Back in October 2009, we launched a new website called The Garden Room Guide. We have now spent ten years sharing our knowledge of the garden room industry and showcasing the work of some of the best names in the business. We know that thousands of people have found 'their perfect' garden room after reading an article or seeing a photo on this website, and that is great!
17,290 garden room images and counting
Having spent several years designing and building garden rooms, an accident forced a change of direction. It was a friend saying, "its a shame you have so much knowledge to share, and nobody is now going to benefit", that planted the seed of an idea, that became The Garden Room Guide.
When we started the site, the idea was for it, was to share the basic details about garden room construction, and insight into how you buy one. Ten years on, it has become the most extensive website on the subject. Even after a prune of old content last year, there are around 3,000 pages on the site and 17,290 images - no wonder our hosting is so expensive!
As mum says, "who knew there was so much to say about a garden room!".
"Do you have a favourite garden room?"
We are often asked if we have a favourite garden room. It is always the last one we wrote about! In truth, we try to stay impartial, and it helps that we get excited about all styles of garden room building! There have, however, been a few projects that have stood out for us, over the years, which we will share in our next article. They are an eclectic mix!
The garden room industry has evolved in ten years
Ten years ago, people were buying garden rooms as home offices, artists studios and summerhouses that can be used all year round. While people are still buying them for these uses today, the designs are getting much more sophisticated. You have people running successful businesses from a purpose-built garden room, and families bring relatives to live with them in a self-contained living annexe, which offer families the space to live independently yet close together.
It is exciting watching the industry evolve. Many of the projects we feature today are much more complex than those we featured ten years ago. The variety of design features you can choose to incorporate into your building and the pallete of materials used today is impressive.
The way you buy a garden room has evolved too. Ten years ago, you chose a standard design or gave a brief to a bespoke designer. You can still do this today, with the addition of choosing a flexible modular design, but the design process has become much more collaborative between customer and designer.
Today you can make all sorts of choices for your garden room, from the size and positioning of doors and windows, through to the finishes used; using an online planner. We are also seeing companies adopt virtual reality systems, whereby you can design and move around you proposed building in realtime.
If you choose to go down the bespoke route, you will find that designers are keen to work closely with you. So, that you can have input into each element of the design, resulting in a building that is tailored to your needs and tastes.
Will you still be writing about garden rooms in another ten years?
We'd certainly like to think so! We still get excited about garden rooms and developments in the industry. We also have big plans for The Garden Room Guide that we are keen to implement. So, watch this space!
