Small Gallery of Customer Garden Rooms We’ve Built
Explore our photo gallery featuring garden rooms supplied and installed for our customers. From stylish home offices and creative studios to relaxing retreats and versatile living spaces, discover how our bespoke garden rooms can transform your outdoor space.
Customers Garden Rooms Supplied
We always love seeing the finished result! From initial discussions to placing the order and sketching out the customer's desired building and then to actually seeing the building in our customer's garden is so satisfying and why we love what we do! This building is from our Royal range of fully insulated and double glazed garden rooms and is 12 foot x 10 foot with a pent roof which has EPDM rubber roofing as standard. PVCu windows and door frames, laminate floor and painted Strongcore cladding all in colours choices chosen by the customer.
Some lovely photos from one of our satisfied customers! This is one of our Royal Buckingham insulated and double glazed garden rooms measuring 10ft x 8ft. These buildings make great year round buildings and perfect for a home office. Our base contractor also laid our customer's timber subframe base for the building and our electrician has fitted the electrics including an air con unit.
10x8 Royal Garden Room supplied to a local customer, providing a smart and practical garden space for year-round use. chan
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Royal vs Platinum Garden Games Rooms
Royal vs Platinum Garden Games Rooms – Which Should You Choose?
Both our Royal and Platinum ranges can provide an excellent garden games room, but they suit different requirements and budgets. Platinum offers a flexible route to creating a high-quality games room with insulation options, while Royal is designed as a premium fully insulated garden room for customers who want greater comfort and regular year-round use.
| Feature | Platinum | Royal |
| Best for | Games rooms, hobby rooms and flexible leisure spaces | Premium games rooms and comfortable year-round leisure space |
| Price position | ££ – Mid to higher specification | £££ – Premium specification |
| Insulation | Full insulation option on selected models; fully insulated models also available | Fully insulated |
| Available sizes | A good choice of sizes, with selected models going up to around 28×16 ft | Sizes range from around 8×6 to 20×12 ft across the current games-room range |
| Styles | Apex, pent and contemporary designs | A choice of premium garden-room styles and designs |
| Colour finish | Choice of painted colour finishes | Choice of painted colour finishes |
| Installation | Professional assembly included where applicable | Professional assembly included where applicable |
| Why choose it? | A good choice if you want plenty of flexibility on size and specification, while keeping an eye on the overall budget | You want a premium, fully insulated room designed for frequent year-round enjoyment |
Specifications, sizes and available options vary by individual model. Always check the specifications of your chosen garden games room before ordering.
Royal or Platinum: The Simple Choice
Choose Platinum if you want a flexible garden games room with plenty of choice over size, style and specification, particularly if getting the most usable space from your budget is important.
Choose Royal if you want a premium, fully insulated garden games room and expect it to become a frequently used extension of your family’s living and entertainment space.
Neither range is automatically the better choice. Consider how often you will use the room, whether year-round comfort is essential, how much space your games equipment needs, and which specification provides genuine value for how your family will use the building.
Choosing a Garden Games Room
Garden Games Rooms Designed for Playing, Entertaining and Relaxing
A garden games room gives you a dedicated space for pool, darts, table tennis, gaming, watching sport, or simply spending time with family and friends. Instead of giving up a dining room, spare bedroom or other space inside your home, you can create an outdoor games room designed around the activities you actually enjoy.
Garden games rooms can work for many different households. You might want a space for the children to play, a gaming room for teenagers, a pool and darts room, somewhere to watch football with friends, or a larger entertainment room combining several activities. A well-chosen building can also change with your family, so it is worth thinking about how you might use the room in five or ten years as well as today.
The garden games rooms available from 1st Choice come in different sizes, styles and specifications, including insulated garden rooms for customers wanting more regular year-round use. If you are unsure which building would suit you, start by deciding what you want to put inside and how much space you need to use it comfortably.
How to Choose the Right Garden Games Room
I’m Robin Antill, founder of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings, and one of the most useful pieces of advice I can give after working with garden buildings since 1979 is to choose the room around its intended use rather than choosing a size first and trying to make everything fit afterwards.
Make a list of the games, furniture and equipment you want inside. A pool table needs room for players and cues on every side, table tennis requires space for players to move, while a gaming room may need desks, screens, seating and storage. If you want a television, bar, sofa or additional games equipment, include those in your calculations too.
Look at the actual internal dimensions of the building rather than relying solely on the nominal external size. Wall thicknesses and construction vary, and the usable space inside ultimately determines whether your games room works as planned.
Games, Equipment and Room Layouts
What Can You Put in an Outdoor Games Room?
An outdoor games room can be designed around almost any leisure activity for which you have sufficient space. Pool, snooker, darts, table tennis, table football, arcade machines, pinball machines, game consoles and gaming PCs are all possibilities. Larger rooms can combine games with sofas, televisions, a bar or other entertainment equipment.
