Lisa purchased a Melwood for her home in northern NSW, which served as a home hairdressing salon for clients.
“My cabana was a great addition – a safe and peaceful space to work from home. My clients loved it too!”
Installed on a stylish renovated beach house, Lisa’s home became a coastal retreat for treasured memories but is currently on the market for sale.
Intended to use for her home-based business, Lisa has enjoyed having her private cabana to work in.
“It was when COVID and everything was happening. My friend down in Sydney got one for teaching and then another as a holiday house. She was telling me how good they were.”
Lisa installed a Melwood Mod 15, measuring 5.4×2.6m with double-hung windows and a double door upgrade. The exterior board and batten cladding was painted in black with the door trims finished in stained timber.
With a beautifully landscaped garden featuring fern frons and tropical palms, Lisa’s cabana was internally lined and painted in white with the addition of timber floorboards for a contemporary look.
Pending the sale of the house, the garden room will be going where Lisa goes. For this reason, Melwood structures are manufactured in kit form, making them easy to assemble and disassemble.
“The house isn’t being sold with the Melwood – it’s coming with me! I’ll use it for the same purpose. My husband’s got his eye on it too, thinking it will be his music room.”
“I think we may need get another one. A he-shed and she-shed!”
When it comes to Lisa’s friends and family, they too share the sentiment for her cabana.
“They say it’s unreal, it’s beautiful.”
“I prefer to be in there than in my house, to be honest.”
Want to Give Your Family More Space?
A custom-made garden room is the perfect starting point to creating more space for your family.
Adding a Melwood to your property is quicker & easier than most people realise. We’re ready to show you just how easy it is.
Data reveals that many of us are spending more time at home, sparking a boom in home improvement and renovations.
In fact, Australians have invested more money on home renovations during the pandemic years than at any other time since records began 50 years ago¹.
According to Suncorp lending data, Victorians were the biggest spenders, with the highest average renovation costing $71,067, followed by Tasmania at $67,416, New South Wales spending an average of $66,609 and Queensland at $60,560².
With more families looking to increase their living space, many Aussies have found that a Melwood is one of the most cost effective options in lieu of extensions. Did you know, you can add up to an extra 20 square metres of space to your backyard for a third of the cost of a renovation? In some circumstances in NSW, council exemptions can also apply, so you can potentially bypass the lengthy DA/CDC process.
And here’s the best part: a Melwood cabana or garden room can increase your property value. How much value could one of your structures add to your property? It’s impossible to give an exact figure, however, we can give you an example of a previous customer in Sydney, NSW with their property valued and sold for $225,000 more with a Melwood cabana installed.
Fred’s Outdoor Media Room is the Melwood Mod Cabana No.12, which measures 3.6m x 3.2m.
When Covid-19 hit, we were all blind sighted. For Northern Beaches couple Fred and Deborah, however, they were well equipped to handle the upheaval.
“We didn’t anticipate COVID-19, but having had the cabana and the technology all installed about 12 months prior to the pandemic left us well prepared for the challenges posed by having more people working and studying from home than usual during the lockdown.”
They opted for a Melwood Mod 12, measuring 3.6×3.2m, providing plenty of space for an outdoor media room and office space.
Fred says his Melwood media room has been a blessing with more family studying + working from home since the pandemic.
Even under normal circumstances, as the pressures of life pile on, families grow and take on more responsibilities, so too do homes need room to grow.
Melwood customer Matt found a practical and cost-effective solution to his crowded house. He decided on the Melwood Verandah 19, measuring a generous 7.2m long and 2.6m wide.
“This is the best decision we’ve made in ten years and it now means we’re no longer looking to move house,” Matt explained.
Matt opted for a Melwood Verandah No.19, measuring 7.2m x 2.6m creating more space for his family
By adding a Melwood Cabana to the backyard, Matt has created more space for his family to enjoy.
“There are six of us, two adults and four kids between 10-19 years plus a beloved canine. The cabana has changed our way of life so much and for less than the cost of a new car. It’s also added value to our home.”
Matt and his whole family enjoy the extra room in the backyard. The Garden Room measures 7.2m x 2.6m
Property Consultant Edwin Almeida says he is witnessing a demand for homes with extra space.
