We’ve all gotten pretty comfortable with the idea of a man cave, which remains alluringly popular to many strapped for space homeowners – but the question now is, why not a woman cave instead? Here are five man or woman cave ideas, to inspire you.
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Katrina Archer has noticed an interesting trend when it comes to man caves. She and husband Stephen (a carpenter and house-building specialist) run Archers Garden Rooms, providing high-end garden rooms in Aberdeen and across Scotland.
She said: “With one we did recently, he was sending us videos and pictures – he had a mini golf set-up and a tv, and had made one room a living area for himself and the other an office. We’ve had a request for a gym, too.
“Basically though, it’s the women that get in touch and go through everything with us, but the garden room is actually for their husband. I’ve found that.”
A room of your own: 5 man or woman cave ideas
A man cave is a popular concept but the reality is there aren’t many who would turn down having a private space to retreat to at home.
Which is perhaps why the idea of a woman cave was born.
Much like a man cave, a woman cave is a space that the woman of the house can make her own.
Really, the name doesn’t mean much. Woman cave, man cave or any other kind of cave – the interesting point of this trend is that whatever you call it, and whoever tries to take ownership over it, space is at a premium and highly coveted.
One way to help ensure everyone is happy? A garden room.
“A lot of people just like it as an extra sitting room, as a sanctuary away from the home – it doesn’t need to be used for anything in particular,” explains Katrina.
“It’s year-round use. You could have the bi-fold doors and a decking area all through summer as a sun lounge area. Then in winter you could have a wood burner and go in there for a glass of wine. It doesn’t have to be for anything specific.”
A high-end garden room from Archers Garden Rooms is built to the same standards as that demanded of an extension to your home, but you won’t need to go through all the hassle of planning permission.
Which means that in a matter of weeks (lead time for Archers Garden Rooms in Aberdeen is currently four to six weeks) you’ll have a whole extra space to play with.
“It’s never-ending, the list of what you can do with them, to be quite honest,” says Katrina. But to help inspire you, here are five man or woman cave ideas:
1. Build a podcasting studio at home
Katrina has heard of someone who recently installed a garden room to use exclusively as a podcast studio. If you have big plans to take your podcast to the next level, this could be a great option to get serious.
2. Get inspired with a craft room
Sewing machines, pottery wheels, easels, printers – whatever your craft of choice, finding space for everything can be difficult. A garden room could be the perfect option for your creative hub at home.
3. Retreat into a writing room/reading nook
Picture this – rain is hitting off the window, the wind is blowing a gale, but you’re safely tucked up in a cosy armchair, surrounded by candles and books you can escape into. Dreamy, right? Or maybe you fancy a minimalist, distraction-free space to finally write that novel you’ve been planning? A garden room offers plenty of space for either option.
4. Design a home yoga studio
You’ll be mastering pigeon pose and peaceful warrior in no time if you turn a garden room into a home yoga studio.
5. Create an office/workspace for two in the garden
A garden room could prove the perfect home office space. Katrina says: “A customer of ours got the module 4 which is two rooms, and the two of them work from home. They’re absolutely loving the fact that they can just walk out their house and go into their office, spend the day and then they’re back in their house again. It just makes them feel like they’ve been out working.”
Installing a garden room Aberdeen: is it the right option for you?
As already explained, so long as your garden room is within the rules regarding boundaries and height (which Archers Garden Rooms can keep you right on), you won’t need planning permission to extend your home in this way.
Plus the cost for a garden room (around £20,000 to £40,000) is, as Katrina puts it, “nothing in comparison to an actual extension on your house”.
Katrina and Stephen started the company during lockdown and have already noticed a big demand for garden rooms in Aberdeen and elsewhere in Scotland. It’s not surprising considering the quality and variety that is on offer.
Katrina says: “We don’t want to do sheds or summer houses. Our garden rooms are basically an extension on your house, but it’s not attached to your house. They’re well insulated, they’re insulated to the standard that your house is (100mm insulation), so it’s going to be as warm as your house. And you don’t need planning permission, that’s the beauty of it.
“We have lots of different finishes and claddings, different doors (like bifold or standard PVC), wifi controlled underfloor heating – we’re really going high-end with our garden rooms.”
How would you use a garden room? Do you need a woman cave or man cave, or just some extra space at home? Browse options for garden rooms in Aberdeen from Archers Garden Rooms.
