If you’re one of those women who dream about creating an outdoor She-Shed, a female alternative to a man’s cave (a She Cave), then you’ll find this garden rooms guide helpful. Realistically, the easiest and the fastest way to build one is from a DIY Kit. With most kits, it gets delivered to your door flat-packed and takes about two days to assemble it with the help of family or friends. When it comes to garden room designs, there are many styles and types of constructions available in a form of a kit. We’d like to give you a comprehensive overview of all options. And even if you decide to build one yourself, you can still use this selection for inspiration and ideas. If you want to get creative, you can even combine the best design elements from several different Kits and build your own.
A garden room can be created from a simple garden shed, a small summer cabin, a pool cabana, an enclosed gazebo and even a greenhouse. Depending on what you’re planning to use it for, you can decide on which type DIY kit construction suits you best.
Whether you’re planning to use your garden room as a backyard office, a hobby room, an exercise or spa room, an art studio, a green room or simply as a place to relax, your design choice would be different. Make sure to call your local zoning and building department to find out if you need a permit. Explain to them that you’re installing a garden shed (no matter what you call it, to them it’s still a shed, so don’t confuse them.)
For example, if you want to plant flowers, grow veggies and have a place to relax then a Greenhouse She Shed type design is for you. A greenhouse / storage shed combination could be your ideal idea. But if you want a secluded place to work on your favorite hobbies or art projects then, perhaps, a roomy garden shed with a see-through roof is the perfect design for you. Or maybe you just want enough room to fit an exercise machine and a small table to have your morning coffee … then a small cabin or a cabana could provide just the right amount of space.
You also have a choice to make your garden room a decorated centerpiece of your backyard or a more intimate feature tucked away somewhere on the corner, under shady trees.
We’ve picked some of the cutest garden building designs we could find but the options are literally unlimited and you can get anything you wish for and on any budget. They are categorized by construction type for your convenience. But first, a brief guide to building a garden room from a DIY Kit.
Garden Room Building Process from a DIY Kit
The typical DIY shed kit arrives flat-packed with pre-fabricated panels for the walls, roof and flooring. All the necessary hardware, hinges and screws and instructions are usually included.
1. Select and prepare the site. You’ll need a flat and leveled surface. When planing for your site location, think about your local weather conditions and the terrain – to make sure it’s not a low spot that collects water from rain or melted snow. You can install your room on a variety of foundations such as gravel, cinder blocks, brick patio, concrete slob and, in some cases, even on grass using special plastic pads – consult with the kit supplier for ideas that are most appropriate for your kit.
Helpful Video: Prepping the site for a garden shed.
2. Take the delivery of the kit at your curbside and have helpers carrying parts to your backyard. If the supplier is near by you could pick it up on your own truck or trailer. If the kit is too heavy and a fork lift is required to carry it to the location then make sure the fork will be able to go through. In some cases, it could be necessary to remove a part of the fence.
Photo above: Taking delivery of a DIY Kit for a garden room. The pre-assembled panels for walls, flooring and roof being offloaded. Source.
3. To start building, find a helper or call a local contractor or a handyman. For most kits, you’ll need only basic tools like power screwdriver, hammer, ladder, knife, tape measure. To see what building a garden room from a kit is going to be like, here are a few videos that give a pretty good idea:
Assembling a garden shed video.
Assembling a garden cabin video.
Assembling a garden cabana video.
4. Finally, consider painting or staining your shed. Unfinished Cedar and Redwood will fade nicely naturally but pressure-treated pine could use some paint for color and protection from the elements.
Read on for kit sources, plans and design ideas …
Garden Rooms Ideas with European Style Summerhouses, Cabins, Studios & Cabanas
These are possibly the most desirable style garden rooms as they offer beautiful design with larger windows, lots of light and ample amount of room to create and decorate a relaxing summer retreat. They are characterized by double doors, opening windows and a square or octagon shape under an elaborate roof. They can be large in size and some may even require a concrete slob to be installed over. Some come as DIY Kits and some, more luxury designs, are assembled and installed by the manufacturer.