“In our search for property for clients – both owner occupiers and investors, we see more buyer competition for homes with that extra space. A large portion of homes that take advantage in creating ‘living and getaway space’ are snapped up quickly. This trend is both evident with properties for sale as well as for rental.”
So, if you’re feeling the pinch of limited space on your property and are searching for options – whether to knockdown rebuild, renovate, extend or a combination of some, consider the most affordable option for Australian families: a Melwood garden room. A backyard cabana can be installed in as little as one day by a tradie or DIY, can potentially increase the equity of your property and will mean you don’t have to move neighbourhoods.
Until you’re on an important call and the vacuum starts up.
Or you need to pack up your laptop, screen, keyboard and stationary because another household member needs to use the dining table.
Surely, there has to be more a more productive way to work from home!
With more of us working from home than ever before, Australia has seen a dramatic increase in backyard home office spaces. Also known as a garden room, cabana or home studio, you can utilise your backyard space saving thousands of dollars on renovation and extension costs.
Why a home office in the backyard?
It’s separate from the rest of the home
It’s easier to maintain work/life balance
You can escape from distractions, interruptions and background noise.
Enjoy increased focus & productivity
A quiet, private room for your Zoom meetings & conferences.
It’s often cheaper than an extension
It is almost always cheaper than a home renovation
Here’s how to create a home office to make working from home more effective and enjoyable.
First things first – paint the outside
Whether you’re starting with a brand new structure or making over an old one, a fresh coat of paint on the outside is the best place to start.
Not only will it look great, it’ll be protected from the harsh Aussie weather.
This garden office has been painted to match the home perfectly, which adds value to the property. (5.4m x 3.2m Melwood Workshed)
Connect Services (electrical, data cabling etc.)
Once your structure is painted outside, it’s time to get your tradies along and connect up the services you need.
You’ll need an electrician to wire up your lights, aircon and a couple of powerpoints.
It’s a good idea to get data cabling too if you can or at least a wifi extender so you have fast internet.
You could even add plumbing to your home office, however, we recommend checking with your local plumber if this is possible.
Once your structure is painted outside, it’s time to get your tradies along and connect up the services you need. This is inside a 5.4m x 3.2m Mod design – a design popular for the natural light it lets in.
Wall linings
Once the services are in, it’s time to line your walls!
You can add extra insulation at this step as well. This will keep your backyard home office more comfortable while reducing heating and cooling costs.
There are many options for lining the walls of your new office but the two most popular ones are traditional plaster and wall panels.
Traditional plaster will require a plasterer (unless you’re very handy!) and creates a fair bit of mess but means you’ll have a sleek finish just like the inside of your home.
For a quicker option, wall panels (such as these) are easy to DIY and provide a smooth wall lining that can be painted just like plaster.
These wall panels (available from Bunnings) are a great way to line the walls of your home office. (7.2m x 2.6m Melwood Verandah design)
Paint the inside of the outdoor office structure
The colour your paint the inside of your new home office can have a great effect on how you feel when you’re working – and how much work you end up doing!
We have a lot of customers paint their office all-white for a crisp and clean look, that also doubles as a professional background for Zoom meetings!
All-white makes for a nice crisp home office and creates a professional background for your Zoom meetings. These customers also kept the original floor that their Melwood came with – a very cost-effective option. (3.6m x 3.2m Melwood Mod design).
Add functional furniture and decorate your home office
Last but not least, it’s time to add furniture to your new backyard home office.
Home offices are typically somewhere we spend a lot of time, so it’s a good idea to invest in a good-quality, comfortable chair and a functional desk.
This Melwood home office has been lined with wall panels, and the timber floor that comes with the Melwood, to be later stained – a quick, easy and cost-effective DIY. (5.4m x 3.2m Melwood Workshed).Jamie has transformed her Melwood into the perfect home office/studio with decorations, rugs & furniture. (6.3m x 3.2m Melwood).
Melwood structure planning is subject to council approval
Get all your Home Office Questions Answered
Putting in a home office is fast and easy when you start with a Melwood.
We realise you might have a few questions about how to get the right home office for your property.
