As the nation’s office workers get used to working from home, the demand for garden offices has soared. Even after the pandemic crisis is over, the practice of remote working is set to continue, and many homeowners are looking for permanent alternatives to the kitchen table or living room sofa that will fit around family life.
Department store John Lewis has just released a Flexible Living Report that looks at people’s plans for the new normal. More than half of us are expecting to work from home in the future, although many envisage their time will be split between home and the office. As a result, around a quarter of those surveyed are already creating their home offices.
The survey also found that people have been willing to spend money to make their office space look more attractive on camera, including redecorating, adding bookshelves and plants, and even buying statement artwork.
When the house is too small…
Those who don’t have a spare room in the house will need to be a bit more creative about where they work, and in most cases, this means installing an office in the garden.
A garden office doesn’t need to involve major building work as there are plenty of companies selling ready-made summer houses, sheds, pods and log cabins, as well as shepherd’s huts and converted shipping containers. Some people are even converting caravans into offices.
During the summer months, working from a lodge at the bottom of the garden sounds like a lovely idea. But now that winter is closing in, the practicalities of it aren’t so appealing. While you can’t do anything about the frosty morning dash from the back door to your garden office, you can do something about making that office as cosy and stylish as your house is, without spending a huge amount of money connecting it to your central heating system. Invest in an electric designer radiator.
Electric designer radiators
Many electric designer radiators come with a programmable timer, and some are even part of the smart revolution and can be controlled via smart technology – meaning you’ll never have to worry about working in the cold while the office heats up in the morning.
Some models can even detect if there’s no one in the office, or if the window’s open, so if you rush off to do something important without switching the radiator off, you won’t end up paying for heat you didn’t use. And the best thing about it is that all you’ll need is an electric supply to your garden office – which you’ll have anyway – so you can just plug your radiator in!
Looking good!
You’ll be surprised by how many styles you can get electric radiators in. From the sleek Niva E-Panel, the curved Campalys, and the classically elegant Old Skool, to the intriguingly unusual Campastyle City, the industrial Pajak and the downright quirky Hot Spring, there’s an electric designer radiator to suit every home office space.
If your garden office is very small, it’s a great idea to have a mirror in the room to help reflect light, give you views of the garden and check your appearance in before your virtual meeting. Of course, if you don’t have much wall space, you’d probably rather use it to hang a radiator on rather than a mirror… but there is a fantastic compromise in the form of mirror radiators, such as the Campaver Ultime or Supermirror.
Our electric designer radiators come in different shapes and sizes which means you’ll always be able to find something that’ll fit seamlessly in the space you have available. To see some of the models for yourself, visit one of our radiator showrooms where our experts will help you work out the size you’ll need to keep you working comfortably all through the winter.
