As the start of summer in the northern hemisphere promises warmer days and longer evenings, our latest lookbook features 10 garden studios that provide extra space for work or relaxation.
For homes with large gardens, a small studio can be a practical way to create a separate hideaway for working from home – which has become commonplace in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic – or simply to retreat to for privacy.
From a timber-clad prefabricated cabin in Spain to architects' self-designed home offices in London and the US, we round up 10 garden studios as the summer season begins.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks including green living rooms, mezzanine-level bedrooms and winding staircases.
Tini, Spain, by Delavegacanolasso
Architecture studio Delavegacanolasso created a modular, prefabricated cabin called Tini that can be inserted into a garden and used as a peaceful home office.
Clad in poplar OSB panels, Tini's interior provides space for minimal furniture, including geometric desks and glowing table lamps framed by floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows.
Garden room, UK, by Alexander Owen Architecture
Yellow Valchromat MDF and birch plywood line the walls of this London garden room by Alexander Owen Architecture, which is defined by internal timber cladding.
The small building offers a place to entertain guests while it is also used as a minimal home office during the week, featuring a built-in desk designed with the same wood as its boxy cupboards and alcoves.
Find out more about this garden room ›
Writer's Studio, UK, by WT Architecture
Designed to create the "sense of being almost outdoors", Scottish firm WT Architecture added a glass writer's studio to the garden of a Victorian villa in Edinburgh.
Inside, the space was curated to provide an uncluttered working environment defined by serene blue accents and a petite wood-burner that nod to the idea of a peaceful retreat.
A minimal wooden desk cantilevers over the studio's lower wall, which is located next to a raised plinth that creates additional seating.
Find out more about this writer's studio ›
Shed-O-Vation, USA, by Best Practice Architecture
Best Practice Architecture transformed a storage shed into a backyard studio at a house in Seattle after the pandemic prompted increased working from home.
Called Shed-O-Vation, the project features its original wooden black siding that mirrors the black synthetic rubber used to cover the floors and a portion of the walls inside.
There is space for both working and exercising, with both a built-in green desk and a designated area to hang bikes.
Find out more about Shed-O-Vation ›
Long Studio, USA, by 30X40 Design Workshop
30X40 Design Workshop founder Eric Reinholdt placed a barn-style home office on the grounds of his residence on Mount Desert Island, off the coast of New England in America.
The interiors of the Douglas fir-lined architects' studio are designed to be flexible, with an Ergonofis sit-stand desk and space for tables that can be moved around according to the day's work.
A gabled roof frames the space, which includes cosy loft-like platforms that can be accessed by ladders.
Find out more about Long Studio ›
Greenhouse extension, UK, by McCloy + Muchemwa
A formerly dilapidated garage in Norwich, England, was transformed into a timber-framed greenhouse extension by architecture studio McCloy + Muchemwa.
Designed to accommodate DIY and other hobbies during national lockdowns, the "orangery" has polycarbonate cladding and houses various amenities including a workbench and storage for power tools.
The eye-catching orange framework that lines the extension's exterior is repeated in its interior details such as a bright orange clock and table legs.
Find out more about this extension ›
The Light Shed, UK, by Richard John Andrews
London-based architect Richard John Andrews designed the Light Shed to house his own studio, with black corrugated fibreglass cladding and a gabled roof.
Built in just 21 days, the volume's interior opens out onto Andrews' garden with sliding doors that reveal space for two to three people to work below a utilitarian shelving unit.
"The studio aims to create a flexible approach to work and play, flipping its function to become an entertaining space for summer gatherings and more intimate functions," explained the architect.
Find out more about The Light Shed ›
The Enchanted Shed, Austria, by Sue Architekten
A trapdoor leads visitors to a writer's studio and playroom in The Enchanted Shed, a black-timber converted 1930s outhouse designed for a property near Vienna.
Arranged over two storeys, the upstairs gable is glazed to provide treetop views, which mirror the varnished grey fir ceilings and walls. Spotlights illuminate the shed's interior throughout, creating a tranquil hideaway for working or relaxing.
Find out more about The Enchanted Shed ›
Garden Room, Belgium, by Indra Janda
Simply called the Garden Room, this small building was designed by architect Indra Janda for the garden of her parents' house in northern Belgium.
Scale-like shapes formed from translucent polycarbonate shingles clad the volume and create playful shadows that are reflected in its interior. The furniture in the space includes a deep-red butterfly chair and a wooden table.
"The material is semi-transparent, which is nice in summer and winter, and gives a totally different feeling from day to night," Janda said of the structure's statement cladding.
Find out more about Garden Room ›
Cork Study, UK, by Surmon Weston
Local architecture office Surmon Weston created a cork-clad shared workspace for a musician and a seamstress in the garden of their north London home.
The cubic structure features birch plywood furniture that cantilevers off the walls and forms twin desks for the couple, which are framed by playfully colour-coded chairs.
A skylight throws natural light on the interior, diminishing the boundary between inside and outside space.
Find out more about Cork Study ›
This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing basement conversions, open-plan studies and residential interiors illuminated by skylights.