Oak Clad Garden Room with Storage
Published: 3 June 2025
Reading Time: 4 minutes
This garden room by Rustic Realities replaces a tired old shed, but it’s far more than just a storage upgrade. Designed as both a hangout space and a functional store, the building has a real cabin-like feel — and shows how a mix of materials and detailing can have a lot of character.
Oak Cladding, Beautifully Detailed
Oak cladding isn’t often used in garden room design these days. It takes skill to work with — the boards are heavy, and they need to be installed in a way that allows for movement over time. But when done well, as it has been here, oak gives a building a richness and depth that’s hard to match. The boards will silver naturally over time, but even when freshly fitted, you can really see the variation in grain and tone.
Lee from Rustic Realities has combined the oak with black-painted doors and windows, which offer a bold contrast and help tie the different elements of the building together.
Windows That Add Personality
The mix of glazing styles plays a big part in the look and feel of the finished building. The main room is accessed via Georgian-glazed French doors, paired with a tall, narrow side window that has an opening section at the top for ventilation. These classic-style windows have a contemporary feel thanks to the black finish — something that Rustic Realities often uses to balance traditional and modern influences.
A pivot-opening porthole window adds a playful touch. The windows aren’t just for show — each one has a purpose, whether it’s to bring in light, allow fresh air in, or frame a particular view.
Angled Wall Adds Character
Rather than sticking to a simple square footprint, the design includes a cut-off front corner. This softens the shape of the building and created the opportunity to position the French doors on the angled wall, directing the entrance into the heart of the garden. The doors open onto a small covered porch — a detail that’s both practical and adds a sense of arrival.
This kind of adjustment during the design process is typical of how Rustic Realities work — talking through ideas with clients and shaping the building around the site and its intended use.
Interior Designed to Feel Like a Cabin, Not Just Another Room
Inside, the client didn’t want the space to feel like a conventional room. Instead, the ceiling has been painted white to keep the space bright, while the walls are lined with hardwood ply — a finish that Lee has used on several builds. It’s a good balance between something that feels warm and practical, without being overworked.
A dark wood-effect laminate floor ties in with the cabin feel while offering an easy-to-clean surface. Four dimmable ceiling spotlights and three black double sockets serve the main room, while a slimline black wall heater provides warmth.
Built Around the Client's Brief
The client had originally been considering a cedar shingle pitched roof to really lean into the cabin idea, but the height would have triggered the need for planning permission. Instead, a mono-pitched EPDM roof was chosen to keep the overall height within Permitted Development. The finished building measures 4.5m x 3.5m, with the main room taking up 2.8m of the depth.
The structure is a timber-framed build, insulated throughout using Actis Hybris closed-cell insulation in the floor and Thermafleece sheepswool in the walls and ceiling. The base combines ground screws and jacks to extend the footprint past the existing hardstanding.
The storage area also has a double socket and LED strip light — showing the same level of attention even in the purely functional part of the build. The walls here are lined with OSB, chosen for its durability and ease of fixing. It’s a practical choice that makes the space genuinely usable, whether for storing tools, hanging equipment, or adding shelves.
Learn More
To discuss a bespoke garden room or storage space, contact Rustic Realities on 07712 581 532 or email inforusticrealities@gmail.com. You can see more examples of their work at www.rusticrealities.co.uk.
Rustic Realities work across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire, designing timber-framed buildings around their clients’ ideas and the character of their gardens.
