How can you still enjoy your garden in winter?
It’s actually quite simple.
When the cold sets in, we tend to change the way we live. We pack away the outdoor furniture, close the back door and write off the garden until spring returns. But this doesn’t have to be the case.
If you look at this season from a different perspective, it’s magical. Morning mist settles across the lawn. Birds become more active, foraging for food and frolicking in the dew. Low sunlight filters through bare branches, casting a warm, shadowy glow.
With the right space to retreat to, winter becomes one of the most enjoyable and rewarding times to spend in your garden – not one to wait out from indoors. A season to embrace rather than endure.
In this article:
- A garden room is how you do it
- What you can do with a garden room in winter
- Built to be used all year
- A place you never want to leave
- Outdoor living through winter… and beyond
A garden room is how you do it
The secret to enjoying your garden in winter is to be amongst it. And a PreCrafted timber garden room is the simplest and cosiest way to do that.
It gives you a comfortable, sheltered space right in the heart of your backyard – somewhere you can be immersed in the garden, and snug enough to stay out there for hours. Instead of retreating inside, you get a warm, inviting room. The winter garden on full display through the windows. The comforting patter of rain on the Colorbond® roof.
Instead of looking at the outside from the house, you’re in it.
And unlike a gazebo or patio area that might only be usable on perfect days, a well-built garden room earns its keep all year round. It becomes a sunny retreat in spring, a cool escape in summer, a place to watch autumn colours arrive, and perhaps most surprisingly, one of the cosiest places on your property throughout winter.
What you can do with a garden room in winter
Winter is a time when we can slow down. And with the right space in your backyard, the season is yours to enjoy inside and out.
Here are five of our favourite ways to embrace winter with a Melwood garden room.
1. Fireside festivities
There are few better winter rituals than crisp evenings spent gathered around a crackling fire sharing stories and laughter.
Position a fire pit just beyond your Melwood and elevate this magical experience into an all-weather entertaining space perfect for social gatherings, even in the coldest months. Add a wall-mounted TV and watch the footy while you huddle round the fire, install a sound system to create the right ambience and atmosphere, a bar fridge or kitchenette ensure winter drinks and snacks are on hand.
It’s the ideal spot for winter parties, holiday celebrations, or intimate gatherings, turning an ordinary fire pit into somewhere you’ll gather all winter long.
We think the Mod, with its highlight windows and double doors opening onto a deck, makes a perfect fireside accompaniment.
2. A sunny nook for reading and reflection
Winter days are often bright and sunny. So, create a cosy nook in your garden room where you can bathe in the warmth of the winter sun and top up your vitamin D.
Curl up with a good book, a steaming mug of tea, and the gentle chirping of birds for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Strategically position the windows to allow the low winter rays to stream in and create a toasty spot for relaxation or meditation. Throw the doors open onto the deck and enjoy the clean, crisp air of the season from your warm retreat. A comfortable chair, plush cushions and some soft throws create the ultimate relaxation retreat where you can while away winter in comfort.
A Verandah, with its seamless connection between indoors and out, is our pick for the ideal sunny-day relaxation retreat.
3. Connect with the cosmos
Winter nights are renowned for their clear, dark skies, making your garden room the perfect spot for stargazing.
Take in the breathtaking expanse of the night sky, pick out constellations, or catch a passing satellite or shooting star, all from the comfort of a warm room. Set up reclining chairs or beanbags for the best view, add a small telescope or high-powered binoculars, and keep a tablet with a star-mapping app close to hand. It’s an ideal set-up for romantic evenings, fun family bonding, or quiet contemplation, allowing you to connect with the cosmos – and each other – in warmth and comfort.
A Porch, with the perfect covered frontage to sit and gaze at the skies, could be the perfect design.
4. A family winter wonderland
Embrace the winter season in all its glory with a versatile winter activity centre.
Your garden room can be a base for fun family activities or to get the kids out of the house. With a sofa or two, some beanbags, a sturdy table, and some storage, it becomes a hive of playful fun and your family’s favourite weekend destination.
A Sunday afternoon of playing board games or getting creative with some arts and crafts are popular pastimes that are even more enjoyable in a cosy garden retreat. Cuddle up with hot chocolates in front of a little log stove and enjoy some family bonding with a reading or puzzle session. On a wet and windy day, give the kids (or yourself) a change of scene and host a movie marathon.
A separate space – even if it’s just steps from the house – has a remarkable way of feeling like a complete getaway.
A Workshed is our idea of a cosy setting for winter fun, creativity, and family togetherness.
5. Hot tub heaven
Create a luxurious spa retreat by pairing a garden room with your hot tub. Step into the steaming waters on a crisp winter’s evening without the dreaded dash across the garden in your swimwear. A spa-side indoor space is a game-changer for the transition between cold winter air and warm waters.
