The InsideOut garden office. Do you enjoy working from home?

Does Feng Shui really work in garden offices?

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:47:00 +0000

I was sent this article by an American on-line degree website. I am always rather cynical about Feng Shui, but the concepts are alluring!

Whether you're using your garden office for paying bills, working at a full-time job from home, or studying, you need a private space that's conducive to productivity, a positive attitude, and organization. You probably already know that clutter and uncomfortable furniture will restrict your ability to focus, but have you ever considered employing the principles and elements of feng shui to improve your garden office? Keep reading for over 40 feng shui tips that will promote efficiency, wealth, good business, and most of all, good energy.
Read more about feng shui in the garden office.

Feng Shui Basics

These basic feng shui principles can be applied to all of your design projects in your office.

Water and wealth: If your house if positioned near water, make sure that your office is located so that the water flows in front of it, which means that wealth will flow towards you.
Have your own room: To promote the best energy and concentration, do not share an office with someone else.
Keep the middle of your office open and clear: The center of the room is known as the 6, 1, 8 star combination and also the "heart of the office." Keep this area open and free from barriers.
Get rid of objects that recall bad memories: Any objects or decorations that remind you of unpleasant memories should be removed because they bring bad energy.
Incorporate all 5 elements of feng shui: These are: wood, fire, earth, metal and water, represented by colors like green and brown, red and orange, light brown and light yellow, white and gray, and blue and black respectively.
Embrace change: The third principle of feng shui is that everything is constantly changing. Don't be afraid of change: instead, acknowledge and even embrace change, and your business will prosper.
Have a separate, outdoor entrance for clients: If you welcome clients to your office, don't greet them by walking them through your home first: this distracts them from business and could hurt your meeting.
Pick a room with good natural lighting and ventilation: A room with higher ceilings should have good lighting and ventilation that will keep you focused and inspired.
Keep front and side areas near the entry way open: Don't let any furniture or decorations obstruct the front and sides of your main door, so that the chi, or energy, can flow freely.
Don't set up your office the center of your home: Your work will dominate your family and personal life if you set up in the middle of the house, and if you work in your bedroom, you may experience more relationship problems and feel drowsy at work.

Furniture and Windows

Learn how to pick and situate furniture and repair windows according to feng shui.

Repair broken windows: Clean windows and repair or repaint them if needed to enhance the flow of chi.
Raise furniture a few inches off the floor: Chi needs to be able to flow all around the room, even under furniture.
Less is more: Don't clutter the room with too much furniture. Less is more.
Maintain three feet of open space between furniture: Avoid bumping into furniture and blocked energy this way.
Promote good conversation: Arrange couches and chairs so that you and your clients can easily talk to each other.
Situate larger furniture eight inches from the wall: This technique adds dimension and keeps energy flowing all around.

Desk

Did you know that you can feng shui your desk? Read about it here.

Your computer should be set up in North or West: Those directions inspire the most creativity, but if you're looking to boost income, situate your computer in the Southeast.
Choose a curved, kidney-shaped desk: Rounded corners mean good, natural flow and creativity, and a kidney shape mirrors the shape of the human body, helping you feel aligned.
Get a big enough desk: Your desk should be able to handle all the work you have to do and to support you, so don't skimp on size.
Match the style to the purpose: Depending on what kind of work you do, the style of your desk should match its purpose.

Spacing and Positioning

Spacing and positioning is crucial to feng shui. These tips will help you position yourself, your clients and your furniture for optimum chi flow.

Sit in the farthest corner away from the entrance: This puts you in a power or commanding position.
South area deserves fire images: Use oranges, reds and pinks to decorate the South area, which represents fame and reputation.
Keep your back toward a corner or wall: This position will give you extra support.
Southeast area needs wood elements: Integrate wood elements and colors to the southeast area, which represents prosperity and abundance.
Make sure you can see the door: In a home office, being able to see the door — where your business comes from — is especially important.
Don't face a wall: Directly facing a wall will make you feel like you're in a "dead-end" position.
Keep piles and paperwork hidden: Piles of paper on the floor keep you in the past. Organize papers and piles in cabinets and desk drawers.
Rearrange the office every so often: Every year, or whenever you feel that the energy in your office is draining, rearrange furniture and decorations. Even a few inches makes a big difference.
Situate visual images of goals above your eye line: Deadlines, goals and dreams should be visually symbolized with objects placed above your eye line.
Space clearings: When changing the purpose of a room, moving into a new house, or when someone has recovered from an illness, do a space clearing by thoroughly cleaning the room and making sure all elements are in order.

