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Garden Sun Rooms at a Glance
Construction: Quality redwood deal timber · Sizes: From compact 7x5 sun rooms to large 28x16 buildings · Glazing: Extensive toughened glass for a bright, airy interior · Floors: Solid wooden floors · Styles: Apex, pent, traditional and contemporary designs.
Uses: Garden retreat, relaxation space, hobby room, studio, home office or entertaining space · Insulation: Insulation options available for greater year-round comfort · Installation: Free professional installation included · Finishes: Colour paint options available · Bases: Base-building service available · Customisation: Bespoke sizes and design options available · See before you buy: Garden sun rooms and summer houses on display at our Surrey show site near Guildford and Woking.
Need advice? Our experienced team can help with sun room size, design, glazing, insulation, colour, base requirements and installation before you order.
Garden Sun Rooms Designed Around Light and Garden Views
A garden sun room is all about enjoying your garden from a comfortable, sheltered space. Generous windows and glazed doors allow natural light into the building and give you a much stronger connection with the garden than you might get from a more enclosed timber building.
For me, the important word is not really “sun” but “light”. A good garden sunroom should make the most of daylight and the view available from its position, whether that looks over a lawn, flower borders, patio, pond, or a more distant landscape.
That means the positioning of the building can be just as important as the design itself. Think carefully about which direction the windows will face and what you will actually see when you are sitting inside.
What Is a Garden Sun Room?
A garden sun room is a detached garden building designed with generous glazing so that daylight and views become an important part of the room. Unlike a conventional conservatory or sunroom attached to the house, a garden sun room stands separately within the garden.
It might be used as a relaxing retreat, reading room, hobby room, craft space, occasional home office or somewhere to entertain friends and family while remaining close to the garden.
Some garden sun rooms are straightforward seasonal leisure buildings, while higher-specification models can include insulation and improved glazing for more regular use throughout the year. If you are still deciding which type of summerhouse best suits your requirements, our summerhouse buying guide explains the main points to consider before choosing.
Garden Sun Room or Summer House?
The descriptions overlap, which is why I prefer customers to concentrate on what the building is designed to do. A traditional summerhouse can certainly have plenty of glass. Still, a garden sun room is particularly suited to customers whose priorities are natural light, a good outlook and somewhere comfortable to sit and enjoy the garden.
A more conventional summerhouse might be chosen primarily for its shape, style or general leisure space, while a sun room tends to place greater emphasis on glazing and the relationship between the interior and the garden outside.
If you are not specifically looking for extensive glazing or a particularly bright interior, compare our wider summer houses range as well.
Where Should I Position a Garden Sun Room?
Positioning deserves more thought with a sun room than with many other garden buildings because the view and direction of the light are such important parts of the experience.
Before choosing the final position, stand where the building will go and look in the direction the main windows will face. Ask yourself what you actually want to see when sitting inside. Moving the building or changing its orientation by only a small amount can produce a much better outlook.
You should also think about direct sunlight. A heavily glazed building exposed to strong sunshine can become very warm, particularly in summer. Shade, ventilation, window openings, and the building’s orientation can therefore all be relevant.
Why Glazing Matters in a Sun Room
Glazing is one of the defining features of garden sun rooms. Large windows and glazed doors can create a bright interior and make even a relatively modest building feel more spacious.
However, more glass is not automatically better. You still need enough usable wall space for furniture, shelving or a desk, depending on how the building will be used.
I recommend thinking about your furniture before settling on the final window arrangement. If you know where a sofa, table, or desk will go, you can choose a design that best balances uninterrupted views with practical internal wall space.
Diamond, Platinum or Royal Garden Sun Room?
We offer different sun room specifications because there is no single building that suits every customer. The best choice depends primarily on how often you expect to use the room, the comfort you require and whether insulation is important.
Diamond Garden Sun Rooms
I would normally start with Diamond if you want an attractive garden sun room mainly for relaxing, hobbies, entertaining and enjoying your garden during spring, summer and milder weather.
Diamond offers considerable choice over sizes, designs and bespoke options without requiring you to pay for a fully insulated specification you may not need.
Platinum Garden Sun Rooms
Platinum is worth considering when you want a higher overall specification, larger size choices or the option of professional insulation for more regular use.
If your garden sun room may also be used for home working, a studio or hobbies during colder periods, the additional specification available within Platinum can become worthwhile.
Royal Garden Sun Rooms
Royal is aimed at customers who already know that full insulation, double glazing and greater year-round comfort are priorities. In that situation, the building begins to overlap considerably with what many people would describe as a garden room.
I would not automatically recommend Royal simply because it has the highest specification. If you mainly want somewhere attractive to sit and enjoy your garden during pleasant weather, paying for insulation and glazing that you rarely benefit from may make little sense.
Can a Garden Sun Room Be Used All Year?
Yes, provided the specification is appropriate for how you intend to use it. A straightforward timber sun room can be excellent during spring, summer and autumn, but extensive glazing and uninsulated construction will naturally make comfortable winter use more challenging.
If regular colder-weather use is important, consider insulation, glazing, heating and ventilation as a complete package rather than focusing on only one element.
Remember that insulation does not generate heat. It slows heat transfer, so you will still need suitable heating if you want the room comfortably warm during cold weather. If year-round comfort is one of your main priorities, compare our insulated summer houses as well.
Can I Use a Garden Sun Room as a Home Office?
Yes, but I would choose the specification around the number of hours you expect to spend inside. Occasional home working has very different requirements from sitting at a desk five days a week throughout winter.
For regular office use, consider insulation, glazing, heating, ventilation, electricity, internet connection, desk position and glare from direct sunlight. A very bright sun room is wonderful for relaxing, but the position of a computer screen needs a little more thought.
Can a Garden Sun Room Be Painted?
