Garden Rooms
Most people are under the impression that you need to have a large piece of property in order to create intimate garden rooms; however, nearly any landscape, including those with limited space, can easily be transformed into functional garden rooms that will provide additional interest to your home.
Garden rooms can easily fit into small spaces and creatively designed to look bigger. You can create the illusion of space using a simple path that basically leads nowhere; instead, have it take you to a gate or a cozy seating area. Situate a bench next to a meandering walkway through a sea of garden plantings, for instance. Have this walkway lead the eyes to a quaint dead end, such as an old door that’s been creatively covered with flowering vines. Of course, this door doesn’t open, but it will give the illusion that there is something more behind it. You could also place a focal point at the furthest end of the garden to create distance and the illusion of space. Using raised beds in the garden will add some height to an otherwise small, low-lying area.
Designing garden rooms is much the same as designing indoor rooms. They may have walls, floors, and even a ceiling. Garden rooms will need to be furnished as well to complete the effect. Walls for garden rooms can be created with existing buildings, such as the side of an old shed, or other free-standing structures such as retaining walls or fences. Additionally, these walls can be made up of plants such as small shrubs or hedges. Container plants can also be arranged to create walls while adding intimacy to the area. Your walls may be low or high, depending on your specific design or personal preference. The floors of your garden rooms can be made up of just about anything but should suit the purpose of the room. Recreation and other play areas, for instance, would be most suited to a grass-covered or mulch floor. On the other hand, a floor consisting of flagstone and accentuated with creeping thyme might serve areas such as intimate dining or personal retreats. Concrete, mulch, paving stones, bricks, groundcovers, or even the bare ground can also act as suitable floor choices. Ceilings for your garden rooms are not necessary; the sky can fulfill this easily. However, if you would like to add a ceiling to your garden room, options here might include that of a tree, arbor, pergola, umbrella, or even an awing. All of which can provide your garden room with a sense of enclosure.
Decorate your garden rooms with appropriate furniture and accessorize them just as you would do on the inside of your home. Furniture and accessories should always reflect the intended function of the room. For instance, a simple table and lounge chair is ideal for a quiet outdoor sitting room. A picnic table and barbeque pit will easily fit into the dining ‘al fresco’ room. Add some plants for color and additional intimacy. Accessorize with personal mementos that not only reflect your personality and that of your family but those that will offer further interest as well.
Before you jump right in, however, consider what kinds of activities you’ll be doing. Determine the function of each room carefully. For example, will you be entertaining guests or do you simply desire a private retreat? How about recreation? What will you need to accomplish these activities? Do you have an adequate outdoor dining table? Is there a suitable area that offers privacy or will you need to add a vine-covered trellis? Is there ample space for a child’s swing set? Each garden room has a specific purpose and requires different things. Dining or entertaining areas should be kept closest to the home for easier serving and cleaning up. These garden rooms can be part of an existing deck or patio. They may also consist of nothing more than a simple mulch-covered site next to the house. Choose table and seating options that will be comfortable and lightweight as well as weather resistant. It is important to provide furnishings that will complement the surroundings; otherwise, your room will not fit in. The goal is to tie everything together; garden rooms are an extension of your home and should belong to their environment. You wouldn’t want to have an old rustic seating area, such as a log-built table and matching benches, on the outskirts of an immaculate estate. This would simply appear out of place. Likewise, you wouldn’t see an exquisite wrought-iron patio set lounging in the backyard of an apartment complex.
A quiet garden room for relaxing should include items of personal meaning and comfortable seating. A bench, lounge chair, or hammock is well suited to these types of rooms. Consider facing this area away from the home within greatest viewing of the garden or other interesting sight. Add a small table to hold a drink or maybe a book. Place a votive candle there for nighttime relaxation. Hang some wind chimes from a nearby tree branch or incorporate a trickling water feature to provide subtle, tranquil sounds. Fragrant plantings such as lilacs, jasmines, or roses can be implemented to fill the area with pleasant uplifting aromas.
There are numerous options for recreation and play areas. Some people include a pool area; of course, not everyone can afford this. However, a small pool for the youngsters could work just as well. Smaller children love frolicking on trampolines, swing sets, or in sandboxes while the older ones might prefer a basketball goal or badminton net. These areas should consist of soft flooring such as grass, sand, or bark mulch. Recreational garden rooms should also be situated away from outdoor dining rooms but within easy viewing from indoors to provide adequate supervision, especially with younger children.
Don’t forget about lighting. This will not only help with safety issues but will add to its overall charm. As with room dÃ?©cor, lighting should also be chosen to complement the purposes of each garden room. Think about where you’ll be spending the most time and which areas may need more light. Add some intimate candles or lanterns to those quiet sitting areas. Incorporate a fire pit or maybe a string of lights to enhance your dining or entertaining garden room. Use outdoor lamps to further build the outdoor ambience. Recreation areas will generally require more lighting. Opt for easy-to-install, low-voltage lighting systems for these areas.
Whether it’s for recreation, dining, or just relaxing, adding a functional garden room to your home will not only serve its outdoor purpose but improve the overall appearance of your home’s dÃ?©cor.