An adjacent garden room is the perfect pre- and post-soak space – a cosy changing area, towels kept fluffy and warm inside. Install a bathroom for a quick rinse-off before entering your tub and to enjoy a warm shower when you get out. A bar fridge to store drinks or snacks makes your spa sessions even more indulgent.
Pairing your hot tub with a garden room allows you to indulge throughout the year. No more limiting your soaks to perfect days – you can enjoy your spa in comfort, regardless of the season or weather.
We’re picking the Mod as the perfect design for creating a luxurious year-round spa-like retreat.
Built to be used all year
Of course, none of this works if the room is cold and uncomfortable. This is where a properly engineered, well-built, high-quality garden room earns its place over an ordinary backyard shed.
Every Melwood garden room is constructed from handcrafted timber-framed wall panels lined with wall wrap to keep moisture out and designed with cavities deep enough to accommodate full-depth insulation batts. The Colorbond® steel roof includes 50mm Anticon® insulation as standard, while the timber cladding choices provide excellent natural thermal performance. Built to exceed the National Construction Code, it’s designed as a properly built room – not a flimsy draughty shed.
And you can make it even cosier. Position the windows and doors to capture the low winter sun for free passive warmth, and choose double glazing to keep that heat in. Add reverse cycle air conditioning, or even a little log burner, to banish the really cold days and create a space that is inviting no matter what the weather is doing outside.
A place you never want to leave
The building itself keeps you warm and cosy; the finishing touches make it a place you never want to leave.
A few simple moves turn a winter garden room into a proper hideaway:
- Layer the lighting. Skip the single harsh overhead light. Mix warm lamps, a string of fairy lights and a candle or two for a soft, golden glow.
- Texture underfoot and on the lap. A thick rug, plush cushions and chunky-knit throws invite you to settle in and get comfy.
- Warm the palette. Bring in deep reds, burnt orange and forest green through cushions, throws and decor for a warm and inviting feel.
- Bring the outside in. Pine cones, bare branches and seasonal foliage keep you connected to the garden, while scented candles in classic winter aromas fire the senses.
- Go green. A few hardy indoor plants, or a small greenhouse nook, bring life to the barest months and let you keep growing herbs and winter blooms.
Outdoor living through winter… and beyond
We Aussies love the great outdoors. But when the heat of summer fades and the crisp winter air takes hold, it feels like the garden goes into hibernation and takes us with it.
A PreCrafted timber garden room lets you keep living outdoors through winter – whether you crave a quiet space for reading, an outdoor entertaining hub, a family activity room or simply a warm retreat to enjoy your garden. And when winter fades and spring bursts forth, your versatile Melwood garden room simply comes into its own all over again. All that changes is the colours outside the windows – one space for every season.
Winter may already be here, but it is not too late. Our quick PreCrafting process and easy modular panel system mean your winter retreat can be made, delivered and installed in just a few weeks.
A little shelter, a little warmth, and the coldest months open right back up to you in a warm and cosy way just as they will for many winters, springs, summers and autumns in the future.
Turn winter into a season that you love.
Download our Design Price Guide and embrace the season.
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FAQs
For everyday warmth, reverse-cycle air conditioning is the most efficient to run and heats the room fast – cooling it when needed in summer. A plug-in electric panel heater is the cheapest to buy and fine for occasional use. Ultimately, because a Melwood is so well built and inherently insulative, it warms quickly and holds its heat, so you rarely need much.
Yes. A slow-combustion wood heater warms the room without drawing any power, which also suits a garden room set away from the house or off-grid. Designing the room to catch the low winter sun through north-facing glazing adds free passive warmth through the day, and the ability to add good insulation means less heating is needed in the first place.
A well-built one shouldn’t. But a poorly built one might.
The real enemy for any outdoor room is condensation, which is why every Melwood is lined with permeable wall wrap to manage moisture and ventilation. Deep wall cavities allow for insulation batts to be installed, and Anticon® blanket insulation is pre-fitted to the Colorbond® roof. Doors and windows are high-quality with a choice of single or double glazing – not Perspex like some. Flashings, gutters and downpipes keep water out and channel it away from the building.
Just like any room in your house, a Melwood stays dry and holds a comfortable temperature rather than turning cold and moist.
Yes, that is what it is designed for – when done right. The same insulation and build quality that keep a Melwood warm in winter also keep it comfortable in summer, especially with cross-ventilation and well-placed windows. So, it works as a winter retreat, a summer studio and everything in between, with nothing changing but the view outside.
Less time than most people expect. Each Melwood is PreCrafted off-site from modular panels, so the building work is done before delivery. Once your design is finalised it can be made, delivered and installed in a matter of weeks, often assembled on site in a single day, which means you can start now and have your retreat ready with plenty of winter left to enjoy it.