Working from home has always sounded like the dream, hasn’t it? No commute, more flexibility and the chance to fit work around family life. And while I do feel very lucky to be able to work from home, the reality can look a little different when you have five children, a dog and a never-ending pile of washing competing for your attention!
As Nancy gets older, I have been thinking a lot more about what working from home will look like for me in the future. I want to continue growing my blog, creating content and working with local businesses, but I also know I need a proper routine – and a dedicated place to work – to make that happen.
At the moment, my “office” tends to be wherever I can find a clear surface. Some days I am working at the kitchen table; on others, I am answering emails from the sofa while surrounded by toys. It works for now, but as Nancy becomes more independent and I have more regular working hours, I would love a space that helps me separate work from home life.
Creating a proper divide between work and home
One of the hardest things about working from home is knowing when to switch off. When your laptop is sitting on the kitchen table, it is all too easy to answer one more email while making dinner or quickly finish something when you should be relaxing with the family.
That is why a garden office feels like such a brilliant option. You still have all the benefits of being at home, particularly important when you are juggling children, school runs and family life, but you also have somewhere you can physically leave at the end of the working day.
Even a walk of a few steps across the garden could create that feeling of “going to work” in the morning and coming home again afterwards. I think that small separation could make a huge difference to both productivity and family time.
A space designed around how I work
My work involves so many different things. One day I might be writing a blog post, the next I am editing a reel, planning content for a client or joining a call. A garden office could be designed around all of that, with a proper desk, plenty of storage and a comfortable corner for filming or taking photographs.
I love researching different typesof Garden Room for inspiration, and I love seeing how differently each space can be used. It has made me realise that a garden room does not have to be simply a desk and a chair. It can become a genuinely useful extension of your home, tailored to your job and the way your family lives.
For me, I can picture lots of natural light, simple shelving, a calm neutral backdrop for content and, most importantly, a door I can close when I need an hour of uninterrupted focus. I would also love enough room for a small sofa or comfy chair, giving me somewhere to sit with a coffee while planning ideas—without finding cold coffee in the microwave three hours later!
Making working from home work for the whole family
Having a dedicated workspace would not just benefit me. It would mean reclaiming the dining table, keeping work equipment out of the main living areas and creating clearer boundaries for everybody. The children would know that when I am in the office, I am working, but I would still be close by when they need me.
It could also evolve with us. While I would use it primarily as an office and content-creation space, in years to come it might become somewhere for the girls to study, a quiet reading room or even a creative space the whole family could enjoy.
More than just an extra room
For me, an office in the garden would be about much more than gaining a few extra square metres. It would represent the next chapter of my working life: taking my business seriously, giving myself room to grow and creating a better balance between being Mum and being me.
Working from home offers so much freedom, but having the right environment can be what turns that freedom into something sustainable. As Nancy gets older and my plans continue to grow, a garden office is definitely becoming part of the vision. A calm, practical space just beyond the back door could change not only how I work, but how present I am when the working day is done and that would be the biggest benefit of all!
