Incorporating a storage shed into a garden room building, is a popular choice these days. With the vast majority of the designs we see, the main room and storage shed sit side by side. With the two rooms typically accessed via doors on the front elevation.
However, you are not limited to having the two rooms sit side by side. If you have space, you could position the storage room behind the main living room. This option creates a hidden room, as from the front of the building, you would have no idea it was there!
This recent project by Ark Design Build is a fine example. From the front of the building, you have no idea that there is another room behind it. The storage room is accessed via a 'secret door' at the far end of the left-hand wall. The door has been carefully matched into the Cedar wall cladding, making it invisible, at first glance.
Built in Sevenoaks, Kent, the building has an overall footprint of 5m x 6m. The key feature of the main room is the 4m wide, triple leaf sliding doors, which have created a fully glazed front wall. A full-height window on the left-hand wall cleverly wraps the glazing around the corner of the building.
A shallow hood detail has been created around the sliding doors. This frames the expanse of glazing and has allowed for LED downlights to be fitted above the doors. These will look great at night, creating a curtain of light down the front of the building.
High-spec interior finishes
Inside, the room has a light, modern finish. The walls and ceiling have been plastered and decorated, creating a high-spec finish like in a new build house. The room is fully wired electrically; the Ark team fitting stylish brushed steel sockets and switches.
The highly insulated building has been fitted with a modern, slimline electric wall heater. We hear that the owners plan to add a wood burner in the future. This will be a lovely feature, but is a task that has to be undertaken by a registered woodburner installer, so that it complies with the Building Regulations.
Practical storage room
While the main room has a high-spec plastered and decorated interior, the storage room has a much more practical internal finish. The floor, walls and ceiling are all finished with OSB boards. OSB is a highly durable and strong material, which is ideal for areas where you want to put up shelves and hang tools, etc.
LED downlights have been fitted in the ceiling and power sockets fitted over the custom bench area.
Bespoke design features complete the project
Ark Design Build are bespoke design specialists. Each building is designed around the needs of the individual customer. This service can include small design details that complete the project.
In this case, the Ark Design Build team built a custom bench area in the storage room. They also created a small Cedar wood store, and fitted a small kitchen area in the main room complete with wine store, enhancing the use of the room for entertaining.
Large composite deck
A large light grey composite wood deck has been fitted at the front of the building. This extends the inside-outside feel of the room once the doors are pushed to one side.
Composite decking has become a popular choice in garden room design as it does not lose its colour and won't become slippery, as timber decking is prone to do. Composite decking comes in a range of colours. The different shades of grey, in particular, look great against the natural beauty of Cedar cladding.
