That garden house

Pinched from the Irish Times

My thoughts on the new house have been very focused on our garden house. The office, the leisure hub, the sleepover hut, the snug room, call it what you like. For me it will be my little peace oasis, where I will be able to write non-stop, get some peace and quiet, away from the uncivilised home environment.

Until we have that in place, we cannot but make our weekend liby, café or garden centre escapes, to be able to have some mental space to actually hear ourselves thinking, without the pressures of the household chores or any family needs. Away from sight, away from mind (and heart), right?

It will be good to know we can just pop out to the end of the garden to work, whether that means employment or enjoyment. It will be good no having to rely on any other business opening hours when our creative juices are running and need to be freed.

It will be a nice little corner for both work and leisure. This house is just getting too small. And when we’re on holidays it gets smaller, because at this time of the year the weather is crap (we’re actually currently having a storm chain), nobody goes out anywhere, which means we’re all stuck between near enough four walls with each other.

Fully insulated and wired up, ready for the summer as well as for the winter. On one side there will be our office: a couple of good size desks, two screens set up, totally plug-and-play, ready to use at any time of the day or night. I want it to be a nice boho extension of the house, a place to inspire and create.

The other half, a nice sofa bed, a reasonable size coffee table, two or three bean bags, book shelves all around and a big screen being fed by the Fire Stick and the video consoles for the kids all in one spot. Plant pots in a couple of corners, candles and a few statement pieces.

The garden house will be our little piece of heaven, especially when we’re all in. We will then be able to have our own space. Close to the barbecue area, it will be a social area, where we can have friends over, have a good long chat and a drink, without worrying about having to drive anywhere.

It wil be a place where we can dedicate some time to our personal growth, reading, studying, researching. And yes, we can all take turns with our sleepovers…