Gardens are evolving away from conventional mowed lawns and wooden sheds to contemporary and multi-functional spaces. As our families grow or our personal requirements change, many of us find that we need more space around the home.
A traditional conservatory or orangery is fine if you need an extension that is attached to your living room or kitchen for easy access, but a bespoke garden room will allow you to create a fully personalised, versatile stand-alone building that takes advantage of your available outdoor space while remaining separate from your main house.
A luxury Garden Retreats pod can bring a modern, creative flair to an otherwise average garden. Whether you need an office for homeworking, a playroom for family time or space to run a commercial business like a pet grooming salon, the Garden Retreats pod is guaranteed to tick all of your boxes.
What’s more, your pod can be easily customised and configured to suit your personal tastes—including your choice of luxury Italian vinyl floor tiles and a unique wall panel system that gives you modern finishes and the ability to put bespoke images or logos on your walls.
This guide will introduce some wall and floor tile design ideas and explain how these features can enhance your Garden Retreat.
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Wall panels
Wall panels can be transformative when it comes to adding a splash of colour or achieving a certain style or theme. The Garden Retreats pod comes with fire-proof, scratch-proof, long-lasting wall panels as standard, available in six colour options. Our wall tiles are stone and marble-inspired to bring a sense of texture and depth to your garden room while also looking as authentic and natural as possible.
The wall panels can be applied to pods of any shape or size to add the perfect touch to your at-home getaway. All of our panels are wipe-clean and easy to maintain, so are ideal for creating a backsplash if your pod functions as a bakery or additional kitchen. Wall panels can be arranged vertically to lift the eye to the ceiling, heightening the space, or horizontally to draw the eye across the room to elongate and lengthen.
If you really wanted to you, could create a feature wall using your own uploaded images or logos. Bespoke panels are an extra cost and subject to images being suitable hi-res.
Floor tiles
Our stunning array of floor tiles can work alongside any space. The luxury vinyl flooring is hard-wearing and long-lasting—excellent for a garden office, games room or home-based commercial business premises.
However, our Garden Retreat luxury vinyl flooring uses no glue or adhesive. Giving it green credentials other floor tiles cannot match. It also allows you to replace any damage floor tile easily.
We have 19 styles for you to choose from, including classic grained wood-effect and soft stone. If you want to marry the outdoor area with the inside of your pod, or if you simply want a more rustic aesthetic, try our oak or walnut-coloured grained tiles. Unlike real wood panels, our vinyl tiles don’t need regular maintenance to stop them from warping or drying out, and they won’t stain because of spills.
For a more contemporary and sophisticated appearance, your pod might benefit from a stone-effect tiled floor. We have several colour options available, including light grey and slate. Real stone flooring is heavy, difficult to install and generally uncomfortable underfoot; luxury vinyl tiling solves these issues without compromising on style.
The durable design of our floor tiles promises no chips or scratches. Our special K-Guard surface provides protection from stains and maintaining hygiene and sterility. The flooring is soft, easy to install and compatible with underfloor heating for that extra touch of luxury.
The Garden Retreats pod
With the Garden Retreats configuration service, piecing your garden pod couldn’t be easier. Visualise how your pod will look with different cladding, wall and floor tile options so that you can create a space that reflects your personal style and meets all of your use requirements.
Our pods come in three modular sizes that can be installed individually or combined for a larger building, meaning you aren’t restricted by the size of your garden. They are made from a carbon fibre structure instead of timber or steel, so won’t expand or deteriorate over time. The pods are also clad in composite material which won’t cause condensation and requires zero maintenance.
All of the materials we use require 75% less energy for production and transportation than steel, and can be fitted together quickly and seamlessly onsite so your pod can be up and running in days, not weeks or months.
Electrics are included internally, including plug sockets with USB ports, internal and external spotlights, a hook-up point for the mains and heating you can control with your smartphone.
The best thing is that after all of this personalising and customisation, you won’t have to leave your Garden Retreat behind should you move to a new home. Unlike a conventional house extension, you can take your pod with you and enjoy it for years to come. You can even upgrade your pod to have a roof terrace with spiral staircase and decking, which can safely be installed at a later date because the structural integrity of the structure is so sound.
Frequently asked questions
What external cladding options are available for a Garden Retreats pod?
Designed to suit any floor and wall tiles fitted, our external cladding comes in three designs: black, white and natural. On the configuration page on the website, you can view what your chosen cladding would look like next to your chosen floor tile design. For more information, see our guide to Garden Retreats cladding.
What door options are available for a Garden Retreats pod?
You have a choice of either bifold or patio external doors in a black or grey finish for your Garden Retreat. If you have more than one pod, you can have internal glass doors installed to partition the pods into different sections. Find out more in our guide to Garden Retreats door options.