11 summer house ideas for your garden

A summer house can be a hide-away for grown-up guests, leaving the kids garden toys and the rest of the chaos outside. Larger spaces could double as a family room or home office while small summer house ideas could include a cosy reading snug or painting studio.

Some summer house designs feature verandas or porches to provide cover for garden seating and garden furniture during wet spells and curved, hexagonal and even pod-shaped summer houses are also now available.

Many summer houses arrive ready to be constructed at home while others come assembled and ready to go. There are options to order models pre-treated or painted or you can paint or stain them yourself, with wood treatments like Osmo's UV Protection Oil or garden paint such as Cuprinol Garden Shades.

For the ultimate summer house inspiration we’ve curated a list of summer house design ideas to give you a nudge in the right direction.

If you're looking to spruce up your garden, read our guides on the best greenhouses and best BBQ shelters. Consider our guide to the best cordless drills and the best drill bits for any DIY renovations you'd like made. And check out our expert tests to find the best pressure washer, to keep everything looking in tip top condition.

11 summer house ideas

Browse our garden summer house inspiration below;

Hampton Double Door Corner Summer house

This pent roof summer house is ideal for tucking neatly into a corner of the garden and it has double doors and long windows that will flood the interior with light. Designed with Georgian style joinery in FSC certified timber (so it's sustainably sourced), this stylish summer house arrives with all the fixtures and fittings you need as well as illustrated assembly instructions.

Dimensions: H2200 mm x W2250 mm x D2250 mm

Price: £1,136

Buy Hampton Double Door Corner Summer house at Garden Street

Contemporary Curved Roof Summer house with Double Doors

Offering a contemporary look, this summer house for larger gardens features a curved roof, which adds interest but also provides additional headroom and plenty of space as an additional room. Treat the wood annually and there's a 10 year anti-rot guarantee and it's constructed in a neat tongue and groove cladding pattern (as explained in our shed buyers guide).

Dimensions: H2119 mm x W3300 mm x D3485 mm

Price: £1,350

Buy Contemporary Curved Roof Summerhouse at Wickes

Farmer's Cottage Oval Garden Summerhouse Pod

Offering ultimate high tech luxury, this futuristic summer house pod makes an iconic garden statement. The curved panoramic glass gives 360 degree views and the stainless steel panels on the outside help deflect the heat in summer. Perfect for social gatherings, the pod includes a heater, electric socket, interior lighting and an adjustable coffee-to-dining-table. It's fully assembled for you by Farmer’s Cottage and comes in a range of sizes. The model pictured seats up to eight people.

Price: £13,995

Dimensions: H2.2m x W2.9m x D2.4m (Base diameter: 2.1m)

Buy Farmer's Cottage Oval Garden Summerhouse Pod at John Lewis

The Hub Plus Left-Hand Corner Garden Studio

This chic, studio-style summer house is ideal for use as an extra outdoor room. It includes its own covered veranda for sheltered outdoor seating and floor to ceiling glass doors, which are double-glazed for better insulation and offer views across the garden. The summer house will be delivered and assembled for you, so there’s no need to stress if you’re not DIY-savvy.

Price: £19,999

Dimensions: H227 x W540 x D300cm

Buy The Hub Plus Left-Hand Corner Garden Studio at John Lewis

Bournemouth Wooden Summerhouse

If you’re looking for more traditional garden summer house ideas, this wooden model from Waltons is ideal. Double doors allow the summer house to be open when it’s warmer while the front porch provides a little extra space with cover from the sun or the wet during rainy spells. The doors lock with a key and the front windows are made from shatterproof styrene for safety.

Price: £899.99

Dimensions: H2.21m x W2.22m x D2.74m

Buy Bournemouth Wooden Summer house at Waltons

Octagonal Summerhouse

This octagonal summer house is ideal for anyone searching for small summer house ideas. Although more compact than other designs, the long windows allow plenty of light and the single opening door allows more floor space inside. It also comes with a 10 year guarantee.

Price: £749.99

Dimensions: H2.64m x W1.88m x D1.88m

Buy Octagonal Summerhouse at Robert Dyas

Helios Summerhouse

This garden summer house features a curved roof that provides a modern look to the outside and a little extra headroom inside. Large windows around the front give views across the garden whilst maintaining a feeling of cosy seclusion within. The windows and “glass” in the double doors are made from shatterproof styrene.

Price: £1,599.99

Dimensions: H x W2.91m x D2.39m

Buy Helios Summerhouse at Waltons

Build Your Own Garden Bar

For those seeking alternative summer house design ideas, this outdoor bar is an ideal garden project as well as a fun talking point for social gatherings and parties at home. The kit includes all the timber you need to create the tiki bar and it's all FSC certified. It's worth noting that you’ll need to have tools and fixings ready.

Price: £485.00

Dimensions: H2400 mm x W1760 mm x D1185 mm

Buy Build Your Own Garden Bar at Wickes

Premier Corner Summerhouse

This corner summer house is an ideal multi-purpose space with large, shatterproof windows along the front and interlocking, shiplap tongue and groove cladding to protect it from the elements. For an additional cost you can also have the summer house treated in a choice of colours.

Price: £999.99

Dimensions: H2.11 x W2.5m x D2.5m

Buy Premier Corner Summerhouse at Waltons

Palmako Solveig Contemporary Wooden Summerhouse

This stylish garden summer house is ideal as an extra room for projects, work or entertaining. Large doors and windows around one corner offer views while other sections remain more cosy and secluded. There’s also the option to include extras like additional cladding and solar lighting kits if desired.

Dimensions: H2810 mm x W4520 mm x D3300 mm

Price: £7,649

Buy Palmako Solveig Contemporary Wooden Summerhouse at Shedstore

Arlington Premium Corner Summerhouse

This summer house tucks into the corner of your garden so it's ideal if you’re after some small summer house ideas for your own compact space. Tongue and groove wood is pressure-treated and guaranteed for 15 years against rot and floor to ceiling windows allow plenty of light into this garden hideaway. There's also the option to add lighting and heating if you wish.

Price: £1,299.99

Dimensions: H2000 mm x W2960 mm x D2300 mm

Buy Arlington Premium Corner Summerhouse at The Range

This Product Guide was last updated in April 2022 and we apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.