10 Creative Ways to Use a Summerhouse This Summer
A summerhouse is whatever you want it to be
One of the most wonderful things about a garden summerhouse is its versatility. Unlike a shed — which is primarily about storage — a summerhouse is a blank canvas. It can become any room you want, right at the bottom of your garden, with a view of the outdoors and complete separation from the house.
As the longer days and warmer evenings of summer arrive, there's no better time to think about how you could use that space. Here are ten ideas to spark your imagination.
1. Your Own Garden Dining Room
Transform your summerhouse into a dedicated outdoor dining space. Add a table, comfortable chairs, some festoon lighting and a few plants, and you have the most atmospheric dining room in the neighbourhood — open the doors, let the summer air in, and enjoy long evenings with family and friends without worrying about the weather turning.
2. A Home Office With the Best View in the House
Working from home becomes genuinely enjoyable when your office is a peaceful, light-filled summerhouse surrounded by greenery. Add a desk, decent wifi (most powerline adaptors or garden wifi extenders work well), a comfortable chair and good lighting — and you have a workspace that would make colleagues envious. For year-round use, consider a well-insulated model or pair with a small electric heater.
3. A Reading Room and Personal Retreat
Sometimes you just need somewhere that's entirely yours. A comfortable armchair, a good lamp, a small bookshelf and your favourite reading material — a summerhouse makes the perfect retreat from the noise and demands of the house. On a warm summer afternoon, it's difficult to imagine anywhere more pleasant.
4. A Children's Playhouse and Den
For families with young children, a summerhouse becomes a magical play space — somewhere children can call their own. Fill it with toys, a small table and chairs, some bunting and imagination, and it becomes a castle, a cafe, a spaceship — whatever the story of the day requires. It also keeps a lot of the mess out of the house.
5. An Art Studio or Creative Space
Natural light, separation from household distractions, and a space you can make your own — summerhouses are ideal creative studios. Whether you paint, draw, sculpt, craft or sew, having a dedicated space where your work-in-progress can stay out between sessions is transformative for creative practice.
6. A Home Bar and Entertainment Space
Garden parties and summer entertaining become something special with a dedicated bar and entertaining summerhouse. Add a bar counter, bar stools, a mini fridge, some atmospheric lighting and your favourite drinks, and you have a venue that rivals any pub garden — with the significant advantage that you don't have to drive home.
7. A Yoga Studio or Meditation Space
A quiet, calm space away from the house is ideal for a daily yoga, meditation or mindfulness practice. Add a good quality mat, some calming decor and perhaps a small bluetooth speaker, and your morning practice becomes a genuinely peaceful ritual — especially on summer mornings when you can open the doors to the garden.
8. A Teenage Den
Teenagers need space of their own, and a summerhouse gives them exactly that — with the bonus of keeping the noise at a comfortable distance from the rest of the house. A comfortable sofa, decent wifi, a games console or a music setup, and teens have somewhere they can genuinely relax and socialise with friends.
9. A Potting Shed and Gardening Hub
For the keen gardener, a summerhouse with some shelving and a workbench becomes the most useful building in the garden. Seed trays, propagation work, tool storage and potting — all much more enjoyable in a proper, light-filled space than crouched over a corner of the garage. Pair it with a compact greenhouse nearby and you have a serious growing operation.
10. A Garden Cinema
One of the most popular summer uses — a projector screen, a comfortable sofa or bean bags, outdoor-rated speakers and a streaming device, and your summerhouse becomes the most fun cinema in town. Host film nights for friends, family movie evenings, or simply enjoy a film on a warm summer night with the garden as your backdrop.
Find Your Perfect Summerhouse at Taylors
Whatever you have in mind, we have a summerhouse to make it happen. From compact models perfect for a personal retreat to substantial, fully-glazed contemporary designs, our range covers every style, every budget and every garden size. Browse our full summerhouse collection at taylorsgardenbuildings.co.uk — and if you'd like advice on which model would best suit your plans, just get in touch. We've been doing this for over 30 years and love helping people find the right fit.