Lighting

Good lighting helps you concentrate and can put you in a better mood, so follow these tips.

Avoid fluorescent light: Use warm lights instead to help you feel energized.
Try purple lampshades: Purple lighting indicates wealth.
Use lighting to soften corners: Soft lights in harsh corners will make them appear more relaxed.

Decorating and Accessories

From plants to fish to the right colors, these decorating tips will finish off your feng shui project.

Create a vision board: If you're having trouble accepting the fact that you can reach your goals, create a vision board filled with images, photographs and objects that will inspire you.
Use blue in the North or Southeast: Using blue to decorate the north side of your office will strengthen your career, and when used in the southeast, benefits wealth and prosperity.
Get an aquarium: Give your business potential a boost by bringing an aquarium with black and blue fish to the North area.
Use plants: Plants represent natural, wood elements and help purify the air.
Do not use mirrors: Mirrors let bad energy bounce back and forth between people, taking control away from you.
Avoid clutter: Don't over-decorate: you'll feel emotionally and mentally cluttered if your office has too much stuff.
Mix dream-inducing and logical objects and images: Balance your goals and dreams with more practical, logical objects that help you get down to business.
Balance yin and yang: Always make sure the ratios of light to dark, hard and soft, and rough and smooth are balanced.
Get a bell or doormat: Place these objects in front of the main entryway so that your clients and guests must "announce" themselves before coming in.
Use the bagua map

A Natural Oasis

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:14:00 +0000

Natural Oasis

The divide between home and office has been diminishing, with more and more people turning their personal sanctuary into office space. And for good reason: working from home and telecommuting saves a worker the physical commute to work, fuel expenses and time. Flexible working arrangements can also benefit the actual companies themselves - workers are more productive with flexible working hours and a less stressful “life/work” balance results. A home worker furthermore has the opportunity to surround themselves in a positively stimulating natural work environment, instead of a stressful, stuffy, synthetic cubicle.

A Good Work Environment

Your work environment has a profound impact on productivity. If you have opted to work from home, your office space should not be designated to any old spare corner in the house, so select your work space and conditions appropriately. Your first consideration should be choosing an area that is relatively free from distraction and noise to enable you to work.

You will also work more efficiently and positively in a bright open space, which filters in plenty of refreshing natural light. Do, however, offset the brightness (which can be overwhelming in summer), with some curtains to minimize glare, and invest in some good table lamps. A comfortable chair is also a must, as well as the usual office furniture. Your office design should likewise be very practical and organised, maintaining your own professional image and that of the company you represent.

The Garden Office- A Great and Green Working Option

You may actually wish to create an office space in a nature-inspired area full of lush greenery. Nature can be profoundly calming and help keep stress at bay. Creating a garden office can be a tranquil environment to work in, and can even be detached from your regular home, so you can feel as if you are actually going to work. A garden office can be a lodge, studio or entire building on its own devoted to your work practices. It can be as lush and green as you wish to make it. Once there, you can choose natural, eco-friendly materials and furniture. A garden office or studio is like a private cove that is ideal for analysis, thinking, retreat and intense working.

A garden office can be as simple or as elaborate as a person wants to make it. The important part is retaining its natural atmosphere and essence. Perhaps you only wish to add a few plants and invest in some eco-friendly bamboo furniture, or maybe you would prefer to invest in a complete greenhouse office and do your part at being economically sustainable. Solar panels, eco-friendly paint, recycled paper, desks made of environmentally sustainable materials and low energy lights are some features to include in a green office. Whatever features you decide, your office should be your natural oasis.

