Those seeking extra space often think ‘roof’, but thinking ‘garden’ may offer great potential. If we think of a wooden garden building we see a
rundown old shed, or maybe a leaky summerhouse with peeling paint. The 21st-century incarnation however, is an all-weather, all-purpose solution to the problem of insufficient house space: lined, insulated, double-glazed, with broadband and plumbing to boot.

The wooden garden room beats a loft conversionin a number of areas. The first is that the design space is not constrained by the dimensions of your roof. A loft conversion will always feel like a stopgap unless you decide to go for a hugely costly 'building-up', with scaffolding, cement, brickdust, chaos.

A garden room however, is a fluid design concept which gives you licence to specify what you want, with the whole build and installation a far simpler and less messy affair.

Once the garden room, either an off-the-peg or bespoke design, is built, the specialist company can landscape the garden to ensure the natural timber is set off to harmonius effect. As you settle in to your new space, another boom will quickly become obvious. If you intend to work, you sudddenly have that eternally elusive thing called 'peace and quiet'. The effect is no less pleasant whether the room becomes a gym, home-cinema, games-room or kids' play room.

Psychotherapist Clare Mason says her purpose-built consulting room is a retreat that has proved beneficial to her patients as well as herself. 'It's incredible what a difference having this beautiful room has made to my work.'

The idea of a haven away from the noise and motion of the house appeals to most of us. In addition, if ever there comes a time to sell, it's likely a
buyer will immediately see it too, and begin to mentally move in their desk or multi-gym. A wooden garden room, ultimately, is an investment, which can hardly fail to repay itself, however it is exploited.

It's the new mantra in home improvement: don't try and squeeze a room into your house - blend it into your garden!