Old Garage to Multifunction Garden Room with Shower
First Published: 7 June 2023
Refreshed: 27 September 2024
Reading Time: 3 minutes 11 seconds
Garages were once the go-to choice for outbuildings, used mainly for storage or sheltering vehicles. Today, we have more creative possibilities. Garden outbuildings are no longer limited to basic utility; instead, they can now serve as home offices, family rooms, or guest accommodation, complete with amenities such as a kitchenette and shower room. This recent project by Executive Garden Rooms is a perfect example of this modern transformation.
Compliant Guest Accommodation
Executive Garden Rooms were commissioned by a family in Christchurch, Dorset, to design and build a multifunctional garden room on the site of an old garage. The family envisioned a versatile space that would function as a home office, family room, and guest accommodation.
Every building designed by Executive Garden Rooms meets Building Regulation standards and is signed off by a Building Control inspector. This compliance sets them apart, as not all garden rooms on the market are designed to meet these standards, which are essential for buildings intended for sleeping accommodation.
The new garden room, with a footprint of 9.5m x 3.4m, is significantly larger than the garage it replaced. As part of their comprehensive service, Executive Garden Rooms guided the clients through the planning approval process, ensuring everything ran smoothly.
A Two-Room Garden Room with Shower
The new space is cleverly divided into two generously sized rooms. The main room features a sleek, high-gloss kitchenette. Next to the kitchenette is an airing cupboard housing a 125-litre pressurised water cylinder, ensuring a steady supply of hot water to both the kitchenette and shower room. This thoughtful addition prevents any potential drops in water pressure when someone in the main house is also using water.
A spacious shower room, complete with a corner shower, basin with vanity unit, and toilet, is connected to the main room.
Both rooms are fitted with floor-to-ceiling glazing. The main room has French doors with sidelights, while the other room has a four-pane section of glazing. The top sections of the windows can be opened to provide ventilation.
The doors and windows feature integral blinds housed within the sealed glazing units. These blinds are controlled by a magnetic bar, making it easy to adjust light and privacy levels.
Inside, the garden room boasts high-spec, contemporary finishes. The walls are fully plastered and painted, and the stylish laminate flooring creates an ideal setting for both work and leisure activities.
Low Maintenance Exterior Finishes
For this project, low-maintenance materials were chosen to ensure that the building remains in excellent condition with minimal upkeep, enhancing its longevity and maintaining its appearance over time.
The Anthracite Grey uPVC doors and windows offer a striking contrast to the light grey Cedral cladding that wraps the garden room. Cedral cladding is a fibre cement board that is coloured during the manufacturing process, eliminating the need for painting. It is resistant to rot and fungal attack, making it both durable and low-maintenance. The cladding’s textured wood grain effect adds a touch of natural charm to the overall aesthetic of the building.
Client Review of Their Executive Garden Rooms Project
We wanted an office that was not a glorified shed but an immovable structure that would last for years and add real value to our home. EGR are not the lowest cost out there but it became crystal clear when we were doing our research that the superior quality, dedication to the job in hand, knowledge, and workmanship was on another level. It became an easy decision in the end as we wanted this done properly and were willing to pay a bit more to have that peace of mind.
We couldn’t have made a better decision and we are absolutely delighted with the result! Alison didn’t leave any stone unturned and ensured we had everything how we wanted it. She also made it really stress free. John and his team arrived 7.30 every morning and worked through until the early evening. They just got on with it and again stress free from our point of view.
John himself is friendly, highly knowledgeable and experienced and gave us full confidence. Adam, his sidekick on the project, was very personable and worked his socks off. A huge asset to EGR. The other traders brought in were equally competent but by then we wouldn’t have expected anything less!
All in all we are delighted with the office and I would say anyone thinking of having an office or garden room look no further than Executive Garden Rooms.”
Learn More
Executive Garden Rooms, based in Dorset, primarily serve the surrounding areas. To learn more about their range of garden room designs, visit their website or contact the team on 01202 874 766. You can also email them at info@executivegardenrooms.co.uk.