Electronic Equipment

As natural as you wish to make your green office, it will still require the electrical essentials necessary for work. A natural environment is relaxing to work in; a cluttered one is not. Some of your organizational essentials in any office space, including a green one, are your computer, laptop (if possible, for portability), filing cabinet, desk, telephone, and printer.

Searching for discounts on such equipment is relatively easy PC World discount vouchers can be grouped together for one stop office refurbishment shopping. In addition to their regular sales, PC World discount codes can make shopping for office supplies economical and practical.

Garden office recommendations

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Mon, 31 May 2010 14:42:00 +0000

We often get notes of thanks from our garden office customers. I think this one, that arrived a couple of days ago is the best yet: -
"I can say without doubt that I am totally delighted with my new music room/garden office. When I first started looking for a building I almost gave up, because firstly I could not find anything that resembled the quality and specification of a house extension and secondly I could not find a company that would be able to supply a building with limited site access. However InsideOut Buildings were able to fulfil this on both counts.
Planning, dsign and construction were also made easy at every stage.
With the quality of the timber and materials used, along with the excellent workmanship in the building, this project must surpass the quality of many modern house builds. Along with double thickness roof, floor and wall insulation, plus double glazed windows and door, my building is in the same class as a Scandinavian timber house." Graham Boutell, Byfleet Surrey.
Graham's building is pictured above.

Small and simple is beautiful, in a garden office.

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:52:00 +0000

Small and simple is beautiful, in a garden office.

Does working from home really reduce your carbon footprint?

If you work at home are you going to have to heat your entire house or is there an alternative route to long term energy saving?

Lynn Fotheringham of InsideOut Buildings says “If you work from home in a large, draughty house or semi-insulated cabin in the garden, either of which need heating heavily in winter and/or air-conditioning in the summer you are adding to the CO2 problem not reducing it, even if you are using your car less because you work at home. But, you could you reduce your energy use by working in a small, purpose designed, well-insulated office in the garden”
Simple designs and simple building materials combined with ‘thinking small’ when planning a home office or any other home improvement or extension are the effective way to reduce your carbon footprint, rather than introducing a host of factory made, high-tech ‘green’ products and technologies into a house extension or garden office.

It is more environmentally effective to keep warm in an office in the garden – by insulating to a very high standard so that condensation doesn’t form within the building. If you avoid the temptation of whole walls of glass or folding glass doors and choosing sensibly sized windows your office won’t over heat in summer or be freezing in winter. [The same applies to house extensions with walls full of floor to ceiling windows.] You can then easily heat your garden office in the depths of winter with a very small electric heater or a tiny wood-burning stove and can forget about air-conditioning.
Lighting doesn’t have to burn a hole in your electricity bill either. In a well-designed garden office, using Velux roof windows and very narrow, double-glazed full-length windows reduces the need for electric light.
InsideOut Buildings are designed with the environment in mind. Their bespoke buildings keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter through careful use of breathable, eco-friendly insulation. Lighting is energy efficient. Building materials and wood are sourced within the UK. Nothing needs preserving or treating with chemicals. The running costs of their buildings are low. An InsideOut garden office will make you look at your existing house to see how you can make similar energy saving changes.

Six reasons why InsideOut garden rooms are environmentally effective: -
1. They are designed to run on minimal electricity. They are insulated with either sheepswool or Rockwool breathable insulation; both insulations are made in the UK. If you insulate properly you don’t need high tech ‘green’ gadgets to reduce the carbon footprint of your office.

2. They are clad with larch grown in the UK, which doesn’t need any chemical treatment or maintenance.

3. The roofs are tiled with cedar shingles cut from waste wood that is too small to use for anything else.

4. They contain minimal amounts of plastic, but InsideOut do supply water butts as standard so that rainwater can be reused in the garden.

5. Building materials are UK sourced wherever possible to reduce carbon miles.

6. They are designed to last for 60+ years.

Gordon Smith Architect, Kendal

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:53:00 +0000

Mixing the old with the new when extending a house in always interesting. Working as an architect in Cumbria it is important to retain a sense of the history of a building whilst embrasing the 21st century.

