In a quiet residential garden in Surrey, our team at Hawksbeck worked on a beautiful, modern range 18.1sqm garden room, created to serve as a dedicated relaxation space away from the main home. Designed with simplicity, comfort, and natural materials in mind, the project transforms an underused garden corner into a calm, year-round retreat.

Client Brief

The client wanted a single, multi-purpose garden room that prioritised relaxation and informal living. The vision was clear: a “chill out” space that felt separate from the main house, yet remained visually connected to the garden. The interior needed to comfortably accommodate an L-shaped sofa and an armchair, providing flexible seating for reading, listening to music, or simply unwinding. The overall atmosphere was to be calm, minimal, and restorative.

Construction & Foundations

The garden room is built on a ground screw foundation system, chosen for its efficiency and minimal disruption to the site. This method eliminates the need for traditional concrete footings, making it ideal for garden environments where preserving landscaping is important. The foundation system also ensures a stable, level base and allows for faster installation timelines.

Design Approach

The design team developed a compact, modern structure that balances natural textures with clean architectural lines. The external finish plays a key role in the visual identity of the building. Cedar timber cladding wraps the front and both side elevations, offering warmth, grain variation, and a natural colour palette that settles comfortably into the Surrey garden setting.

To contrast and improve durability, the rear elevation is finished in Hardie Plank cladding. This mixed-material approach ensures longevity while keeping maintenance low on the less visible side of the structure.

A defining architectural feature is the 500mm roof overhang. This extended projection not only enhances the building’s proportions but also provides practical shelter to the glazed openings, reducing weather exposure and softening direct sunlight during warmer months. The overhang also helps to emphasise horizontal lines, reinforcing the relaxed, grounded feel of the space.

Interior Layout

Internally, the layout is deliberately cosy and warming. The L-shaped sofa forms the focal point of the room, positioned to encourage both relaxation and social use. An armchair sits adjacent, creating a secondary seating zone for reading or quiet reflection. The arrangement allows the room to feel spacious without being empty, maintaining a balance between comfort and openness.

The interior palette follows a calm, neutral theme, designed to complement natural light and exterior views. Large glazed openings draw the garden inward, reinforcing the sense of connection between inside and out.

Outcome

The completed garden room successfully delivers on its brief: a peaceful, dedicated retreat within the client’s Surrey home. The combination of cedar cladding, Hardie Plank detailing, and the 500mm overhang gives the building a refined yet understated presence. Supported by a ground screw foundation and a carefully considered interior layout, the space functions as a year-round sanctuary for relaxation and downtime.