A Peaceful Garden Study in Cobham by Eden Garden Rooms
Published: 13 August 2026
Reading Time: 2 minutes 50 seconds
A study for reading, writing and reflection is one of the quieter uses a garden room gets put to, and one it suits particularly well. What it adds is distance. The study is set away from the house, with the garden in between, and that degree of separation from home life is most of what makes it a peaceful place to think.
Eden Garden Rooms built this 5.35m x 3.45m study in Cobham, Surrey, for a retired couple. It replaced an old summerhouse that was well past its best and only really usable in warm weather.
A summerhouse is good for part of the year. A garden study that is fully insulated and double glazed is a true extension of the home, comfortable in any month, and that is what the owners were after: a bright room with a view of the garden they could use every day.
The site of the old summerhouse set the terms. Its position and footprint dictated the size of the new building and where it would sit, so the design work went into what happened within those limits.
Glazing Placed for the Garden View
The Eden Garden Rooms design team worked with the owners on where the glass should go, and the wall facing the garden is where it's been focused. French doors sit in the middle, with a 600mm full-height window on each side, and between them run vertical sections of Western Red Cedar tongue and groove. Glass, timber, glass, timber, glass: a pleasing rhythm across the elevation, and a connection with the garden from wherever you sit in the room.
A wide letterbox window is positioned high in the right-hand wall, above the desk. It opens easily for ventilation and brings light in from a second direction.
Cedar and Anthracite Grey
The exterior is signature Eden Garden Rooms. Western Red Cedar exterior cladding with its rich natural tones that are paired with anthracite grey door and window frames and trims. A 300mm deep canopy, finished in the same grey, runs above the doors with downlights recessed into the soffit, so the front of the building is lit after dark.
Plastered, Decorated and Furnished to Suit
Inside, the walls are plastered and decorated, which is what gives the study the quality of a room in the house rather than a seasonal outbuilding. The floor finish was chosen to complement the owners' furniture, and a slim panel heater keeps the room warm through the winter.
The layout follows how the couple use it: a desk with storage at one end, a seating area for reading at the other, and a patio in front for the days when the doors are open. The result is a peaceful retreat, in use all year round.
Learn More
Eden Garden Rooms build bespoke garden rooms in a contemporary style, hand-built on site using a multi-layer insulated timber frame system. Based in Kent, the family-run team work across the south of England. To find out more or to discuss your own garden room, visit edengardenrooms.co.uk, call 0800 093 5339, or book a design call at edengardenrooms.co.uk/book-a-discovery-call.