Gordon Smith works on domestic projects and small commercial projects in Kendal and the wider area of Cumbria. The solution to your architecutral problem could be on his website Architect Kendal. The before and after shot on this post shows part of the renovation process for a bungalow in Silverdale AONB.

Gordon also designs insulated garden buildings and garden offices for Insideout Buildings Ltd.

Inside an InsideOut garden room

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:41:00 +0000

Garden room and garden office brochures and websites are full of photos of the outsides of garden rooms, but the inside is just as important.

Our clients often send us photos of the inside of their InsideOut and below are some examples.

Some clients go for a clean efficient look: -

Garden office in Hertfordshire.

or an art deco feel: -

Garden studio in Yorkshire.

Whilst others enjoy a den in the garden: -

Garden room in Surrey

Or lots of open space: -

Garden office in Sussex.

And what is in the walls, floor and ceiling, keeing these people warm and condensation free in their offices and rooms at the bottom of the garden? Either 200mm of Rockwool or Sheepswool insulation. Having an eco-friendly garden office isn't complicated and doesn't require high technology. It requires high quality, low energy building materials, locally grown wood and a well thought out design.

No need to have three points on your licence

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:24:00 +0000

If, like me, you do occasionally leave home in the car and if like me, you drove slightly too fast past the local speed camera, don't accept the points, do the speed awareness course.
Speed awareness courses are well thought out, not patronising in anyway. see http://www.nopenaltypoints.co.uk/SpeedAwarenessCourse.html

The Horrors Of Travelodge

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:34:00 +0000

We often have to stay in Travelodges when touring the UK visiting our garden office clients. We use them because there is one in every town, their website is very easy to use and they allow you to bring your dog.
But we don't stay there through choice.
As soon as the dog is old enough to be trusted in a smaller, more intimate space we will be reverting back to staying in pubs or bed and breakfasts where ever possible.

The whole business in run on the doubtful premis that they are the cheapest hotel. They rarely are, unless you want to stay in the back of beyond on a Saturday night.

Here are seven thing you should never do in a Travelodge.

Never move the sofa in the family room. You don't want to know what has been left underneath it.
Never expect the plumbing to work correctly. You will find a cynical little notice tied to the towel rail suggesting that you help save the planet [they mean help save their laundry bill] by not having clean towels every day, if you are staying for more than one night. Meanwhile the bath trap will be dripping and will have been dripping for months. We have experienced this in Stowmarket Travelodge. We stayed in the same room on two occasions, months apart and the tap hadn't been repaired.
Never stay in the Stevenage Travelodge. The central heating system shakes and vibrates and the staff tell us that this has been going on for a year without the manangement doing anything to fix it. It seems is cheaper/easier for them to refund money to customers that complain than fix the heating.
Never expect the floor to have been vacuumed. I've never heard one or seen one in a Travelodge. But do be reassured that we dog owners have paid an extra £20 so that the room can be 'deep cleaned' when we have left. The dog normally does the deep cleaning by eating all the items left under the sofa. See point 1 above.
Never expect there to be a picture on the wall or .......
In the newly refitted Travelodge rooms never expect enough space to be able to put anything down, hang anything up or store anything.
But the biggest NEVER of all. Never expect any response or useful comment from their customer services, who can only be contacted by email or letter.

TO BE FAIR: -
Any finally, in smaller, rural Travelodges you will meet kind, helpful and friendly staff who have to fend off complaints because the Travelodge management are not interested in giving their client a clean, well maintained, basic hotel room. They are only interested in the bottom line.

Do you want an elephant or a goat in your garden?

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:37:00 +0000

If you have never bought yourself a peice of original artwork before, the place to start is http://www.ironfairy.co.uk/ and their metal sculpture. We found their workshop near Kenmore in Perhshire, when we were in Scotland last week. I think the rest of the world discovered Heather and her mother, Morag, before we did. But, if you want a goat made from a car radiator, a daschund made from a fire extinguisher or any other bird or creature to brighten up your life and make you smile, this is the place to go.
[We bought a flock of swifts - photo coming soon.]