Think about movement as well as the physical dimensions of the equipment. It is easy to measure a pool or table tennis table and forget that people need considerable clear space around it. The same applies to doors, cupboards and furniture, which should not obstruct playing areas or normal routes through the room.
Garden Games Room for a Pool Table
A garden games room can make an excellent pool room, but the table dimensions are only the starting point. You need enough cueing space around every side of the table so players aren’t constantly hitting walls, furniture, or windows. Check the dimensions of your chosen table and cue length, and compare the total space required with the building’s actual internal dimensions.
Pool and snooker tables can also be very heavy, particularly models with slate beds. The floor, supporting structure, and base therefore need to support the intended load. If you are planning substantial equipment, discuss this with us before ordering rather than assuming every garden room floor will be suitable.
Garden Games Room for Darts
Darts requires less overall floor space than pool or table tennis and can therefore work well in a smaller garden games room. Allow enough throwing distance and clear space around and behind the player. Position the board so people do not need to walk across the throwing area to enter the room or reach other equipment.
It is also sensible to protect the wall around the dartboard and plan suitable lighting. These are small details, but thinking about them when deciding the layout can make the finished games room much more enjoyable to use.
Games Room for Table Tennis
Table tennis is another activity where table size doesn’t tell the whole story. Players need clear space at both ends and along the sides to move freely. If table tennis will be one of the main uses of your games room, mark out the table and approximate playing area before deciding which building size to buy.
Garden Gaming Room for Consoles and PCs
A garden gaming room for consoles or PCs may not require the open playing area needed for pool or table tennis. However, the internal layout still deserves careful planning. Consider where screens, desks, gaming chairs, sofas and storage will go and whether windows could cause glare on screens.
Think about electricity and internet connectivity at the same time. Modern gaming equipment, televisions, speakers, lighting, and heating can require many sockets, so deciding where equipment will go before arranging the electrical installation can create a neater, more practical room.
Garden Games Room Size and Insulation
What Size Garden Games Room Do I Need?
There is no single best size because the answer depends on what you intend to put inside. A room for darts, console gaming, or watching television can require much less open floor space than a games room with a full-size pool, snooker, or table tennis table. Compare our garden room sizes to get a better idea of the different footprints available.
Start with your largest piece of equipment and establish how much room is needed to use it properly. Add space for other games, seating, furniture, and storage, then compare that requirement with the internal dimensions of the buildings you are considering.
One simple idea is to mark the proposed building dimensions on your garden using string or markers. This helps you visualise how much garden the building will occupy. You can also mark out your main games equipment to get a better impression of the usable space you will need inside.
From my experience, buying slightly larger can make sense when the garden and budget allow, particularly if you expect the room to have several uses. What begins as a children’s games room might later become a teenage gaming room, pool room, home cinema or general family entertainment space.
Should a Garden Games Room Be Insulated?
If you want to use your garden games room regularly throughout the year, insulation should be an important consideration. A room used occasionally in warm summer weather has very different requirements from one with sofas, computers, and televisions that you expect to enjoy on cold winter evenings.
Look at the complete specification rather than considering the walls alone. Wall, roof, and floor insulation, plus doors and glazing, can all affect comfort. Our range of insulated garden rooms is worth comparing if you need regular year-round use. In contrast, our wider range of garden rooms and garden offices includes different specification levels, so you can compare buildings based on how you expect to use them.
Insulation does not remove the need to consider heating and ventilation. People and electronic equipment can generate heat, while extensive glazing can make a room warmer in direct summer sunshine. The position of doors and opening windows, together with appropriate heating and ventilation, should form part of your planning for regular year-round use.
Roof Styles and Bespoke Games Rooms
Apex or Pent Garden Games Room?
Both apex and pent roof garden games rooms can work well, so much of the choice comes down to appearance, available space and the individual building specification. An apex roof rises to a central ridge and gives a traditional garden-building appearance, while a pent roof slopes in one direction and often provides a more contemporary look.
Do not choose on roof style alone. Compare the overall height, internal headroom, position of doors and windows and how the building will sit within your garden. If planning restrictions or proximity to a boundary matter, overall building height can be particularly important.
Can I Have a Bespoke Garden Games Room?
Standard sizes suit many gardens, but sometimes the available space or intended layout calls for something different. Depending on the range, bespoke sizes or alterations may be useful if you need to accommodate particular game equipment or make better use of an awkward area of the garden.
If you have a specific requirement, tell us what you want the room to contain and the space available in your garden. It is much easier to confirm what is possible before ordering than to adapt an unsuitable build afterwards.
