Functional Summer Houses: Tips And Ideas
The concept of a summer house still had a fairly clear framework a few decades ago: it was a small, square, wooden house, which the main purpose was to provide shelter for those who try to escape from the hustle of the city. Although we tend to hide from the noise of the city no less today, our summer houses for small gardens also perform many other functions. The appearance of the homestead has also changed beyond recognition.
Therefore, in this article, we have decided to share useful tips and exclusive ideas for summer houses, which will not only free your imagination but also allow you to look at the purpose of these buildings much more broadly.
Summer house – office
In the face of a pandemic, drastic lifestyle changes happened. After spending much more time at home, more attention has also been paid to creating personal workspaces. Therefore, it is not surprising that one of the ideas that many people had and still have – turning a summer house into a workroom. After all, in this way you don’t have to equate your recreation area with the work environment.
One modern example of summer houses for small gardens is provided above. It should be noted that the purpose of the wooden house allows you to use your imagination to create both the interior and exterior of this wooden house – there is no need to plan a living space that requires specific functionalities, which is often combined with the appearance of the house.
When designing a wooden house for work, it is especially important to ensure that there is enough light in it. While built-in modern lighting can do a lot, there is no better choice than a large amount of daylight. This will not only let you save electricity, but your office space will also look much larger. It is important to mention that bright interior colors could also contribute to a greater sense of space. Although you might feel the urge for nature when choosing a wooden summer house for your workplace, you should not give up combining wood with other finishing materials in the interior of the house. This will not only give the wooden house modernity but also allow you to create a much more original interior.
Office in your garden?
It is not surprising that more and more summer houses as offices are built on a residential plot, next to peoples home. Therefore, it is important to know that, in this case, it is necessary to take into account the general construction requirements, as same as the construction of any other type of auxiliary building. If this wooden work office, built on a private plot of land or a garden plot of a household, does not exceed an area of 50 m2 and a height of 5 m, it will be classified in category I of simple buildings and no additional building permit will be required.
However, even if you install a small office in your yard, you will still have to meet the established requirements – to maintain a regulated distance from the plot boundary, which should be at least 3 meters. If for some reason you cannot maintain the distance and it will be smaller, you must obtain the written consent of the owner of the neighboring site before construction begins.
Another important thing when deciding to install an office in your yard is to keep in mind that it will be used not only in summer but also in winter. Therefore, even knowing that wooden buildings provide excellent thermal insulation due to the specific properties of wood, it is worth thinking about the insulation and heating of summer houses for small gardens. If the house is built from quality materials and has the right tightness and insulation, both the installed shoulders and the heater will quickly heat all the room and keep the heat for quite a long time.
Corner summer houses
Not all garden plots are large enough for wooden holiday houses. However, this is far from meaning that the small space available cannot be used creatively. Therefore, we decided to share an original example of how to create a cozy rest area on your small plot.
In such a wooden cottage you can not only create a small lounge for relaxation in bad weather but also accommodate unexpected friends when it is difficult to find enough space for accomodating them in the main living space. Such summer houses on your plot can also become a great playroom for children – having enough privacy they might spend more time playing at home. Depending on the size of the cottage, this design could also serve as a space-saving auxiliary room, which you can easily install both in your yard.
Corner cottage in your yard?
Although ancillary buildings are still mostly designed as simple, rectangular boxes, the wooden shed can be found on almost every plot today. We usually store a wide variety of things in it, from firewood and garden tools to unused items that have nothing to do with the household.
The biggest advantage of deciding to build such auxiliary premises yourself is that you will be able to create your design and decide on the layout of the space or premises you want. Although from a practical point of view, the design of an outbuilding is not a top priority, it is significant. Tasteless, unsuitable sheds can completely ruin the image and style of the yard.
If you decide to install such a building in your yard, it is important to know that, due to its small size, the house will not require a building permit, however, such a building must maintain a regulated distance (it cannot be built closer than 3 meters to the plot boundary). If the distance is shorter, the written consent of the owner of the neighboring plot must be obtained before construction begins. The fire distance must also be observed.