How to boil an egg

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:08:00 +0000

A close friend of mine is 62 years old and doesn’t know how to a boil an egg. I have carefully questioned other friends and egg boiling seems to be a sensitive subject that all adults need to face at some point in their lives.

I think that most people can’t boil eggs because they fear failure and can’t be bothered to read long instructions.

It takes Delia Smith 856 words to tell us how to boil an egg, but it is her job to be exact. http://www.deliaonline.com/how-to-cook/eggs/how-to-boil-an-egg.html

So, here is egg boiling in as few words as possible.
Take a risk and dare to get it wrong the first couple of times.

1. Put eggs in your smallest pan and cover with water.
2. Bring to boil and boil for two minutes for a soft egg. Slightly longer for a very large egg or a firmer medium sized egg.
3. If the egg cracks – it doesn’t matter, unless you are running a B and B.
4. If the egg is too soft - boil it for longer next time.

The best eggs are bought from someone who sticks a sign outside their house saying ‘free range eggs for sale’…..

Don't move, build an office in the garden

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:50:00 +0000

There comes a time when suddenly your home is too small. The walls close in and the stress levels creep up: -
1. Working from home seems like a good idea, but the reality is different. You either hog the spare bedroom or spend the first and last hour of the day setting up your office on the kitchen table.
2. Your children are growing up and need more space.
3. Your mum would love to come and live with you but the idea of trying to squeeze someone else into your home is alarming.
4. You want a room of your own where you can listen relax and listento music without being disturbed.

What are your options? -
You can sell your house and move on, a depressing thought in a slow moving housing market. How much time and effort will it cost to trade up?
Or
What about an extension/loft conversion?
Or
A room in the garden?

Expanding your home into your garden is a realistic option. You can build a fantastic garden office, granny annex or den for your growing family. InsideOut Buildings based in Lancashire have a solution for each situation and we are not talking about a pre-packed box or shed to plonk in your garden. We are talking about individually designed and built detached extensions for your garden.

Imagine working from home in a purpose built, highly insulated office, and think how much more productive you are going to be. Or having your parents to stay in a detached guest suite. You can even have a loo and shower installed, or how about a woodburning stove? This is the way to improve your life.

“But I haven’t got time to organise this” you say. No problem. Everything is taken care of from day one. InsideOut Buildings project-manage and oversee the whole process. If you need planning permission, they make the application for you. They have the experience and knowledge to design garden rooms that blend into your existing lifestyle and they make the whole process as easy as possible.

InsideOut buildings are designed with the environment in mind. Their buildings keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter through careful use of breathable, eco-friendly insulation, not sweaty plastic insulation. Lighting is energy efficient. Building materials and wood is sourced within the UK. Nothing needs preserving or treating with chemicals. The running costs of your new building will be low. Your new building will make you look at your existing house to see how you can make energy saving changes.

Doors and windows are hand made by a small specialist UK window Company and painted to the colour of your choice. Double-glazing means you can work, sleep and live without the irritating noise of the local dog or lawnmower disturbing you. Even better, at the end of the day you can just walk out, leave everything as it is, ready for the next day.

Do you buy your stationery online?

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:56:00 +0000

Euroffice is offering a 15% discount to blog readers if you visit http://www.euroffice.co.uk/Ecoupon_Landing.aspx?code=GOW15

Euroffice is the UK’s largest online home office supplies company has an extensive greener office range including recycled envelopes, stationery, paper and pens. You will also find extensive range of office furniture, cheap printer ink cartridges, & lots more!

The garden office and the Climate Change Committee

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:28:00 +0000

25% of Britain's CO2 is created by badly insulated homes and 25% is caused by car journeys. The Climate Change Committee suggests that as part of a series of measures, more people should work at home to reduce car journeys. This is very sensible as long as it doesn't just push the problem sideways.

Large companies can 'improve' their carbon footprint by sending their workers home, but what if their employee is working in a either: -

A badly insulated 'shed' office - "lets by a log cabin and line it with some metal backed plasterboard"
or
An office in the garden made from SIPS [structurally insulated panels] which are a sandwich of OSB board insulated with polyurethane?