Yes. Colour finishes are available on selected garden sun room ranges and can help the building coordinate with your home, fencing, paving and planting.
Neutral greys can work particularly well with contemporary designs, while greens and blues often suit more traditional garden settings. I would choose the building specification first and then select the colour that complements it.
If colour is one of your main buying priorities, you can also compare our painted summer houses.
What Size Garden Sun Room Do I Need?
The right size depends less on the size of your garden than on what you actually intend to put inside the building. A compact sun room can work extremely well for two comfortable chairs and a small table, while entertaining, hobbies, or working may require considerably more space.
Before ordering, mark the proposed dimensions on the ground. I have recommended this to customers for years because website measurements can be surprisingly difficult to visualise.
If possible, put some chairs, a table or other representative furniture within the marked area. That will immediately tell you more about the usable floor space than looking at the external dimensions alone. You can also compare our summerhouses by size to see the different footprints available.
A Garden Sun Room Still Needs the Right Base
Whichever sun room you choose, it needs a suitable firm, flat and level foundation. Correct base preparation supports the building properly and helps doors and windows operate as intended.
Always establish the exact base dimensions required for the individual building before preparing the site rather than relying only on its nominal size. Our summer house base guide explains the main foundation options and points to consider before installation.
Why My Experience Matters When Choosing a Sun Room
I’m Robin Antill, founder of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings. I left school at 15, and my working life eventually took me into the garden building industry. In 1979 I started my own business trading as Marina Sheds.
Those early years gave me practical experience manufacturing and selling timber buildings. I learnt how garden buildings come together, where strength matters, and why apparently small differences in timber, framing, floors, roofs, doors, and glazing can make a considerable difference to the finished building.
I sold Marina Sheds in 1990. Unfortunately, I did not receive all the money I had been due from the sale, but it certainly did not end my involvement with the garden building industry.
In 1992 we expanded beyond traditional sheds and added summerhouses, garages, garden rooms and log cabins. Because the business had moved into a much wider range of products, that change in direction led to a new name: Titan Garden Buildings.
My son Craig joined me in 1992 after studying carpentry at Guildford College from 1990. His carpentry knowledge complemented the manufacturing and sales experience I had accumulated, and garden buildings became very much a father-and-son business for us.
We sold Titan Garden Buildings in 1998. Then, in 2000, Craig and I formed 1st Choice Leisure Buildings because we wanted to retail quality buildings from selected manufacturers rather than being tied to whatever one factory happened to produce.
Craig now runs the day-to-day business, and I support him as required. After more than 45 years around garden buildings, I still approach a sun room in the same way: I look beyond the photograph and ask whether the timber, framing, floor, roof, glazing and overall specification are appropriate for what the customer actually needs.
You can read more about me, Robin Antill, and my experience with garden buildings.
Garden Sun Room or Fully Insulated Garden Room?
A garden sun room and a garden room can overlap considerably. The difference is usually one of emphasis rather than a strict industry definition.
A sun room normally places natural light and garden views at the centre of the design. In contrast, a fully insulated garden room is more likely to be chosen primarily as additional usable accommodation for home working, hobbies or other frequent activities.
If you already know that regular year-round occupation matters more than maximum glazing, I would compare our garden rooms and garden offices before deciding.
See a Garden Sun Room Before You Buy
A sun room is one of the garden buildings I particularly recommend seeing in person because light, glazing and views are difficult to judge from photographs alone.
Standing inside allows you to see how much daylight enters the room, how substantial the floor feels, how doors operate and whether the window arrangement will work with the furniture you have in mind.
You can visit our Surrey garden building display site near Guildford and Woking to compare representative buildings. If you want to inspect a particular model, check with us before making a special journey because we cannot display every size and design.
Garden Sun Room FAQs
What is the difference between a sunroom and a garden sun room?
The word sunroom is often used for a glazed room attached to a house. A garden sun room is usually a separate building in the garden, providing a bright, detached space that emphasises daylight and views.
What is a garden sun room used for?
Garden sun rooms are commonly used for relaxing, reading, hobbies, crafts, entertaining, occasional home working, or simply enjoying the garden from somewhere sheltered from wind and rain.
Do garden sun rooms get hot?
Any building with extensive glazing can become warm in strong direct sunshine. The amount depends on orientation, glazing, ventilation, shade and outside conditions. Opening windows, appropriate ventilation and sensible positioning can all help.
Can a garden sun room be insulated?
Yes. Insulation is available on selected sun room designs, while premium models can be fully insulated. If you plan extensive winter use, consider the full specification, including walls, roof, floor, glazing, ventilation, and heating. You can also compare our insulated summer houses.
Do I need planning permission for a garden sun room?
Many garden sun rooms can fall within permitted development rules, but this depends on factors including size, height, position, the property and how the building will be used. Our summerhouse planning permission guide explains the main considerations, but check your individual circumstances and seek appropriate advice if you are uncertain.
Which direction should a garden sun room face?
There is no single correct direction because it depends on when you want sunlight, whether you prefer shade during the hottest part of the day and which part of the garden provides the best view. I recommend choosing the orientation around the way you expect to use the room rather than following a fixed rule.
Choose the Right Sun Room for Your Garden
A successful garden sun room starts with three questions: what will you use it for, which view do you want to enjoy, and during which months do you expect to use it?
Once you know those answers, decisions about size, glazing, doors, roof style, insulation and colour become much easier.
Browse the garden sun rooms above or compare our wider summer house range if you are still deciding which type of garden building suits your requirements.
After working with timber garden buildings since 1979, my advice is simple: with a sun room, do not choose the building before you have thought carefully about the view. The right building in the wrong position can never make as much of your garden as the right building facing the right way.
Robin Antill
Founder, 1st Choice Leisure Buildings
From £7869