Electricity, Lighting and Internet
Electricity, Lighting and Internet for Your Games Room
Most modern garden games rooms benefit from an electrical supply. Even a straightforward pool or darts room will likely need lighting and possibly heating, while gaming PCs, consoles, televisions, speakers, and other entertainment equipment may require numerous power points.
Decide approximately where your equipment and furniture will be positioned before arranging the electrical installation. This helps ensure sockets are where you actually need them rather than hidden behind furniture or requiring extension leads across the floor. Electrical work should be planned and installed by a suitably qualified electrician.
Internet access is equally important if you intend to play online games, stream television or use connected entertainment equipment. Test your existing Wi-Fi signal at the proposed building position rather than assuming the house signal will be adequate. If necessary, consider an appropriate wired or wireless solution as part of the project.
Garden Position and Base Requirements
Choosing the Best Position in Your Garden
Think about the position of your outdoor games room before preparing the base. Consider the route from your house, especially if you’ll use the room on dark winter evenings, along with privacy, sunlight, and the outlook through doors and windows.
Direct sunlight through glazing can cause glare on televisions and computer monitors and may increase temperatures during warmer weather. The building’s orientation and window placement can therefore be particularly important for a gaming room or home cinema.
Where possible, allow sensible access around the building rather than squeezing it tightly between fences, trees or other structures. Access matters for installation, drainage, ventilation, and future maintenance.
Your Garden Games Room Needs the Right Base
One lesson that has remained constant throughout my years in the garden building trade is that a good building needs a good base. Your garden games room should sit on a firm, flat, level base suitable for the building and its intended contents.
This deserves even more attention if you intend to install substantial equipment such as a slate-bed pool or snooker table. Don’t assume an existing patio or paved area is suitable just because it appears reasonably level. Check your chosen building’s requirements before arranging the groundwork.
Our garden room base and foundation guide explains the different options and is worth reading before preparing your site.
Games Rooms, Summerhouses and Sheds Compared
Garden Games Room vs Summerhouse vs Standard Shed
A standard garden shed is primarily designed for storage, whereas a garden games room is intended to provide usable leisure space. This can mean differences in construction, flooring, windows, doors, insulation, and overall specification, depending on the ranges being compared.
A summerhouse can provide an attractive place to sit and relax and may be suitable for occasional games. Still, customers wanting regular year-round use should pay close attention to insulation and construction. Don’t assume every shed, summerhouse, and garden room offers the same level of comfort just because the buildings look similar online.
If your intended use extends beyond games and entertainment, take a look at our main garden rooms and garden offices category, where you can compare buildings designed for a wider range of uses.
Garden Building Experience Since 1979
My Experience With Garden Buildings Since 1979
I’m Robin Antill, founder of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings, and my experience in the garden building industry goes back to 1979. I left school at 15 and later started my own business trading as Marina Sheds. Being involved directly in manufacturing and selling garden buildings, and talking to customers, taught me to look beyond appearance and focus on construction, specification, and whether a building is genuinely suitable for what somebody wants to do with it.
I sold Marina Sheds in 1990, although unfortunately I did not receive all of the money I was due from the sale. I stayed in the garden building industry, and by 1992 we had added summerhouses, garages, garden rooms, and log cabins to the range. This broader direction led to a name change to Titan Garden Buildings.
My son Craig joined me in 1992 after studying carpentry at Guildford College from 1990. His carpentry training and practical knowledge added another dimension to the experience we already had within the business, and we continued developing Titan Garden Buildings together.
We sold Titan Garden Buildings in 1998 and in 2000 decided on a different approach. Rather than concentrating on manufacturing our own buildings, we formed 1st Choice Leisure Buildings to retail quality garden buildings from selected manufacturers. This gave us the freedom to offer products based on their suitability and specification rather than being restricted to a single manufacturing range.
Today Craig runs the day-to-day business, and I continue to support him and the team as required. Products, insulation and manufacturing methods have developed enormously since I entered the trade. Still, my basic approach hasn’t changed: understand what the customer actually wants to do, then help them choose a building suitable for that purpose. You can read more about me and the history of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings.
Planning Permission and Buying Checklist
Do Garden Games Rooms Need Planning Permission?
Many garden games rooms at domestic properties may be installed under permitted development rights. Still, you should not assume this will apply in every situation. The rules can depend on factors including the size and height of the building, where it will be positioned, how much land around the original house is already occupied by buildings and whether the property is listed or situated on designated land.
The intended use can also matter. A games room used by household members differs from creating separate residential accommodation or using a garden building commercially. Planning permission and Building Regulations are separate matters, so check the requirements for your property and contact your local planning authority if you are unsure.
