Has anyone created a garden space that’s suitable for sitting out in winter/rain/cold?

[BatForCashes]

We’re lucky to have a large private garden in a rural area and one of my favourite things to do is to sit out every minute possible during the spring and summer. I’d love to make a space that I can still sit out comfortably during the winter months.

We currently have a decent outside rattan lounge set. We had a flimsy gazebo but it broke. I was thinking of something like a permanent wooden gazebo with roof, and an outdoor gas heater.

Would love any inspiration or recommendations! I’ve started a Pinterest board but all of the inspiration there is so commercially/ad focused, I’d really love some real life recommendations 😄

We moved in a few years ago but have been focused on fixing up the house til now, and now I’m finally coming around with bandwidth to think about the garden.

My aunty has made something similar off her back door. Pergola with roof and has magnetised plastic curtains which she takes off when it warms up. She also has one of the heaters you see outside bars that you press to activate. Its quite cosy.

We're looking at doing a 3 sided area on a concrete pad left over from removing a shed. I'm thinking 2 solid sides, 1 balustraded side and an open side... or maybe 2 1/2 balustraded sides?! Anyway, a decent weatherproof roof so that it's useable all year round 😊 Edited for spelling!

My daughter converted the shed into a beach hut , and unless it is bitterly cold or windy, often sits there for a bit of peace and quiet.

I like a modified shed. Shed of the Year is quite good for inspiration - real UK examples and it specifies budget. In an ideal world I'd have something in between a Japanese tea house:
https://www.readersheds.co.uk/share.cfm?shareshed=8283
And a potting shed:
https://www.readersheds.co.uk/share.cfm?shareshed=8711

If you love gardening then a fancy greenhouse or orangery might work?

an outdoor gas heater

Absolute madness. Just take out a couple of blankets and a hot water bottle. There's no point in trying to heat the air. Heat the person.

We have a glass roofed veranda which is very successful at keeping the patio more inviting.

I would not for one minute be sat out there in the sort of weather we have today (wet & v.windy) but it was nice sitting outside there when it was warmer and watching a thunderstorm.

Would not waste time or energy trying to keep it warm, that is what clothing is for.

I'm in the planning stages of making an outdoor room. Right outside the back door I'm building a pergola with a clear corrugated roof. Outdoor kitchen and prep with bbq and pizza oven set up, plus table and chairs. Can't wait! Maybe even Also my fire pit set up for when it's really cold. Or a gas fire pit for a more instant and smokeless fire.

My friend uses a polytunnel and it's lived through two storms so far, her gazebos kept breaking 😅

My parents worked on something very similar a couple of years ago. They had a proper wooden gazebo with a pitched roof which looks lovely and actually works fine in winter. For heating in the open-ish structure the gas patio heaters really do the best job. They tried an electric infrared one first and it only warmed whoever was sitting right under it, so I honestly wouldn’t bother. Also keep in mind that wind protection is very important. From whatI can tell, putting up two wooden sides and a clear roll-down panel on the breezy side works fine.

Generally, if you’ve got the room, a solid wooden gazebo with a bit of wind protection and a decent heater is definitely worth doing. For a cozier look you can add an outdoor rug and some fairy lights or lanterns, maybe even garden figures/ornaments, etc. You can use a garden design software to see how the gazebo would fit into your garden and how you can change the overall look for spring/summer time if necessary.

I got an aluminium pergola from Maze Living. It has a louvred roof, plus drop blinds on all four sides (can be used independently). Not going to keep you warm in cold weather, but cuts off wind and rain from any direction as needed. Low maintenance and no rusting either.

If you access pinterest using an ad blocker browser it removes the constant ads that appear every few pins. I do this when I'm looking at house decorations.

I have friends with a big verandah. I want one! They have sofas, a log burner, lights, blankets, the lot, and it's amazing. They're out there all weathers! It helps that the kitchen door opens onto it so they're not far from the kettle or fridge.