Open summer houses
Who said a garden house can’t be open? Yes, this is a very modern approach to a summer house, but if you use it mostly for the celebration of various occasions during summer, this is a great idea to provide even more comfort.
Although this type of holiday home will only be used during the warm season, do not opt for temporary outdoor furniture or a floating outdoor table. A well-equipped lounge with a table and comfortable chairs will take your family gatherings to a whole new level. Do not limit yourself to the functionality of the cottage, invest in the interior. You will be amazed at how much change modern lamps, cozy cushions, and other decor elements can bring.
Wooden house on wheels
Have you ever thought about the possibility of taking your own garden house with you to the most spectacular places? Although we are traditionally more accustomed to spending trips in caravans, a wooden mobile home can make the stay in nature much more comfortable.
We still hear the opinion that caravans outperform wooden houses in terms of durability pretty often. According to professionals, this theory is a myth. Both types of cottages are strong and durable if they are made of quality and durable materials and are properly maintained. The construction of wooden houses does not use caravan-like, durable metal constructions or plastics, but correctly processed, high-quality, and regularly maintained wood will stay in perfect condition for years. It is important to mention that like any other wooden building, a wooden caravan on wheels must be protected from external factors by using special tools and paint.
Last but not least, the advantage of a wooden mobile home is its appearance and interior. Wooden mobile houses are far from reminiscent of so-called campers, and their interiors, unlike standard mobile homes, can be designed to suit your personal needs. It is also important to emphasize that a well-maintained, high-quality material-protected tree will look beautiful even after 30 years when in this case even the appearance of a caravan receiving special care will start to change in a few years.
So, why limit yourself if you can meet the sun in a different place every morning during your summer vacation?
A fairytale house in your backyard
When you decide to design your own summer house, you shouldn’t say no to your imagination. The advanced construction technologies allow you to fulfill your biggest fantasies, even if it is a fairytale house your children have been dreaming of for a while. By choosing such a cottage design on your plot, it can not only become a great playroom for the little ones but also function as an additional living space where you can accommodate friends or relatives who come to visit.
It is important to mention that if you decide to pay a lot of attention to the exterior of the wooden cottage, it is a must to take care of quality wood protection as well. Aging wood gradually changes color and appearance, which is particularly connected with good care of the wooden walls. According to experts, when choosing wood finishing materials, the most common question is whether a transparent or opaque finish would be more suitable for the house.
When it comes to transparent wood protection materials, experts recommend applying such a finish to a smoother, planed surface. The durability of the transparent coating highly depends on climatic conditions. For example, the decoration of a rarely solar-heated side of a log home may not change at all after 15 years, and the sunny, south side may require renovation after a couple of years. However, one of the major advantages of translucent measures is that thin-coated protection materials are replaceable much easier than an opaque coating because it does not flake off, but simply fades or fade from the sun.
Another, no less important thing when choosing wood protection materials could be how often you will have to repeat it. For example, a transparent finish layer needs to be repeated much more often than an opaque one. However, more than transparent wood preservatives, experts recommend tinted varnishes. This is because the pigment they contain (i.e. the color particles) better protects the wood from the UV radiation that tries to break down the cells on the surface. The more colored particles, the slower the surface of the wood ages. In other words, the stronger and less transparent the color of the wood paint, the better this wood is protected from the sun. In this case, the wooden house itself becomes more durable.
The effectiveness and durability of the house’s protective equipment are also influenced by the quality of the paint binder used in the protective equipment, as it forms a more or less dense film that protects the wood surface from external moisture. This protection is important because constant fluctuations in humidity cause the wood to expand and contract, which leads to its decomposition.
Exclusive design summer houses
Another creative example that is not too far from the fairytale house is a cottage covered with small mirrors. Such a building not only becomes exceptional due to the unique exterior solution but also blends in perfectly with the natural environment around it – the mirrors glued to the outer walls of the house reflect the surrounding image.
It is also important to mention that this choice of the exterior, due to the element of mirrors, is far from reminiscent of a rustic, primitive garden house, so it can go well with the adjacent, modern building. Therefore, we recommend considering this idea in case you are going to build a wooden house on your residential plot, where a modern residential house already stands. Such cottages are not only functional but also give your plot an exclusive style.
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