When Bill took delivery of two portable wooden cabins in the Southern Highlands, he had great plans in mind for a spiritual retreat centre where many gather to refresh and reflect.
Bill takes delivery of two portable wooden cabins.Bill’s wooden cabins arrive in raw form, ready for staining.The wooden cabin features black windows, a Colorbond Steel roof in Pale Eucalypt with matching gutters and downpipes, as well as an upgraded cedar exterior cladding.A peak of the internal area, awaiting fit out and decorating.
Armed with a fresh vision for expansion, Bill acquired two Melwood Verandah Designs and converted them into self-contained portable villas named ‘Champagnat’ and ‘Maria.’
Guests enjoy panoramic views from the verandah.The villas have a beautiful outlook, overlooking mountain views of the Southern Highlands.
Both Melwood Designs have been converted to feature comfortable seating, dining and bathroom facilities, an oven cooktop, microwave and bar fridge plus all the kitchenware required for self-catering.
“Guests may choose to self-cater or have their stay fully or partially catered,” Bill explains.
Converted to feature seating, dining and kitchen facilities.
“Visitors stay for a few days, weeks and even months to meditate, pray and reflect. Our spirituality programs are facilitated by various church groups and organisations to give people space – away from the busy nature of daily life.”
Bill opted for black windows, a Colorbond Steel roof in Pale Eucalypt with matching gutters and downpipes, as well as an upgraded cedar exterior cladding. With guest comfort a priority, Bill also added extra windows to allow plenty of light and ventilation while the entry door was upgraded to a double door for full panoramic views.
When reflecting on how his guests feel about the wooden cabins, Bill is thrilled with the results.
“People have been very complimentary. You’ve got the bed, a little sitting area, a balcony and a nice outlook that faces the bush. They are very comfortable here.”
“People have been very complimentary. They are very comfortable here,” Bill says.
With a 4.4 star rating on Google reviews, Bill’s guests undoubtedly appreciate the opportunity to escape the daily grind and enter a place of tranquility.
When asked about plans for the future of the Villas, Bill is optimistic.
The Melwood cabins assembled, installed and complete.
“I would certainly consider adding more Melwood wooden cabins in the future,” Bill says. “There is already strong demand for our 2022 retreats, so there’s potential to expand further.”
Want to Give Your Family More Space?
A custom-made garden room is the perfect starting point to creating more space for your family.
Adding a Melwood to your property is quicker & easier than most people realise. We’re ready to show you just how easy it is.
This all-white garden room is a striking backyard feature.
It’s also Amanda’s work from home studio.
“It’s been very beneficial for us.”
“It’s lovely to have a separate space for the clients I have.”
Since 2020, the number of Australians working from home has almost doubled in 2022, making a home office essential rather than optional.
“I love working from home. If I didn’t have the cabana, it would be very difficult to have clients here. It’s invaluable,” Amanda explained.
Mod Design 20 with custom panels, board and batten, and additional double doors
As a Counsellor, Amanda needed a dedicated space for her work.
“Working in a peaceful environment and doing counselling sessions makes a huge difference to how vulnerable people want to be.”
Her clients also love the outdoor space.
“I see a lot of people in traumatic situations. People generally come to counselling quite stressed out.”
“It’s high-level anxiety when they arrive. But, by the time they walk up to the cabana, everyone immediately says, ‘I feel so much more relaxed.’”
“‘It’s so peaceful’. That’s a comment I get a lot.”
Amanda’s peaceful outdoor office. Mod 20, measuring 6.3m x 3.2m
Amanda says the impact of the pandemic on families has been significant.
“If there is any pre-existing stress within a marriage, the lockdowns have exacerbated it because you no longer have that day-to-day separation.”
She says having an outdoor office gives her and her family much-needed time apart.
“It’s like a time-out room. When I’m in here, I feel like I’ve gone to work because I’ll be up here for hours. Then, I re-enter the house like I’ve driven to work.”
Your Melwood, Your Style. External painting and internal fit-out by Amanda
The garden room has since inspired a backyard makeover.
As a result, the family now enjoys their outdoor area like never before.
“We now maximise every square metre of our property as opposed to having a big back garden that we never went into before.”
Amanda added a decking area and steps, making outdoor entertaining even more inviting.