SIPS were designed for building houses with and have to be combined with sophisticated air circulation systems to make them comfortable to occupy. So, make a small garden office with a SIP and you have a man-made, sweaty box with no natural air movement that then needs an air-conditioning unit. No electricity saved.

There are companies, such as ours that are thinking about this and making a difference. An InsideOut garden office uses breathing technology and is built from low impact materials.

Gilbert's First Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:52:00 +0000

Last year I did a brief post about our Large Munsterlander puppy. Sadly, last autumn he died of hyperthyroidism, a rare conditions in dogs.

The breeder of our puppy very kindly gave us another Large Munsterlander and next week is Gilbert's first birthday.

Large Munsterlanders are not for the faint hearted. They are keen and athletic hunting dogs, who complain and whimper if they have to spend a minute or two alone. Their main task in life, when not pursuing pheasants or deer, is to relocate shoes and other household objects. Or to sleep on the sofa......

Garden offices Cheshire | Garden Rooms Cheshire

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:28:00 +0000

Are you looking for a garden office to work in all year round and don't know where to start? Or a very special garden room to add extra living space to your home. We can help. Come and meet us at Garden offices Cheshire or Garden rooms Cheshire

Gordon Smith, Architect Lancaster, UK

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:34:00 +0000

Gordon Smith RIBA is an architect who specialises in domestic projects in the Lancaster area. years of practice has helped him develop a way of working that ensures the client gets what they want, not what the architect dictates. See Gordon Smith, Architect Lancaster. Or phone him on 01524 733773.

Opposite is a before and after illustration of what can be done to turn a small, eldery bungalow into a stunning family home.

Gordon Smith Architect Lancashire

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:15:00 +0000

Gordon Smith's newly launched website can be seen at Architect Lancashire. The glass kitchen extension opposite is in an AONB in Lancashire. Extra glass in the roof is a great way of capturing light in an older cottage, where exisitng windows tend to be small.

Visit architect Lancashire for more information about domestic building plans, or phone gordon on 01524 737999.

Our latest garden office in the Lyth Valley, Cumbria

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Fri, 22 May 2009 13:13:00 +0000

Last month was a great month for building. Our trusty bulding team, for once, didn't turn rusty whilst building in Cumbria.

The building can be seen from one of the key routes into the Lake District and one or two peole have emailed us to say they have spotted it.

Watch this space for more photos once the garden office has had a balcony added and the interior is finished.

Greenwash

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:35:00 +0000

Are you being greenwashed? Make sure you know the facts when building ‘green’.

‘Greenwashing’ means misleading consumers or exaggerating about a company or product’s environmental status. Nowadays, because everyone wants a share of the green pound, the greenwashing of consumer products is rife. So how do you make sure you’re doing the right thing and choosing the best building materials for your home?

InsideOut Buildings’ Director Lynn Fotheringham believes it is important to look behind claims about ‘eco-friendly’ DIY and construction materials. InsideOut Buildings designs and builds environmentally responsible garden offices and granny annexes and research their materials thoroughly before making recommendations on sustainability to customers.

Here is InsideOut’s simple, six-point plan for choosing sustainable materials:

1. PVC windows.
Problem: -Lynn explains “People think that double-glazing is eco-friendly because it saves energy, which is true. But look further and you discover that the amount of energy used to manufacture UPVC is enormous. Also PVC frames are bigger and wider than wood and so reduce the amount of light coming through a window”. Solution: - Buy locally from a joinery manufacturer and check the wood comes from renewable forests, ideally in Britain or Western Europe.

2. Wooden cladding and flooring.
Problem: - This is often used on garden buildings and around the house. The assumption that wood + eco-friendly is simplistic. Many cladding and flooring products are pressure treated and imported, both of which use unnecessary energy. So while wood is better than man made claddings and floorings, it can still be energy-expensive.
Solution: -Lynn says “Choose untreated British or European wood from well managed local forests. Our beautiful larch cladding, for instance, is grown in Scotland, then cut and planed by our local timber merchant, with no treatments or preservatives.”