Before Buying Your Garden Games Room
Before ordering, check the usable internal dimensions against your games equipment and furniture, including the playing space required around pool, snooker or table tennis tables. Also consider insulation, the base, access, electricity, internet connectivity, heating, ventilation and the position of doors and windows. If you plan to install particularly heavy equipment, check that the floor and base can support the intended load. If you are unsure, please tell us what you want to put in your games room, and we can help you consider the size and specifications before you order.
See and Buy Garden Games Rooms
See Garden Games Rooms Before You Buy
After more than four decades working with garden buildings, there is considerable value in seeing buildings in person. Photographs and specifications help, but standing inside a full-size building gives you a much better idea of the available space, construction, floor, doors, windows, and overall feel.
You can visit our Surrey garden building display site at Sutton Green, between Guildford, Woking and Ripley, where you can see and compare representative garden buildings and discuss your requirements with us. If you are planning a pool table, gaming setup or other substantial equipment, seeing the available space in person can be particularly helpful.
Why Buy Your Garden Games Room From 1st Choice Leisure Buildings?
1st Choice Leisure Buildings was established in 2000 by Craig and me, building on my garden building experience dating back to 1979 and Craig’s carpentry training and practical experience. That background influences how we approach the products we offer and the advice we give our customers.
We do not believe that choosing a garden games room should mean buying the cheapest building or automatically assuming the most expensive option is best. The right choice depends on what you intend to do inside it, how often you’ll use it, and the construction and specification required for that purpose.
Our ranges include different sizes, styles and specifications, with insulated and bespoke options available on selected buildings. Where assembly or other services are included with a particular product, check the individual product information and applicable delivery and installation conditions.
If you are unsure which outdoor games room will suit you, contact us and tell us what you want to put inside it. Knowing whether you are planning a pool table, darts, gaming equipment, sofas, a television, or several different activities makes it much easier for us to help you consider the appropriate size and specification.
Garden Games Room FAQs
What is a garden games room?
A garden games room is a garden building used primarily for games, entertainment and leisure. It can provide a dedicated space for pool, darts, table tennis, console or PC gaming, watching sport, a home cinema, or simply spending time with family and friends without taking over a room inside the house.
Can I put a games room in my garden?
Yes, in many cases you can create a games room in your garden, provided you have sufficient space, suitable access and an appropriate base. You should also establish whether any planning restrictions or other requirements apply to your property and the building you intend to install.
What is the best size for a garden games room?
There is no single best size because it depends on how the room will be used. Pool, snooker and table tennis generally require more space because players need room around the equipment, while darts, console gaming and watching television can work in smaller rooms. Measure your equipment and required playing space before comparing the buildings’ internal dimensions. Our garden room size guide can help you compare the different size options available.
Can I put a pool table in a garden games room?
Yes, as long as the room has enough internal space for the table and for players to use their cues comfortably around every side. You should also consider the pool table’s weight and make sure the building floor and base can support the intended load.
Can a garden games room be used all year?
Yes, provided you choose an appropriate building specification. If year-round use matters, consider insulation to the walls, roof, and floor, plus glazing, doors, heating, and ventilation. A building intended mainly for summer use may have a different specification from one designed for comfortable use during colder weather. You can compare our insulated garden rooms if all-year use is a priority.
Does an outdoor games room need insulation?
Not necessarily if you only expect occasional use in warmer weather, but insulation is worth considering for regular year-round use. Look at the complete specification, including the walls, roof, floor, doors, and glazing, rather than deciding based on wall insulation alone.
Can I have electricity in a garden games room?
Yes. Electricity can provide lighting, heating and power for televisions, game consoles, PCs and other equipment. Think about where your equipment and furniture will be positioned before planning the sockets and lighting, and use a suitably qualified electrician for the electrical installation.
Can I get Wi-Fi in a garden games room?
Yes, although the best solution depends on the distance from your house, your existing network and the construction and position of the building. Test the Wi-Fi signal at the proposed location before deciding what you need, especially if online gaming or streaming will be an important part of how you use the room.
Do I need planning permission for a garden games room?
Many domestic garden buildings may fall within permitted development rights, but this does not apply in every circumstance. Building dimensions, height, position, intended use and the individual property can affect the requirements. Check with your local planning authority if you are unsure.
What base does a garden games room need?
A garden games room needs a firm, flat and level base suitable for the particular building and what will be placed inside it. This is especially important if you intend to install heavy equipment such as a pool or snooker table. Check the base requirements for your chosen building before preparing the site. Our garden room base and foundation guide explains the main considerations in more detail.
Can a garden games room also be used as an office?
Yes, a suitably specified garden games room can have more than one use. If you expect to work in it regularly, pay particular attention to insulation, heating, lighting, electricity and internet connectivity. You can also compare our wider range of garden rooms and garden offices if home working will be an important part of its use.
From £4931