9 outdoor rooms to inspire your backyard living space

Outdoor living is a quintessential part of the Aussie lifestyle. Sun-drenched gardens, sparkling pools…we love entertaining friends over a barbie and relaxing with family in the backyard oasis we’ve created. But our harsh Australian summers, with high temperatures and damaging UV rays, often make spending extended time outside a challenge. As the seasons change, the cooler days might cause us to retreat inside when we would rather still be enjoying the garden. A backyard room provides the perfect solution to embrace the outdoors even on the hottest or coolest days of the year.  

But backyard spaces can be much more than just a way of providing shelter, comfort and connection to the world outside your door. A well-designed outdoor room acts as a functional extension of your home, delivering additional space for a variety of purposes, adding value to your home and life. 

Take a look at these 9 examples of popular types of outdoor rooms suited for Australian homes. Whether you want a space for alfresco entertaining, a teen (or adult) chill-out zone, a home office, or a guest bedroom, we’ll demonstrate how outdoor rooms deliver comfortable, usable extra space you’ll enjoy all year round. 

Outdoor living is embraced to the fullest in the Northern Beaches of NSW; sun, sea, sand, surfing and swimming just about sums it up! This pool cabana offers a shady sanctuary from the sun between swims and is ideal for lazy afternoons with loved ones. A cooling cocktail can be enjoyed from the mini bar by day, before heading to the deck with a sundowner to toast marshmallows around the firepit.

When home is your full-time office, a dedicated WFH space to be able to place boundaries between work and home life is essential. Stylish, spacious, modern and fully self-contained, this is a home office to rival any to be found in a trendy CBD precinct. With a kitchenette, bathroom and adjoining verandah, every workday need is catered for. And come the weekends, it’s the perfect place to entertain, relax, dine alfresco or lounge by the spa.

A growing family often means a growing need for space and independence. A flip on the home office, this modern outdoor room is a teen retreat; one that allows mum and dad to work from home undisturbed in the house. Now the kids have their own chillout zone in the back garden where they can catch up with friends, watch TV, play games, and just be boys!

If your idea of working out is more mantra than muscle, how about this pocket of peace in Dianne’s NSW backyard? Here she can throw open the doors, roll out a yoga mat and get mindful in a relaxing wellness zone. It’s just a few steps from the back door but worlds away from the stresses of life. Also a Pilates studio and a quiet spot to get lost in a good book, this outdoor room is all about de-stressing and decompressing.  

High-end accommodation doesn’t need to be limited to fancy hotels and holiday homes. This fully self-contained suite at the bottom of Natalie’s Lower North Shore garden offers a luxurious ‘granny flat’ for visiting parents and a home away from home when friends come to stay. Featuring a bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, designated living and lounge areas, and a contemporary style aesthetic, this is garden living at its finest.

With many of our garden rooms, cabanas and studios being used for creative and crafty pursuits, we’ve found it hard to showcase just one. But Jamie’s macrame studio with an adjacent garden room dedicated to her reels is a favourite! In addition to providing a practical and peaceful place for Jamie’s craft, these two creative studios also serve additional purposes as a home office, guest bedroom and poolside hangout. The inspiration for the design of the entire garden, including a dream pool, lush landscaping and shady verandahs, this is the epitome of Australian outdoor living.

You can check out Jamie’s macrame on Instagram.

A room outdoors is a great option for the more musically inclined members of the family! Away from the rest of the household – and the neighbours – a garden room dedicated to making music can nurture talent while keeping the family sane! Timber makes a fantastic noise insulator, but soundproofing panels can help muffle sound further. And it’s the answer to storing bulky instruments that otherwise get in the way and clutter up the house. Chanop’s music room doubles as a home office and TV room while adding a style statement to their Sydney backyard.

While some customers choose to dedicate their entire garden room as a home gym, fitness fanatics Mel and Dave packed many other punches into theirs! Also used for work, rest and play, this multi-functional garden room facilitates Dave and Mel’s triathlon training regime. As well as a home office and teen retreat, it’s also a home gym, with a section of the room set aside for their bike trainer and workout equipment. It’s also the perfect place for the extensive display of their incredible accomplishments. 

A true blue Aussie outdoor lifestyle is pottering in your man-cave or your she-shed! Whether it’s for mechanics maintenance, harbouring your hobbies or potting plants, a garden shed is often used for a little bit of grown-up ‘me time’. Karen’s personality-packed little red shed – one of three matching cabins on her Oberon property – is dedicated to her love of gardening.  

With thoughtful planning and design, outdoor rooms are a way to embrace the Aussie outdoor lifestyle all year round. They provide shelter from the harsh sun and UV rays, while still allowing you to enjoy the outdoors. Their endless purposes can adapt to your changing needs And as much as they are an investment in your lifestyle, they add value to your home.