3. Insulation.
Problem: - Insulating your home or garden room properly will help the environment, again by saving energy. To do the job properly, you have to use a lot of insulation material. In garden offices, for instance, all surfaces should be insulated to an absolute minimum of 100mm. “We use UK manufactured insulation materials, either sheepswool or Rockwool, who have an excellent environmental policy in their factory.” says Lynn Fotheringham. “Which means we can insulate our buildings’ walls to a generous 200mm for maximum insulation efficiency while remaining environmentally responsible”.
Solution: - Look at the manufacturing process before choosing an insulation material. Can it be recycled? Has it been imported? Does the manufacturer run their factory processes sustainably?

4. Green and living roofs. These are undoubtedly eco-friendly and can be highly effective on larger buildings. But there are drawbacks. You need at least 600mm of soil to achieve a practical level of insulation. The insulating properties are reduced when the soil is dry. In summer you have to irrigate and weed your roof. You have to use several different layers of plastic for waterproofing and containing the soil.
On the other hand when insulation isn’t so important, say for a garage or shed, a green roof is a great way to conceal an eyesore, add interest to your garden and provide an important space for wildlife.
5. Wind turbines. Wind turbines simply don’t hit the mark unless you live in a rural area with very strong winds. Current technology means that a small urban turbine will probably generate less energy than it takes to make. “Instead, use low energy light bulbs, don’t leave equipment on standby and insulate your home properly… both you and the environment will benefit much more!”

6. Recyclable materials. Even the word ’recyclable’ can be misleading. Thousands of products claim to be recyclable but, in all honesty, so what? Are you really going to re-use a load of exhausted plastic insulation in fifteen years’ time, or is anyone else? InsideOut Buildings recommend a common sense approach. “Our buildings are designed to last for a very long time, not to fall apart after just a few years. We think this is the best approach. If you build for life rather than for the short term, the need to recycle becomes less relevant.”
7. Paints and wood stains. These are the ingredients to avoid in paints and stains:- Solvents and white spirit, turpentine, terpenes, ethereal oils, and acrylics. Ingredients to look for:- Water, binders , non-toxic pigments, mineral fillers and waxes.
So have InsideOut Buildings found a truly green solution to all their garden building challenges? “No, it is an ongoing process as more affordable, sensible, sustainable products become available” says Lynn. “For example we use untreated cedar shingle roofing which is imported. We’ve been looking for a UK wood shingling manufacturer for some time… is there anybody out there?”

New puppy in the garden office.

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:13:00 +0000

There has not much time available for blogging now that we have our new Large Munsterlander puppy.

He is a very special pup because he was born with two extra 'ears', two flaps of skin on either side of his eyes. the photo opposite was taken by Nikky who bred him, when he was 12 weeks old just after he had his cosmetic surgery.

He is now 6 months old and turning into a real, [large] dog.

He is currently in the position that all working dogs should be, asleep on his back, with his legs in the air, under my desk.

Being able to have a dog is one of the many advantages at working from home in a garden office.

Our 'commute' to work is awful! A walk along the Lancaster Canal, before rambling down the garden to the office.

How can you extend your living space without moving home?

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:10:00 +0000

How can you extend your living space without moving home?

Loft conversions are the first thing people think of but what do you do if it’s already been extended or if there just isn’t enough roof and staircase space? There is another way – by moving into your garden.

Gardens are a less invasive and more straightforward space solution says Lynne Fotheringham of InsideOut Buildings. “Building Regulations are becoming increasingly stringent. For instance since April 2008, the staircase to the loft has to be completely enclosed, and how many of us have space for that?

“The minimal invasion of your living space is the thing that clinches it for most people – no dust or mess inside the house and you can shut the door on the work as it goes on.” Here are some top tips for using your garden for extra living space:
1 Who benefits most from a garden office? Homeworkers, consultants, therapists, performers and musicians can all benefit. Gardens can accommodate a self-contained office, therapy room, study or studio – and provide a haven from the bustle of everyday family life. It’s a great way to take full advantage of your garden. 2 How much space do you need? Possibly less than you think. A minimum of 50-60ft foot long garden can comfortably carry off a great, purpose-designed home office. 3 Is it a good investment during the credit crunch? Certainly if the reason you’re moving is to get more space. In today’s market buyers may not be able to afford as much as your home is worth, and they are much more nervous about taking on larger mortgages (which are now more difficult to obtain).