For a typical European summerhouse idea, we draw our inspiration from this beautiful backyard sheds below we found in the UK and other places in Europe. Any of them wold be a great design to re create.
Design Inspiration Gallery
1 – This garden she shed under tree is a typical European style summerhouse. Source.
2 – This small garden cabin with french double doors is the perfect retreat for an afternoon tea and cake. Source.
3 – This is a larger garden studio that is great for a bigger backyard.
We’ve picked these few summerhouse DIY Kits and designs for your garden room consideration that match the inspirational photo above in construction style and overall appearance …
DIY Kits
The spacious octagonal summerhouse Wiveton (above) is available in 5 sizes. This very elegant outdoor design is delivered and assembled by the manufacturer. With windows on 5 sides, you should be able to see your entire backyard. This high end garden room is even insulated.
These two Victorian style Rowlinson summerhouse designs (above) come with beautiful hipped roofs to offer more head room. The rectangular design has folding doors and the octagonal one features double doors. Both designs have plywood roof covered with mineral felt. Glazed doors and large opening windows provide plenty of sunlight. You can paint them or stain them to highlight the natural wood color, to create your beautiful garden room.
The two garden rooms above are the same design but with different roofs. The Sun Ray summerhouse kit comes standard with a slate-effect glass-fiber roof (shown left), and a Cedar Shingle roof is an upgrade (shown right). This is a pretty large dwelling that can comfortably sit 8 people on either the built-in seating or optional freestanding upholstered seats with storage boxes. Or choose no seating at all and furnish this room yourself.
This simply designed but roomy cabin shed is available in 8 sizes for your choosing. It could be a great 2-season garden hideaway. Traditionally styled, it looks almost like a house.
For a more basic but still awesome design you can go with the summerhouse design above. Source.
And if you need a she-shed for a small garden then this tiny summerhouse kit (above) … is just perfect. Source. And you can paint it to your liking.
The above is actually a corner design that can open up to the outdoors with two sets of double doors. The DIY kit comes with beautiful decorative accessories such as this street clock (shown above).
We like the wooden decorative details and black antique style hardware on this Cotswold 8×8 summerhouse (above) with double doors. Clad with shiplap timber, this garden room is made so attractive thanks to a large front side window area and a cool veranda entrance. Get a kit here.
If you have a small backyard then installing a garden room on the corner is the prefect space-saving option. And the Cotswold 7×7 Corner summerhouse fits right in – get the DIY Kit here.
The simplest idea for a patio office – a small rectangular design with a felt roof and folding doors. This 10×8 shiplap timber Blenheim summerhouse is a simple construction that is easy to assemble from a DIY kit. And it can be just placed over a leveled foundation made either with wood, brick paving or concrete.
This small pool cabana was painted after is was assembled from a DIY kit. It makes a very cute patio or garden room.
We love this Burnham Studio, professionally assembled and installed by the manufacturer itself. With its entire facade made from glass, it would make a perfect backyard office for writing or blogging or an art studio. And you even have an option to add a skylight to a pitched roof.
An awesome garden studio installed in a small urban backyard. Source.
For the corner garden location, you can go with a tiny size room. Source.
This beautiful large 12 x 18 garden studio design (above) is adorned with a cute dormer over a double arched door. What a charming dwelling – see how you can assemble it on your patio. You can get an easy DIY Kit or just order building plans to build it from scratch yourself.
A beautiful backyard office design with the built-in pergola detail and copper adorned studs (above).
This tiny garden room design made in pressure-treated shiplap clad timber is a 6′ x 6′ (1.8m x 1.8m) Forest Charlbury summerhouse (above). Get the DIY Kit for self-assembly here.
For a much more sophisticated garden studio design, check out this gorgeously detailed 10 x 6 Goodwood Gold Sandringham Summerhouse. It even comes with a bay window. You can choose to assemble it yourself from a kit or order an assembly by the manufacturer.