“We also landscaped the backyard at the same time. It’s not like we had a lovely back garden, and then we put the garden room in there.”
Outdoor entertaining maximised. Deck and stairs added by Amanda
The customisable design allowed her to choose the size and orientation of windows.
“I was impressed by the flexibility of the design.”
“In Summer, I have the whole cabana open if we are having drinks or entertaining, and even when I work.”
Melwood Garden Rooms, a quick and easy way to add space and value to your property
And what does she love most?
“It’s beautiful. We get an ocean breeze, and you feel like you’re outside.”
But that comes with a dilemma.
“The problem I have is when the hour is up and getting people to leave. So I always say, ‘come on, up you get!’”
“It’s a testament to the space.”
Want to Give Your Family More Space?
A custom-made garden room is the perfect starting point to creating more space for your family.
Adding a Melwood to your property is quicker & easier than most people realise. We’re ready to show you just how easy it is.
Check out Sonia’s multi-purpose garden room that serves as a DJ station for birthday parties, a special off-the-grid weekender for the family, as well as a teenage retreat.
A family project: Sonia and her teens fitted out the cabana.Sonia chose the Workshed 2036 in board and batten with double doors and Colorbond roof in Woodland Grey.
“It’s not just the monetary value. It’s the lifestyle value the cabana has added to our lives.”
“For us, it’s an extra room – especially for my teenage kids. An open, fun and private space for them to sit and chat with their friends or to enjoy their favourite hobby.”
“It’s not just the monetary value. It’s the lifestyle value the cabana has added to our lives.”
“I felt it would be a secret spot for the teenage kids or a perfect place to work.”
Following the installation of Sonia’s Melwood Workshed 2036, her two teenagers engaged in a fun family project to keep them occupied and enjoy time together as a family.
Her teen kids were pleasantly surprised when mum gifted the garden room to them, giving them freedom to paint, decorate and choose the colour scheme.
“We painted the wooden frame and the kids chose some wallpaper I had in the house.”
“I like involving them and they like to be involved. They chose all the colours.”
“It was a family session with friends helping to prime it and paint it.”
Now, it’s a functional space the whole family enjoys.
“I have the kids on alternate weeks, so when they’re here, it’s my daughter using it during the day. My son uses it during the weekends to do his DJ’ing.”
“Then, when they go back to their father, it’s finally my office. So it’s definitely a shared space.”
Sonia and her teenagers have created a fun and playful backyard retreat.Multipurpose garden room: Teen retreat and home office.
Sonia recounts designing her garden room.
“The process was very easy. I went to see one of your showrooms. I thought it’s a garden room, but it’s built and constructed like a proper house.”
“It has gutters, insulation, a proper roof. I wanted something that could last.”
It’s a family’s backyard retreat and one of Sonia’s prized possessions.
“I own my personal cabana but not my house yet.”
“I’m renting, so I asked my landlord to have it positioned in the garden, and she agreed.”
“I can take it or dismantle it when my lease ends.”
“I’m pretty sure my landlord would love to keep it, but maybe not with the pink door and spotty wallpaper!”
“It’s been the most pain-free building experience we’ve ever had, and we’ve done a lot of building and renovations in our lifetimes.”
Part fishing shack.
Part art studio.
This lakeside garden room is nothing short of idyllic.
“We didn’t know we had fish in our dam. Keith caught some fish, which was a surprise to us. We suddenly thought wouldn’t it be nice to have something here projecting over the water.”
A rural Cedarspan™ cabin inspired the couple to install a Melwood on their property.
“We had been looking at Maren’s cabin and we liked that. Then we went on your website and it was inspiring.”
Keith and Rowena’s Melwood garden room, painted black.
Living his best life! Poodle, ‘King Louis’ loves the Melwood cabana.
They, too, painted it black. Opting for a rustic look complementing the cabana’s natural surroundings.
“Our landscape is pretty wild. It blends in nicely.”
What a view! Rowena and Keith have created a quiet space to relax by the lake.
The couple recalls the process of designing their cabana at the Neutral Bay showroom.
“The guy there was just wonderful.”
“Nothing was difficult. Everything was easy. He would suggest things or try this and move that. He did it all on his computer screen.”
