Summer house ideas to inspire you to create the garden of your dreams
Are you dreaming of a summer house?
A garden summer house can be used as your very own special space. It can be transformed into a studio for writing, painting or other crafting activities, or can simply become a space for you to relax in and enjoy your leisure time.
On sunny days, a garden building or garden room also provides welcome shade from the midday heat. If you want to go for a country garden summer house, choose a style with a tiled roof, windows with small panes and details such as a weathervane or window boxes. Pick a calming palette of neutral and pastel shades, and colour wash timber cladding with pale leafy greens. There are a lot of choices and things to think about, but our summer house ideas should give you all the inspiration you need.
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Love your garden? Visit the Ideal Home garden shop and check out our curated collection of flowers and shrubs
Find a secluded spot at the end of the garden
Image credit: Robert Sanderson
The position of your summer house is really important. Generally at the far end of the garden is a good place – in the middle will make your garden seem smaller than it is and break up the lawn space you have. Plus, if you’re looking to create a beautiful retreat, the further you are away from everyday life, the better. We love how this spacious summer house is surrounded by trees, giving it a truly secluded, middle-of-the-countryside feel.
Get the look
Buy now: similar terracotta pots, More Than Pots
Mix and match your furniture
Image credit: Polly Eltes
Give your garden summer house a relaxed look with a mix of furniture styles, from the kind of comfy sofa you might find in your living room to painted wicker pieces in a hot-pink hue. Junk-shop finds are great for outhouses, as you don’t need to have your best furniture in here – and remember that upcycling can turn even the most unloved piece into something great.
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Buy now: similar sofa, Sofa.com
Buy now: similar rug, Habitat
After orangery or conservatory decorating tips? READ: Orangeries: 10 wonderful design ideas
Make space to dine
Image credit: Spike Powell
Provide your garden summer house with a decked area and you’ll have the perfect spot for lazy summer lunches. Pretty bunting and folding directors chairs dress up the typical English clubhouse look. You can’t go wrong with fold-up furniture in the UK – if it starts raining, you can easily and quickly take it inside to use under the comfort of your summer house roof.
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Buy now: similar chairs, Debenhams
Buy now: similar bag, The White Company
Paint it blue
Image credit: Colin Poole
Decorate the exterior of your garden summer house in a fetching blue. If you have a hilly garden, this arrangement shows you what can be done. It’s all about creating different levels in your garden so you have a flat enough surface for your summer house to sit on. In the absence of a lawn, there’s still lots of scope to have flower beds and pots dotted about for a lush, green effect.
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Buy now: similar paint, Cuprinol Garden Shades at Wickes
Fill your space with garden prints
Image credit: Dan Duchars
Most people like their garden room to feel entirely different and separate from their homes. It’s all about having a retreat where you can get back to nature, so choose furnishings to reflect this. Natural materials and botanical prints are the way to go. Think fresh greens, bright pinks and a splash of yellow – they’re all colours found in the great outdoors and will create a soothing scheme.
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Buy now: similar fabrics, Cath Kidston
Looking for other styles of garden building? READ: How to choose the ideal garden room
Create a stylish footpath
Image credit: David Giles
Make your summer house the main attraction in your garden with a stylish stepping-stone path that leads to the front door. Another noteworthy thing about this garden is the sizeable summer house, which has been fitted into a relatively narrow space. An eau de Nil exterior, deckchair and beach sign all give a nod to the seaside, too, creating the feel of a stylish beach hut.
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Buy now: similar deckchair, Garden Trading
Buy now: similar beach sign, Etsy
See all: Garden and Conservatory Furniture range products at Tesco
Build the perfect home office
Image credit: Dan Duchars
If you work from home, a garden office could be just the thing for you. For a calm effect, paint the room white and set a desk near a window or door, where it can be opened for a cool breath of fresh air. Create a stylish spot to study with a mix of modern furniture and traditional accessories, such as the phone and wooden filing unit.
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Buy now: similar phone, PMC Telecom
Buy now: similar rug, John Lewis
Choose floaty curtains for a country retreat
Image credit: Tim Young
If you’ve been put off summer houses because you don’t want anything too standout or dominant in your garden, you will love this super-natural structure. With its calming neutral palette, timber cladding and climbing plants, it blends in with its environment perfectly. Lemon-yellow accents add a hit of colour to the rustic scheme.
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Buy now: similar apple crate, Not On The High Street
Buy now: similar bike, Evans Cycles
Turn your summer house into a spare room
Image credit: Simon Bevan
Got no room for guests when they come to stay? Then turn your summer house into a chic spare bedroom that will be the talking point of their visit. A monochrome scheme always looks stylish – go for more white than black for an airy feel. Don’t be afraid to mix different prints, from geometrics to polka dots – in moderation, they can’t help but look sophisticated.
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Buy now: similar bedding, Soak & Sleep
Create the perfect retreat
Image credit: Polly Eltes
Tucked away at the end of your lawn, a garden summer house provides a picturesque focal point and shelter from the midday sun. This octagonal room has small-paned windows, a tiled roof and weathervane, creating the perfect country look.
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Buy now: similar summer house, Lugarde
Choose calming green
Image credit: Lucinda Symons
Lloyd Loom furniture is the classic choice for a country-style summer house or conservatory. A leafy green paint colour on walls provides a fresh backdrop to the furniture, and a natural flooring rug draws the scheme together.
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Buy now: similar paint colours, Farrow & Ball
Go for plantation style
Image credit: Lucinda Symons
The curvy dark wood frame and cane seat of a plantation-style chair emphasise a summery scheme. Keep the theme light and airy with sheer curtains and furnishings in neutral tones and soft, pastel colours.
Get the look
Buy now: similar armchair, Lombok
Buy now: similar curtain fabric, Romo
Which of these ideas is your favourite? Let us know in the comments box below.
