Garden room with large side canopy
A 6m × 4m cedar room on a steep Kent garden, with a canopy that takes the building to 13 metres wide.
Adding a decked area with a canopy alongside an insulated garden room has become a popular design choice in recent years. Buyers enjoy extending the indoor-outdoor lifestyle a garden room offers by including a sheltered space for entertaining next to the main room.
Usually positioned to one side of the insulated garden room, these canopied areas have multiple uses. Some people add outdoor sofas or dining tables for entertaining, while others use the space as an outdoor kitchen or even for a hot tub.
This lovely example of a cedar garden room with a large side canopy was created by Kent-based Ark Design Build. The insulated garden room measures a spacious 6m x 4m, and the canopied area extends the overall building to 13 metres wide, providing an expansive indoor-outdoor living space.
The local planning department carried out a site visit to confirm that the homeowners could build the garden room under Permitted Development rules.
At a glance
- Size: A 6m × 4m room; 13m wide with the canopy.
- Built for: Year-round use, with sheltered space for entertaining alongside.
- Construction: Ground screws on a steep slope, hidden behind a cedar fascia; built under Permitted Development.
- Finishes: Western Red Cedar, dark grey composite decking and two sets of aluminium bi-folds.
- Company: Ark Design Build, with hardwired data cabling as standard.
Overcoming uneven ground
The garden selected for this project was steeply sloped. Ark Design Build used ground screws for the foundations of this garden room, a system that’s perfect for overcoming sloping ground to create a level base for construction.
They concealed the foundation system by adding a sleek cedar fascia along the front of the building, complemented by custom-made steps leading up to the decked veranda.
Cedar clad exterior
Cedar cladding has been extensively used on the exterior of the garden room. The boards under the canopy beautifully showcase the rich colour variations characteristic of Western Red Cedar.
Dark grey composite decking was used for the steps and veranda, harmonising with the aluminium door frames and contrasting nicely with the reddish-brown tones of the cedar. Composite decking is increasingly popular as it retains its colour without requiring maintenance and doesn’t become slippery, unlike wooden decking.
Looking closely at the images, you’ll notice exterior-grade LED downlights have been fitted. These lights enhance the usability of the canopy area into the evening, creating a warm glow when viewed from the house.
The main room
While the canopied area is open-sided, the main garden room is a highly insulated space designed for comfortable, year-round use. Thanks to the two sets of bi-fold doors, the owners can slide the doors aside on warm days to create a seamless indoor-outdoor space.
The bi-fold doors are a high-quality, powder-coated aluminium frame system. The set on the front elevation features four panels, while the side set comprises three smaller panels.
Inside, the garden room features plastered and decorated walls and ceiling, with a wooden floor. This combination creates a bright, modern room that feels much like a new-build home.
Ark Design Build provides a well-specified electrical package for their garden rooms. Along with ample power outlets and LED lighting, they include hard-wired data cabling for a reliable internet connection as standard.
Learn more about Ark Design Build
Ark Design Build focuses its work in the Kent area. To learn more about this project, contact the team on 07896 196 718 or email them at contact@arkdesignbuild.co.uk. Visit www.arkdesignbuild.co.uk to explore more of their garden rooms.