4 What are garden rooms used for? Many people create them for multi-use. You can create a workspace but also include a shower room, sofa bed or even a kitchen, so the pace can double up as guest accommodation. We can also add a shed on the end so that there’s space for garden essentials. Granny annexes are popular for older relatives who are becoming lonely in their own homes. 5 Are they eco-friendly? Choose a firm that uses sustainable materials, and double insulation, so minimizing energy costs. 6 How much value do garden rooms add to the property? This will vary from house to house and area to area of course, but (anecdote here about a local property). The post valuation added £? to the value of their home – and this compares to the ? it cost to install. 7 Will it get chilly in winter or stuffy in summer? Unless you live in a modern eco-friendly home, a double-glazed garden building is better insulated that the home you’re in right now. InsideOut Buildings are insulated and double glazed to current building regulation standards for new houses. In real terms this means that in winter you will be able to heat a 3.6m x 4.9m office with one 2.5kw heater and you won’t need any air-conditioning in summer. A Velux roof-light for those really hot summer days is all you need to ventilate the building. [Hot air rises!]

8 How much does it cost? A good garden building costs from £22,600 for a 2.8m x 4m building. Foundations and plumbing costs extra and varies from garden to garden. 9 Will I need planning permission? Planning permission is not about the size of a garden office but about the location and intended use. Most of the garden office buildings that we construct do not need planning permission. Granny flats used as a separate dwelling will need planning permission, but there are many circumstances where small granny annexes and accommodation buildings don’t need consent.
10 How long does it take to build? It’s usually three to four months from the first enquiry to being able to hang your curtains. If you need planning permission the process will take longer. Building time on site is often just a couple of weeks. For a free planning permission service contact Lynn Fotheringham of InsideOut Buildings, on 01524 737999, or visit Garden Office Website.

Northern Garden Offices

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:07:00 +0000

Yes, we do build garden offices north of the border. This is our most northerly office to date built overlooking the beautiful rolling countryside of Fife.

As you can see, we usually build the garden office before the landscaping is complete. This building is now surrounded by paths, deckings and bushes, but when we photographed it hours before completeion the garden was still in it's raw Novemeber state.

This en-suite garden office needed planning permission. not because of the en-suite but because it is nearer to the road than the main house is.

Our lovely client practices lymphatic drainage to help patients suffering from lymphoedema. More information can be found at http://www.mlduk.org.uk/ the professioonal body for lymphatic drainage therapists.

Latest links

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:50:00 +0000

We often get requests to exchange links with our garden offices website. some of these are interesting sites, though possibly not appropriate for our main links page. so occasionally I publish the best ones on our blog.

Here we go: -

Bespoke furniture from Makers http://www.makersbespokefurniture.com/ : Beautifully handcrafted reclaimed oak and upholstered furniture for the home and garden.

Modern Healing & Art Garden Fountains and Japanese Lanterns

Agufina.com art and healing gardens reflects the combined inspiration of Modern Japanese and Asian culture and traditions.

The garden office and planning permission.

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 15:02:00 +0000

The garden office on the right, which we built in Shropshire earlier this year needed planning permission. Why do you think that was? It isn't very big, there don't appear to be any other buildings near it?

Meanwhile the larger garden office above did not need planning permission.

To find out about planning permission for garden offices visit my short article on the subject. Planning permission and the garden office.

The much larger garden office below did not need planning permission.

Why work when you can go boating?

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn F - Working from home/garden office expert.) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 15:20:00 +0000

The holiday season had us heading for water with our new folding boat. We are thinking of calling it 'Isthata' after a weekend on Coniston where everyone we met said 'Is that a folding boat.....?'
Not being experienced with the intricacies of outboards, it took us a while to discover that they go better if you remember to add petrol.
See www.porta-bote.com - we are currently storing ours in our garden office and looking for a way of suspending it from the ceiling. It's getting crowded in here.