How to get your garden summer ready with a summerhouse
As the weather starts to warm up and you start spending more time in your garden, you might be starting to think about how you’re going to get it ready for summer. This might involve cleaning the patio, cutting the lawn or fresh planting.
While all these tasks are perfect for getting your garden ready for the season ahead, they don’t change the way you actually use your garden. Gardens that provide the most enjoyment throughout the warmer months are designed with structure and purpose that allows you to move between relaxing, entertaining and everyday use.
Adding a summerhouse to your garden is one of the most effective ways to introduce this structure. It can act as an anchor point for your entire garden layout and reshape how you use the space throughout the year.
In this blog, we’ll explain how to plan and position a summerhouse so you can get maximum enjoyment from your outdoor space throughout the summer months.
Think about how you want to use your garden
Before choosing your summerhouse or completely rearranging your garden, think about how you want to use it throughout the warmer months. This will help you to shape your garden into a functional space that provides you with everything you need.
Think about whether you want to entertain friends and family, create a quiet space to relax after a long day, want to work from home or want to create a sheltered area so your summer plans aren’t ruined by the unpredictable British weather.
Once you know the answer to this question, you can choose the right summerhouse for your needs, where it should be positioned and how you can arrange the rest of your garden around it to maximise your use of the space.
Positioning your summerhouse
Where you intend to place your summerhouse will influence the way you use it and when you use it.
It can be tempting to add a summerhouse to the sunniest part of your garden to maximise exposure to the sun. However, in the middle of summer, this can lead to overheating and a space that you can’t use during a hot day.
It’s better to build your summerhouse in a position that catches the morning sun and sits in the shade in the afternoon. Or a spot that offers shade throughout the morning and afternoon but allows you to catch the cooler evening sun.
We recommend avoiding exposure to the sun all day if possible and use surrounding trees, structure or position within your garden to control the light throughout the day and ensure you get maximum enjoyment from your new space.
To get the most from your summerhouse and help it feel connected to both your home and garden, position it so it feels like a natural extension of your existing living space and connect it with a path, patio or decking. Try and create a clear route from your home to the summerhouse to help the flow feel natural and to allow you to use the space comfortably.
A well-positioned summerhouse helps to improve your whole garden but a poorly placed one can quickly become a space you never use.
Design your garden around your summerhouse
Once you’ve found the right position for your summerhouse, the next step is to design or rearrange your garden around it.
Your summerhouse can act as the focal point to your garden rather than an afterthought. This could mean having the summerhouse doors open directly onto a patio or decking, having seating areas positioned nearby or creating a natural flow between the indoors and the outdoors.
Instead of just one, undefined space, adding a summerhouse allows you to break your garden up into different zones so you can get more use from it. You could create a seating zone, a BBQ or dining zone and an entertaining space by carefully thinking about the layout of your garden. Some summerhouses have an added canopy so you can create a versatile space that serves different needs throughout the day and throughout the year.
Structuring your garden in this way can help it to feel like a larger and more usable space.
Choosing the right summerhouse for your needs
Choosing a summerhouse for summer use is about more than just its appearance or size. It’s important to consider how your garden building will perform in warmer weather and how it can enhance your day-to-day use of the space.
Your summerhouse should feel light, open and comfortable, on both warmer and chillier days.
Good airflow is an important consideration when choosing a summerhouse. Look for features such as wide opening double doors, opening windows on multiple sides and open front or veranda style designs to maximise airflow and provide you with a comfortable space for relaxing, dining or entertaining in the summer months.
Your summerhouse should also feel like an extension of your garden, rather than a separate enclosed room. Look for designs with fully opening doors or large front openings to help blur the line between indoors and outdoors and help the space feel more connected.
Another important factor to consider is the size of the building. Alongside the size of your garden, think about the size that will best suit your lifestyle. For example, if you’re looking for somewhere to entertain friends and family, you might want to opt for a larger summerhouse that allows for greater flexibility. On the other hand, if you’re just looking for somewhere to relax or read, a small summerhouse can feel more enclosed and private.
Create a comfortable summer interior
A summerhouse that looks good in your garden but quickly becomes too warm or enclosed will quickly become a space that you never use. You need to create an interior space that feels cool, and which will adapt through the day and throughout the year as the weather changes.
When decorating your summerhouse, keep the interior light to reflect heat during the day rather than absorb it. You can also add soft shading such as curtains or blinds to provide protection during the heat of the day. A summerhouse is designed to help you enjoy the warmer weather but, if it’s too warm, it won’t be a comfortable space to use. Light blinds or curtains help to diffuse the sun rather than completely block it out to provide you with a bright yet cool environment.
We also recommend opting for lighter furniture that helps to improve airflow and flexibility of the space and soft furnishings to add comfort.
Don’t forget to account for the unpredictable British weather
UK summers are unpredictable so make sure you account for this in the design and positioning of your summerhouse.
A summerhouse is great for providing shelter from the rain if you’re entertaining friends and the weather changes. It can also provide shade from the heat of the day if you’re looking for somewhere to relax. When combined with surrounding features such as decking or seating areas, you can ensure your summerhouse and garden remain functional whatever the weather.
Turn your garden into a space you’ll actually use this summer
Getting your garden ready for summer is about creating a space that matches your lifestyle and allows you to get maximum enjoyment from both your indoor and outdoor space.
Adding a summerhouse and redesigning your garden around it helps to improve the way you use your garden and provides you with somewhere to entertain, relax or dine outside during the warmer months.
When positioned correctly and integrated into the layout of your garden, a summerhouse becomes a natural extension of your home and a space you can use frequently for a range of purposes.
If you want to make the most of your garden this summer, take a look at our full range of summerhouses.