Why winter is the perfect time to plan a garden summer house

Yes, it’s that bleak time of year when we’re willing the long dark nights to end and we’re looking forward to the arrival of spring. Little wonder January is the most popular month for booking a holiday.

But if you’re planning ahead for the lighter and warmer months of the year, don’t forget to look closer to home. Winter is a great time to think about refreshing your living space, especially if you’re considering any major changes so you’re all ready to go as soon as the better weather arrives.

This particularly applies to your garden as you don’t want to miss the best of summer because you’ve got work going on. And if you’re dreaming of a beautiful outdoor space to enjoy barbecues, paddling pools and al fresco dining, why not consider adding a summer house to your garden?

A summer house is an extra building in your garden but unlike a shed, which is meant for storage and is generally rather functional, a summer house is designed to be beautiful and to give you another living space. Light and airy with lots of windows and often an attractive octagonal or circular shape, a summer house can become a focal point for your outdoor space. A lick of brightly coloured paint, some bunting and fairy lights and you have a charming additional to your garden – check out some of the options on leading supplier Dunster House’s website here.

These stylish wooden buildings have a multitude of uses. Location, as with anything in the garden, is key – when and how much sun do you want them to get? If our recent baking summers are a little too hot for you, you might want to position it so it’s available for shade at the height of a hot day – but with plenty of light and air so you can still enjoy the outdoors on the most roasting day. Similarly too shady a corner might make the atmosphere a little gloomy.

Comfy chairs inside and a barbecue just outside makes it a great place for entertaining – you can even add a bar! Or could it be a second living room, where dad retreats to watch TV or your teenager to play Xbox without bothering the rest of the family.

On hot nights, it could be your – or your teen’s – mini camping spot. Will the sun hit it first thing in the morning – what a great breakfast room. Or if it’s facing west, watch the sun set, with a gin and tonic in hand.

All that light means it’s perfect for hobbies, like art, sewing or music, or even some weights for a peaceful workout space, with views of the garden to inspire.

And as a calm space, just to listen to the birdsong through the open windows with the scent of your garden’s flowers drifting through the windows, or the soothing patter of rain while looking out at your green space, it can’t be beaten.

To find out more about Dunster House and their products click here.