Old garage to multifunction garden room with shower
Published: 7 June 2023
Reading Time: 3 minutes 11 seconds
Garages were once the outbuilding of choice, serving as simple storage or shelter for our vehicles. Today we are far more adventurous. No longer are we confined to the basic utility buildings in our gardens; instead, we can now enjoy outbuildings that can function as home offices, family spaces, and guest accommodations, which can be equipped with amenities like a kitchenette and shower room. This recent project by Executive Garden Rooms is a fine example of this transformation.
Compliant Guest Accommodation
Executive Garden Rooms were recently commissioned by a family in Christchurch, Dorset, to design and build a multifunctional garden room on the site of an old garage. The family's vision was a versatile space serving as a home office, family room, and guest accommodation.
All buildings designed by Executive Garden Rooms meet Building Regulation standards and are signed off by the Building Control inspector. This feature sets them apart as not all garden rooms on the market comply with these regulations, which ensure suitability for sleeping accommodation.
The new garden room, with a footprint of 9.5m x 3.4m, is substantially larger than the replaced garage. As part of their turnkey service, Executive Garden Rooms helped the clients navigate the planning approval process smoothly and effortlessly.
A Two-Room Garden Room with Shower
The new space is cleverly divided into two spacious rooms. The main room showcases a sleek, high-gloss kitchenette. Adjacent to the kitchenette, an airing cupboard houses a 125-litre pressurised water cylinder, providing a reliable hot water supply to the kitchenette and shower room. This thoughtful inclusion by Executive Garden Rooms prevents any potential pressure drops 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, adjoins the main room.
Each of the two main rooms features floor-to-ceiling glazing, French doors with sidelights in the main room and a four-pane section of glazing in the other. The top sections of the windows can be opened for ventilation.
The doors and windows feature integral blinds within the sealed glazing units. These blinds are controlled via a magnetic bar, ensuring easy management of light and privacy.
The garden room's interior finishes are high-spec and contemporary. Fully plastered and painted walls are complemented by stylish laminate flooring, providing an ideal setting for both work and leisure.
Low Maintenance Exterior Choices
For this project, low-maintenance exterior finishes were chosen to ensure that the building remains in prime condition with minimal effort, thus offering longevity and maintaining its aesthetic appeal over time.
The Anthracite Grey uPVC doors and windows create a striking contrast with the light grey Cedral cladding that wraps the garden room. Cedral cladding is a cement fibre board coloured during the manufacturing process, thus eliminating the need for subsequent painting. This cladding is resistant to both rot and fungal attack, emphasising its durability and low-maintenance nature. The boards also feature a textured wood grain effect, adding a touch of natural charm to the building's overall appearance.
Executive Garden Rooms client offered this review of the 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 are based in Dorset and work primarily in the surrounding areas. To learn more about their diverse garden room designs, visit their website or call the team on 01202 874 766. Alternatively, you can reach them via email at info@executivegardenrooms.co.uk.