5 reasons artists and creatives love garden studios

From Roald Dhal to Ed Sheeran, famous, and not so famous, writers, musicians, sculptors, designers and craftspeople across the globe have retreated to their garden studios to set their creativity free. After over 10-year’s creating industry-leading quality, hand-crafted garden studios we, more than most, truly understand the appeal. Here’s our Eden-eye-view of the five things that make the garden studio the place that artists and creatives love to love.

1) A private space in which to set your true self free

Whether you’re earning a living as a musician or you’re a super-keen knitting novice, the garden studio offers the perfect escape from everyday life to concentrate on what you love doing most. Distraction-free you’re able to stay 100% focused. There, tucked away from prying eyes you’re able to do what feels right, and explore sides of your creative self that you might not be comfortable doing anywhere else.

“There is a naughty boy in me that comes out sometimes, an alter ego…when I’m in the studio. But I’m actually pretty good. I was really well behaved as a kid.” – Shahid Khan, British DJ, Producer and musician and songwriter, AKA Naughty Boy.

Create your garden studio bubble:

• Choose a location away from the main house to maximise that sense of separation
• Soundproof plasterboard can be fitted in all external walls, and a treatment can be added to your glazing to help minimise sound escaping and creeping into your garden studio
• A key to feeling comfortable to explore your creativity is not feeling overlooked. Consider fitted blinds that can be added to your glazing. A small extra cost for the comfort of ultimate privacy
• Keen to keep your windows clear? What about adding a row of evergreen shrubs to help protect your garden studio’s privacy.

2) A private space in which to set your true self free

It’s no secret that artists enjoy plenty of light. Natural light helps to reveal the true colour of any object and it also helps to lift the mood, making bright garden studios incredibly stimulating spaces to spend time in. Set in natural surroundings you’ll also find looking out of your windows a year-round source of inspiration. Damien Hurst regularly retreats to a small garden studio in Devon, just as writer Dylan Thomas famously spent many months in a boathouse, his unique version of a garden studio.

“Light is the most important person in the picture.” – Painter Claude Monet was well known for his unique impressionist paintings of the light changing over his garden lake.

Create your bright and beautiful garden studio:

• Flood your garden studio with natural light thanks to floor to ceiling glass doors (available in either bi-fold or sliding), fitted as standard in all Eden garden studios. Throw them open in Summer to enjoy the warm breeze
• Quality, residential-standard double glazing means your garden studio will be protected from the elements for year-round comfort. Choose from a good range of standard format windows to enjoy plenty of extra light
• Quirky bespoke glazing options are also available to help you make your garden studio unique. Porthole or triangular shapes have proven popular, even more so are our corner glazing sets which create a wonderful sense of space and light
• For that extra peace of mind, ensure that you look for a ‘Secure by Design’ guarantee, or similar, to ensure your equipment and creations stay safe
• Of course, you will need extra lighting at times, especially in the evenings. Simple overhead spotlights offer a good source of light and come fitted as standard in many quality builds.

3) Creative spaces designed for tech

Even the humble writer with a vintage typewriter needs the internet to do their research. When it comes to design, animation, photography and music production, being able to rely on quality tech, plenty of power and internet access are vital to aid free-flowing creativity. Luckily it can all be added to any garden studio (much of which comes as part of any quality studio supplier’s quote).

“I love the new technology. New things give you a reason to want to go to the studio. New challenges mean you have to keep up…”  – Dr Dre, legendary American record producer and rapper.

Create your own high-tech garden studio

• Of course, your specific tech needs will depend on what you do but on a basic level no techy garden studio would be complete without hardwired internet (expect this to be fitted before you move in)
• Ensure you have plenty of electric sockets (available in brushed chrome) planned into your design, and know roughly where you’re going to have your main pieces of equipment, so you don’t end up with power in all the wrong places
• Smart IOT technology can be programmed to enhance your experience of your garden studio. A remote-controlled smart speaker is capable of being controlling many of your smart devices, from air-conditioning and heating, to adjusting the mood with changeable multicoloured LED lighting, there are plenty of options out there to enable you to make the most of your space
• Check out one of our recent blogs for more tips on smart office technology that could be adapted to take your garden studio tech to the next level.

4) A flexible space in which to experiment

Many creative pursuits come with lots of paraphernalia (aka clutter). One of the best things about a garden studio, especially if your art or craft involves a lot of mess and equipment, is keeping it contained (and crucially, out of the house). Jackson Pollock merrily dribbled paint all over the floor when creating his world-famous drip paintings. It’s hard to imagine many of us feeling comfortable experimenting freely in our own homes. However, in a purpose-built garden studio, you’re free to let rip!

“The studio is a laboratory, not a factory.” – Turner Prize winning British painter, Chris Ofili.

Create your own experimental garden studio     

• Premium engineered oak wood flooring is hardwearing meaning it’ll stand up to regular mopping and still look stunning
• Plastered, painted walls in quality, durable paint means you are free to splash your own paint around and wipe clean afterwards. And if you do get a bit carried away, you can always give the walls of your garden studio a fresh lick of paint every now and again
• Install a wall of shelves to keep house your equipment (Ikea is a great source of affordable flexible shelving ideal for creative spaces)
• You can also opt to have a shed space tagged onto the side of your garden studio. Ideal for housing large canvases, materials or anything else your creative exploits require. Thus, freeing up space in your garden studio for the fun stuff.

5) A home from home

For many, the garden studio isn’t just a place you pop in for a few hours, it’s a place where you can lose yourself for hours. The average writer spends 6-months writing one book spending 4-6 hours a day, musicians have been known to work on songs for nights on end. So, it’s important that you make your garden studio a place you feel comfortable.

“I’m longing for the days of getting up, not having to put on makeup and do my hair and just going to the studio.” – Tired of the promotional circus Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame loves to hunker down in her home studio.

Creating a homely garden studio

• Because our garden studios come ready fitted with residential-standard double glazing, premium insulation and a quality heating system included in the price of every build, you’ll be able to happily use your cosy space throughout the seasons. You’ll even find them welcoming enough to sleep in should the mood take you
• Make sure you include simple comforts like a sofa or sofa bed, cushions and even a throw would be handy. Whether it’s a place to rest after a stint of concentrated creativity, or a place to read and free up your thinking, comfort is key
• Avoid distractions of having to pop to the loo by installing a modern compostable toilet into your garden studio. Zero hassle and cost of digging with the comfort and aesthetics of a normal toilet
• Being creative give you the munchies? Why not have a small but quality kitchenette fitted. You’ll be able to knock up a cuppa and a sandwich any time you like to keep your energy up
• Of course, if you’re serious about making the bigtime, maybe you need to add a wraparound deck with hot tub to your garden studio must-haves (like Ed Sheeran!)

Handcraft your own creative garden studio to love

There we have it; a quick tour of what’s so loveable about garden studios for all of us creative types out there. We hope it has inspired you too. And don’t forget, your garden studio is your space, so make as unique to you as you like. Need any help getting your garden studio project off the ground? Just ask.

N.B. Thanks to brainy quotes for their handy source of inspiring words.