Working from home is a life-changing trend and it seems that it’s here to stay. For many people, this innovative working style is synonymous with comfort, less stress, and a better life-work balance. But it also requires carving out a space in your home, and let’s face it, not everyone has a spare room available that can easily be converted into a home office. So what can you do if your home isn’t spacious enough to accommodate a home office? A good solution that is getting a lot of attention is the garden office, also known as the DIY backyard office, the ‘shoffice’ (shed + office), or the garden office pod.
A garden office comes with plenty of benefits – you get to enjoy the fresh morning air in your garden, you get plenty of natural light, and you can distance yourself from the humdrum of everyday life and focus on your work. While this trend is still in its early days, the garden office has been around for more than a decade, as forward-thinking freelancers and small business owners have been transforming their outbuildings into functional home offices since 2005. Over the past few years, however, as employers have become more flexible, the log cabin industry has flourished. Log cabin manufacturers are now fully prepared to offer a wide range of garden buildings that will fit any space and budget.
If you are not familiar with the concept of garden offices, keep reading. We will provide you with all the information you need and help you make an informed decision when it comes to investing in a garden office!
What is a garden office?
The biggest problem that people face when they decide to work from home is the lack of space, so it is safe to say that a garden office is a modern solution to modern problems. A garden office is a garden room that has a modern design and is equipped with all the necessary amenities. These garden rooms are fitted to be used as home offices and are completely detached from the main house. There are many different types of garden cabins that can be used as garden offices – some are made of high-quality Nordic spruce, while others are made of recycled shipping containers. Some are fully insulated, while others will require additional insulation, but they can all become a comfortable and convenient work environment.
What are the benefits of working from a garden office?
1. You don’t have to worry about commuting
Commuting to work is a time-consuming activity that ‘robs’ people of an average of 1.15 hours of their time each day. Over the length of a life-long career, the commuting time amounts to a whopping 10,600 hours. Unless you are walking or biking to work, this time is spent sitting on the train, on the bus or stuck in traffic. An office garden will save you the trouble of depending on the traffic situation and public transportation and gives you some of your time back. You can use this time to have breakfast with your family, take your kids to school, walk your dog, or go for a quick run. You can also spend your extra hour sleeping and on lazy days, you can walk into your office while wearing your PJs.
2. You save money
There are many different ways in which you can save money by working from a garden office. First and foremost, you save money on transportation –whether it’s gas money, car repairs, bus tickets, or new tires for your bike, not having to go to the office and back home every day will have a positive impact on your budget. Secondly, you won’t have to buy new clothes and new shoes as often. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have to put on a nice shirt when you attend a Zoom meeting, but you’ll surely be able to skip fast fashion trends. Another less obvious but equally important way in which you can save money is by making your own coffee and eating home-cooked meals. This won’t just help you save money, but it will also make it easier to lead a healthy lifestyle.
3. You have more flexibility
This is another advantage that will make your daily routine more pleasant and less tiring. When you work from home, you get to choose what you do during your breaks. Instead of spending your breaks staring out the window or scrolling through your Instagram feed, you can do laundry, wash dishes, cook, take your dog for a walk, or pick up your kids from school. Your coworkers won’t feel your absence, and you can still be online on your phone. When you work from a traditional office, leaving often will look unprofessional, but this won’t happen if you manage to be available and do other things at the same time. In addition, working from home will usually come with more flexibility in terms of working hours, so you might even be able to make your own schedule based on when you feel more productive and on your other daily activities.
In Conclusion
A garden office is a versatile building that can become a comfortable and professional work environment. Using the right equipment or a staging app (such as Virtual Staging AI) can help you easily visualize your garden office with all the necessary features so that you can lead a healthier, less stressful life.
Interested in other design trends that connect you to nature? Take a look at the latest examples of biophilic design.