The Melbourne is a 10 ft by 10 ft modern garden shed (above) that is adorned with a majestic finial. The design comes with a choice of different styles double french doors. Can you imagine having this beautiful shed in your garden?
This Urban Catalina corner garden shed fits nicely anywhere, even at such unexpected locations as shown above. From this garden room you can observe the entire backyard.
What an amazing design for a garden room! A wow design! This is Catalina Cedar Shed enhanced with the perimeter pergola frame and a surround deck.
Wow! This pentagonal corner garden room comes with 3 double french doors, to be able to open up completely to the outdoors. It’s a Made-to-Measure summerhouse design, and is manufactured so the rear walls are at the precise angle of the garden boundaries.
Aptly called the Nook, this log cabin is a compact and stylish dwelling for those who have limited garden space. Designed in a traditional Alpine cabin style, this garden nook features an overhanging roof and a veranda. The overhang lets you sit outside in the shade. The coolest feature is that the Nook can also be assembled with the front door and window positions reversed. The wooden DIY kit can be painted after it’s assembled, for a totally different look (see above).
This deep garden cabin above could an ideal design if you’re looking for a more roomy and attractive dwelling. Designed as a simple, easy to assemble DIY kit, it would be perfect for a garden office or a garden hobby studio. And it can be assembled differently depending on your preferences – you can re-position the doors and windows for best views of your backyard. Also, a higher roof gives you more headroom.
Here’s an interesting idea – have your garden cabana assembled on its own wooden deck. See more about this DIY Kit.
Could this be your ideal backyard setup for a she-cave? A garden room and a small greenhouse right next to it? Source.
Or maybe you prefer your garden cabin tucked away to be located in a quiet place – the very far end of your backyard – with a cute path going to it? Source.
Here’s the more modern take on a popular rectangular design of a garden room. The roof is curved and there are no trellises on the windows. DIY Kit.
The garden room above comes with a side shed for storage. A simple but cool design, the Camden dwelling is 10 x 8 ft.
Garden Room Ideas with Greenhouse DIY Kits
We’ve written a separate guide specifically on the greenhouse she shed type of garden rooms. Below is just a few examples of how greenhouse DIY kits can be used to build one.
Even a small greenhouse is easy to convert into a garden room – simply remove the shelves and you get plenty of space for a desk, chairs, a daybed or to setup a spa. But of course, you could keep the shelves and use them as your tabletop in a hobby room. What’s great about the greenhouses is that you get plenty of sunlight – so they could be well suited for an art studio or a yoga / exercise room.
All the designs you see below are assembled from DIY Kits.
Garden Room Ideas with Garden Storage Sheds
Having a greenhouse style outdoor retreat (basically an all-glass, see-through structure) is surely not for everyone. If you prefer your garden room to have a more enclosed look so you can feel more secluded then wood garden sheds is the way to go. They also often called backyard storage sheds or cabana sheds (when located by the pool).
The most affordable and fun way to own one of these in your backyard is to order a DIY Kit and assemble it yourself or with the help of family members, friends or neighbors. Just FYI, such kits often called prefabricated or precut shed kits.
BTW, most commercially available DIY Shed Kits are designed to be easy to assemble with only basic tools. No professional experience is necessary. And most specialized retailers will support you on the phone through out the entire process. You can, of course, always hire a handyman to help you. Or you can try to order it pre-assembled and delivered to you ready to install. But the whole fun is to do it yourself.
There are a few awesome DIY Kits to choose from. We’ve collected most gorgeous design ideas from several manufacturers for your review. But first let’s get inspired …
Following through on their She shed ideas, some ladies (or their husbands) have converted their backyard storage sheds into little garden cottages, that became their private sanctuaries where they can relax, read, have a cup of tea, dream and create. Here are few inspirational designs we can draw from.
Inspiring Garden Shed Designs
1 – Small wood storage shed conversion to She shed with French doors and metal roof.
