14 ideas that prove you can have a garden office even if your plot is small

Create a rustic, country feel no matter where you live with an oak-framed small garden office. The exposed frame on this example from Border Oak means you can leave wall decoration to a minimum, letting the building’s structural features speak for themselves.  

Oak is a wonderful building material due to its strength, and it’ll be very unlikely to succumb to rot. There will likely be lots of variety in the designs available – or you could even take on a completely bespoke project. Meaning no one else in the UK will be sitting in a small garden office quite like yours. 

Thankfully, those smart, purpose-built garden rooms you might have seen on the market don’t have to be huge. Companies like Forest manufacture them for tiny outside spaces too.  

This small garden office idea is ideal if you want a structure that’s been engineered for you to be energy efficient and is easy to construct. Well, easier than planning and cutting every piece of wood from scratch.  

In complete opposition to the previous small garden office idea, why not show your shed some love and convert it? 

Research* from Forest Garden revealed that 20% of 55- to 64-year-olds say their shed is mainly full of “broken stuff”. In our eyes, this means there’s plenty of opportunity to reimagine an existing, unloved outbuilding into a functional workspace. Provided you have some natural light and can hook your shed up to mains power, there’s no reason it can’t become a new place for you to focus.  

If you’re up for a little (or a lot of) DIY-ing, you’ll need to think about the following when converting a shed into a workspace: damp-proofing, wall and roof insulation, electricity supply, proper lighting, a heat source, adequate wi-fi connectivity and security. You may even want to add a water supply, if you don’t already have an outdoor sink.  

* Research conducted by Forest Garden, which surveyed 2,000 shed-owners across the UK (August 2023)

Lighting can help set the mood, keep your focus and ease your eyes. Any workspace should have carefully chosen lights to accommodate these needs. But seeing as this office is in your garden, a softer approach might be needed.  

“Avoid anything too commercial-feeling at home,” says Lucinda Newbound, Back in Action’s senior ergonomics adviser. “Instead, opt for various lighting options, such as wall lights and overhead lights, to keep the room bright, and a desk lamp to keep your task area well-lit to avoid straining your eyes when working. If you’re not easily distracted, place your desk in front of a window to allow you to soak up natural light throughout the day.” 

This small garden office idea from Green Retreats does just that – with the desk position benefiting from both natural light and a useful desk lamp. (Plus, we think the bright mural will be a great conversation point during any Zoom calls.) 

Although the overall footprint of this wooden summerhouse courtesy of Cuckooland.com is larger than what would normally be considered a small garden office, it has a trick up its sleeve. You can save space elsewhere on your plot by incorporating your garden seating area under the same roof.   

What’s more, as well as relaxing with friends and family around the table next door, you could also take the opportunity to work al fresco when the weather allows. It’s the perfect place to clear your head and refocus. You’ll still be stone’s throw from your main desk if you need to pop back to your proper setup.  

If you’re completely stuck for space, like this tiny courtyard garden, you might not have the option to add a separate structure. But this conservatory office idea from Welsh Oak Frame shows it is possible to squeeze a garden room into a tight space. This option will provide the easiest access – so might be suitable if travelling across your garden isn’t feasible.  

The warm, terracotta tones in the wood complement the paved stone floor. Plus, the glass ceiling lets loads of light flood in, avoiding the space becoming too dark, even when it’s a shady time of day. This small garden office idea becomes a buffer between the house and garden, inviting all the best bits of your outside space in, while keeping your workspace separate from the rest of the rooms you live in.  

If you want to make your small garden look bigger, you might want to save on space and cut some corners. Quite literally. We love the octagonal Wiveton summerhouse from Crane Garden Buildings, which would work as a small garden office. 

You’ll feel far from boxed in, thanks to its inviting shape, which could easily also double up as an entertaining social space when you’re not glued to your desk. Windows on half of the walls illuminate your workspace, and there’s a tall ceiling overhead. You can nestle into a quiet corner of your plot and get lost in the task at hand.  