“It was very pain-free, and he was so pleasant and enthusiastic, which gave us a lot of heart.”
Installed to lock-up stage: Melwood Porch Design 18 with cedar upgrade measuring 3.2m x 5.4m.
For Keith, the highlight was watching how quickly the structure went up.
“That was the best part.”
“I start a lot of projects, and I don’t tend to finish a lot of projects. So the best thing was we could go okay this is the design we want, and we’ll leave it up to you.”
The couple completed the fit-out with an Australian native theme.
All about the vibe! Rowena added her finishing touches.
“You have a nice project to do. It keeps you not dwelling on the grim circumstance of the world, and it helps you to lighten up.”
Want to Give Your Family More Space?
A custom-made garden room is the perfect starting point to creating more space for your family.
Adding a Melwood to your property is quicker & easier than most people realise. We’re ready to show you just how easy it is.
The challenge, however, for many individuals, couples and families is space – or lack thereof.
Setting up a dedicated working area that’s quiet and free from distractions can be almost impossible when your house floor plan is limited in size.
For Tony, a self-employed town planner, the solution was looking outside of his home to his existing block of land and installing a Melwood 12 Porch in the yard.
The new Melwood, Porch Design 12. Steps added by Tony
With two teenagers to contend with in a bustling household, the backyard office allows for respite, away from the pressures of living together in a home of limited size.
“This space gives me the ability to work from home professionally rather than sitting in a bedroom. I come here working and I can go hell for leather without all the domestic interruptions. It can also be used as a retreat or a craft room – somewhere to come away from the house.”
Porch Design 12 in board and batten with double doors, measures 3.2m x 3.6m
In addition to having his own space for working are the financial benefit of a home office.
“I used to rent an office in Chatswood. I was paying $4000 a month on rent! Do the maths. This is a lot cheaper!”
Years back, Tony bought and installed a Melwood garden room on his previous property before selling the home to an eager buyer. According to Tony, it was a key highlight for prospective buyers.
The Melwood at Tony’s previous property
“It was certainly an attraction. The guy who bought it is an architect and saw the benefit of having a garden room.”
Tony’s former Melwood is almost identical to his new Melwood, the main difference being the exterior paint colour and decking design.
Tony says, “I like this particular design with the pitched roof as it fits in well with the architecture around me.”
Mission accomplished! Tony looks content in his new backyard office.
Want to Give Your Family More Space?
Adding a Melwood to your property is quicker and easier than you realise. Plus, you’ll be impressed with the high quality workmanship and 10 year warranty to back you for years to come.
If you need to create more space for the family, check out the Melwood range of cabanas and garden rooms.
Here’s a DIY project that takes ‘tropical vibes’ to a whole new level.
With spring just around the corner, now’s the time to get your backyard inspo on ahead of summer.
In the Northern Beaches of Sydney set against a backdrop of palm trees, our customer, France wanted an extension to their home that felt cohesive and calm.
Not only did the family require a pool house for the hotter summer months but also a space to serve as a teenage retreat for their daughter to work, hang out and be creative.
Entertaining guests poolside, stoking up the outdoor firepit or serving tropical drinks from their cabana mini bar – a Melwood was certainly a top choice for their backyard oasis.
‘Gifted’ to France’s daughter as her own private space during the off-season, the versatile cabana would effectively suit the recreational needs of the entire family.
“We decided to add a cabana on our backyard to give our daughter her own space to work, hang out and be creative”
Painted in matching colours to be consistent with the house façade, France’s ‘Hamptons’ cabana featured cedar vertical cladding in mint, coupled with white architraves to the windows and doors to give a coastal resort-like feel.
Internally, a mini bar area for hot and cold beverages, a daybed for lazy naps as well as a quiet sitting area meant this peaceful garden retreat would get plenty of use all-year round.
Why fly to Bali when you can holiday in your own backyard and enjoy a relaxing staycation?
Scroll down to take a closer look at the beautiful space she has created!
The Pool Cabana is the Melwood Mod No.23 – which measures 7.2m x 3.2m
France’s Pool Cabana is the Mod No.23 – which measures 7.2m x 3.2m