2 – A 10 ft high doll house that is large enough (8×12 ft) to be a beautiful she shed – DIY kit.
3 – Wood She shed with asphalt shingles roof and red painted walls, decorated for Halloween.
4 – Garden She shed painted in blue, with Red Cedar shingles roof and large windows.
Wood sheds don’t have to be fully enclosed either. They can have more window/glass area or less. You have a choice. Just look at some of these shed DIY kits below …
DIY Kits
Beatify your backyard with this Gothic Garden Shed. The design includes detailed fascia boards and Gothic arches on door and windows. It’s available in 5 sizes and 3 roof options, and also in many colors.
A painted Gothic garden shed (above).
For a more rustic look, there is Cedarshed Cabana Shed Kit, where Red Cedar is on full display with its color and grain variations. A simple but stylish shed design, this pre-fabricated, panelized kit in standard configuration features 1 dutch door, 2 windows with decorative shutters and planter boxes.
Multiple other configurations are also offered by Cedarshed.
The exterior is made 100% with Western Red Cedar. Source.
And if you need more daylight, you can always go with their HobbyHouse Garden Shed Kit where the entire roof is one big skylight.
Could this basic garden shed design (above) be just what you’re looking for so you can use it as a blank canvas to create your own garden room?
A newly installed cabana shed on its own small wood deck. DIY Kit.
An awesome looking small garden shed DIY Kit with a porch.
A fairy tale like garden shed design (above) with a lovely arched door. DIY Kit.
A beautifully painted and decorated workshop shed like the one above will change your garden forever. DIY Kit.
You can get this gorgeous garden shed (above) as a pre-cut DIY Kit or pre-assembled DIY Kit or you can just buy building plans.
The entire backyard design is just awesome, with the shed area having its own little veggie garden. Contact Summerwood for info.
A cedar clad garden shed built from DIY plans (above) – source.
Below are a few gorgeous Copper Creek style sheds and workshops by Summerwood.
As with many Summerwood sheds, you can build the one above from a Pre-cut kit or a Pre-assembled kit or just buy Building Plans and construct it yourself. See details.
The above Copper Creek workshop can be purchased as a pre-cut or pre-assembled DIY Kit. The contrast between the Cedar roof and the white trim on dark-painted walls is amazing.
Almost doesn’t look real … but this Copper Creek 8 ft x 12 ft garden studio by Summerwood is … in Wisconsin.
The garden studio interior.
Retro-styled garden shed with a french door and arched side windows (above). DIY Kit or building plans.
A traditional garden shed transformed into a home office (above). DIY Kits.
A charming tiny garden shed with a cool Hobbit-like door. DIY Kits or Build Plans.
The same shed in the Winter decorated for Christmas.
Garden Room Ideas with Gazebos
Now moving to gazebo style sheds … the common hexagon or octagon gazebo designs maybe the best ideas for a garden room. This photo below got us inspired.
You can have one in your garden built from a DIY Kit. We’ve picked a few awesome designs – see below.
DIY Kits
Here are some kits you can purchase to recreate the look …
The gazebo style garden room Palmako Hanna (above) is a traditionally designed octagonal log cabin with double doors and double windows. Assemble it yourself from a DIY Kit made from Nordic Spruce.
This cabin (above) can become a great focal feature of your garden and a great place to relax.
Below are a few interesting gazebo style shed kits by Scotts of Thrapston that would make a perfect small garden room.
Shown left – a hexagon wood gazebo shed with cedar shingles roof. Shown right – a classic traditional gazebo shed with a unique door and window shutter system. When it’s hot, the shutters can be removed. The roof is slate-effect glass-fiber (as shown). A cedar or copper roof is an option. Both designs are great ideas for a garden room for Her. Source.
Shown left – a larger gazebo style garden room with a lead-effect roof. Shown right – a smaller octagonal design with a slate-effect glass-fiber roof. Both feature built-in seating, a pair of lockable doors and three cool diamond windows on the back walls. Source.
Explore more patio seating ideas.