Ergonomic seating options and other alternative office chairs don’t have to take up much space. In fact, many designs on the market are rather slimline, like the HAG Capsico from Back in Action. If your small garden office is going to double up as a craft space, then your back might thank you if you also choose a sit-stand desk.  

Rather than taking up room with two work surfaces at different heights, these desks can adjust to your needs. Though be sure to check the mechanism before you buy if you tend to experience weakness in your arms and hands – I used a budget model at a previous job, and it was quite an undertaking to bring the desk’s height up and down. 

Liam Bee from Garden Office Buildings shares the reasons he thinks small garden offices are a great idea: 

• “They’re less expensive to keep warm during winter months than a larger office. We would recommend a small oil filled heater that is cheap to run and can heat a small garden office up in a few minutes. 
• “It’s perfect for smaller gardens, especially terraced houses where space is limited.
• “Garden offices can add between 5-10% of value to a property, even small ones.” 

Seeing as you’ll be working in the garden, don’t forget to add foliage and include indoor plants. This small garden office idea won’t take up too much space – if any, if it’s in a hanging basket. 

There will be a plant suitable for all light and humidity conditions, but we particularly like Scindapsus, also called devil’s ivy. It can be propagated in water (which makes for a handsome little desk ornament), grown in a pot or can cascade down from a hanging basket.  

“We think he’s a fab choice for an office plant,” say the team at The Little Botanical. “He’s a top-notch air-purifier, and as well as detoxing the air in your office he’s also super easy to look after. He can grow in any direction and will thrive in a dark corner or a well-lit spot.” 

OK, we admit that plonking an office building into a modest plot won’t exactly be a subtle addition to your landscaping. But there’s no reason it should be completely overbearing. Take this small garden office idea from Green Retreats.  

Its exterior finishes are in similar shades to the other garden hardscaping. This helps the structure settle into its surroundings. The ash-coloured wood complements the pale decking and patio, as well as the garden seating. Meanwhile, the door and window frames tie into the dark fence panelling. 

Minimalist office accessories can still be useful. Some desks, like this Koble Silas Smart Desk, will keep your small garden office neat and tidy with a wireless charger surface, or opt for in-built USB points instead. Anything that reduces the number of wires streaming around the place becoming mysteriously entangled is a win in our books. 

Nifty features like pop-out drawers can also keep messy paperwork out of sight (but not out of mind). Minimal can be multifunctional – which is an essential design hack for smaller spaces. 

We’re huge fans of multifunctional furniture at Saga Exceptional. It’s one of the best ways to save space, which is needed if your small garden office is, well, small.  

This modular design from Shelved combines a desk with helpful deep, wide shelves to fit all your nick-nacks on. But it’s not just multifunctionality that helps here, it’s the dimensions of the shelves themselves. 

“Use tall bookshelves (floor to ceiling, if possible) to make the room feel wider,” advises Bee. It’s a quick trick to open up the cosiest of creative caves.  

Wide, sliding doors don’t just look good, they’re useful for letting in light and air – and  your garden. You can soak up the sights, sounds and smells of nature while you work away. 

“Ensure there is a large amount of glass to bring in natural light,” says Bee. “We use 2.5m (8ft 2in) wide sliding doors as standard, rather than single opening doors, to ensure maximum light. We would also recommend adding an additional another window to at least one other wall in the building, to provide a different viewing aspect.” 

That’s exactly what this small garden office idea from Green Retreats does. But check out the internal decor, which embraces light colours to maximise a sense of space. 

“Keep all the internal walls and ceiling painted white (or light coloured) to make the room feel bigger,” agrees Bee. “We would also recommend using a lighter coloured flooring option too, like a natural oak or light grey.” 

Imagine this. No glaring screen, distracting phone notifications or dodgy wi-fi connectivity. Just you, cocooned in your small garden office with your thoughts. And probably a pen and paper. We love this design from Garden Trading, which embraces a rustic charm that uses natural colours and materials to create a wonderful sense of calm. 

If you’re able to create a digital-free space to focus in, then we urge you to do so. Some modern inventions are allowed, though – you’ll still need a lightbulb.