and around West Yorkshire and show what’s possible even in the tightest of spaces.

1# A Garden Room with a View Near Halifax

Take a look at this charming development in the little hamlet of Millbank near Halifax in West Yorkshire, completed from start to finish in just five days at a cost of just £22K.

This bijou garden room measures just 3.5m x 2.5m and features bifold doors with an expansive picture window on the right elevation to make the most of the view. Foil rigid insulation ensures it’s a cosy spot for year round use even when the Yorkshire wind blows!

Located in a conservation area, the customer had originally expressed a preference for a composite cladding.

When the Make Room Outside team discussed the project with local planners, it was clear that only cedar cladding would be acceptable to secure project approval for construction. However, the end result shows just how attractive the cedar cladding option can be.

Location and orientation were important considerations, with the team discussing with the customer in detail the best way to utilise the view without significant impact on any other part of the garden.

This sunny corner is used by the owner as both an office and an attractive, peaceful sitting area for his retired wife, allowing them to spend quality time together.

2# Purpose-Designed Garden Office Space in Stainland

Another hillside location with a view in Stainland, West Yorkshire. This attractive office space was purpose-designed for the restricted plot, was completed in four days and cost the owner just £16K.

Featuring appealing, natural cedar cladding, this development measures 3.5m x 1.8m. It features a PVC two-pane sliding door to optimise light, as well as two 900mm x 1000mm opening double glazed windows to give a view over the neighbouring rolling fields while the owner works.

This was a bespoke construction, as Make Room Outside needed to create a garden room with the right elevation slightly lower than the left to avoid blocking an existing path down the side of the house.

To achieve this, the garden room chamfers slightly at the point where the doors are located. The roof was kept square to create a unique overhang.

3# A Rather Special Summerhouse in Elland

A small piece of heaven in the town of Elland, near Halifax, measuring 3.3m x 2.5m, costing £16K and taking just five days to complete.

This sweet summerhouse replaced an existing garden building, creating a more substantial, insulated structure that provides a very pleasant seating area for socialising with friends.

Featuring cedar cladding on the two visible elevations, the summerhouse has steel box-profile sheeting on the other two elevations and is accessed via attractive, practical PVC French doors.

4# Useful and Practical Office Space in Warley

Located in Warley, West Yorkshire, this versatile office space measures 2.7m x 2.7m, cost the owners just £14K and was conveniently built over a five-day period whilst the customer was away on holiday, with minimal disruption.

Creating an office space became a priority for the owner, who was working from home and finding herself constantly distracted by household chores and family activities.

This home office showcases attractive spiced oak slatted composite cladding and features two-pane sliding doors and a window to optimise natural light.

5# A Secluded Small Garden Room for Work in Halifax

Located in a small garden in the residential area of Skircoat Green in Halifax, this insulated office space measures 2.7m x 2m and took four days to complete at a total cost of £11.5K.

The customer sought a dedicated work area outside the family home. Working in an upstairs bedroom had proved not to be conducive to creating the right working environment.

This garden room is attractively clad using Black Cedral Lap composite cladding and features a single PVC double-glazed door with two 450mm x 900mm opening windows.

6# A Versatile Art Studio in Greetland

Adding useful living and working space to your home can be both easy and affordable with a garden room. In the village of Greetland near Halifax, this craft and painting studio measures a roomy 4m x 3.3m and costs £24K.

This was a more complex development because the team from Make Room Outside had to excavate the garden to sink the room deeper. This reduced the overall height of the finished structure so it did not create a visual obstruction for the neighbours.

This attractive construction features Tea Green Cedral Click vertical cladding and a picture window, giving a view over an adjacent wall to the rolling hills that characterise this area of West Yorkshire. Blinds within the glass give an added level of privacy.

Including groundworks, the project was completed and ready for occupation in just six days.

7# Making the Most of a Garden Corner in Wetherby

Situated in the historic town of Wetherby, this 3.3m x 2m garden room was purpose-designed to fit the space and create a useful and appealing sitting and socialising area.

Here, the Make Room Outside team successfully retained the owner’s original decking, dropping the level of the new garden room so the internal floor finished at the same height as this external decking.

Located on a corner plot, the structure features Cedar exterior cladding on the two visible elevations, with box-profile steel sheeting on the two hidden sides. The inclusion of four-pane sliding doors gives all the appearance and advantages of bifolds at half the price. The two central doors slide out into the outside fixed panes, successfully bringing the outside in.

The garden room was completed in six days at a cost of £15K. 

In Summary

We hope these projects have demonstrated what can be achieved with a garden room, even when the outside space is limited. 

Like what you’ve seen? If a bespoke garden room could enhance your outdoor space or provide valuable additional living and working space, visit our show village to see the variety and quality of our projects, or give us a call to talk through your requirements.