Summer Houses & Log Cabins
Do you want a little hiding place in your garden? What about an extra office space outside? A party room or a playroom for the kids? If you have enough space in your garden , consider buying a summer house or log cabin.
What is the Difference between a Summer House and a Log Cabin?

First , the similarities: both garden log cabins and summer houses are little separate , usually wooden houses you can set up in your garden. In contrast to garden sheds , both are used to sit inside to enjoy your garden rain or shine , while a garden shed's main purpose is to store garden tools , bikes , outdoor toys or the lawn mower.
The main difference between garden log cabins and summer houses is the size. Summer houses are more on the smaller side of things while log cabins are usually a little more sturdy and bigger. Log cabins can be a year round option if you have a garden big enough and go for an insulated cabin. Summer houses are mainly for the warmer months as the name suggests.
While log cabins always have a rectangular footprint , summer houses can come in rectangular , hexagonal and corner floor designs. Based on the floor plan , summer houses can have different roof constructions as well and can even look like little pavilions. Corner summer houses are very useful designs that can be fit into garden corners to use up as little space as possible.
Cladding , Roof Types & Special Features

Decide if you need single or double doors , how many windows you want to have , how big they should be and if you would like a veranda for your summer house or log cabin. Next to these little features you have to make decisions about basics like roof structure and cladding.
The simplest form of roof type are flat or pent roofs. Pent roofs are flat roofs that are higher on one end of the summer or garden house , usually the front , to allow rain to run off the roof easily.
Apex roofs are a type of gable roof that have two pitched roof sides that run down on either side of a ridge board. The doors of a log cabin or summer house with an apex roof are on the side of the gable. In the case of a reverse apex roof , the door or doors are on either of the roof sides of the cabin or house.
Hip roofs have a roof side on all four walls of the summer house or garden cabin. In the case of a pyramid roof , all roof sides are triangles. They can be found on summer houses or sheds with a square floor design. A simple hip roof has two triangular sides and two trapezoid sides.
Gazebo roofs are gently tented roofs that can be found on hexagonal summer houses and similar pavilion structures.
Cladding usually comes in two basic varieties: overlap or feather-edge , and tongue & groove. Overlap clad wall constructions have boards that simply overlap one another. Tongue & groove on the other hand has interlocking boards. A special type of tongue and groove cladding is shiplap which is supposed to be the most weather resistant of all three constructions for summer houses and garden cabins.
Decorate your Summer House

Install window boxes and grow some pretty flowers right in front of your cabin's windows. Or place a plant urn next to the double doors of your summer house. If you have a veranda , you can add a sun lounger or two to stretch out in front of the house , sipping a cool drink.
Add awnings to the windows or even a small stretch of picket fence left and right of the entrance to your little summer house.
Space and your personal taste are the only limits on how to approach interior design for your summer house. Style the windows with curtains , hang up pictures and add ornaments. And , of course , do not forget outdoor cushions , rugs , blankets , a wind chime , outdoor candles and all the other small but important items to add that extra layer of comfort to your little home from home.
Install lights or use lanterns and set up a small table and chairs and maybe a bookcase or bench and your cabin and summer house are all set up for cosy evenings outside in your garden no matter what the weather will be.
Planning Permission for Garden Buildings
Please make sure that you are allowed to set up your dream summer house or log cabin in your garden. For some sites , heights and features like balconies or verandas you might need a permission for garden building like houses , cabins , sheds or garages. Check with the local authorities to make sure you can enjoy your new summer house or log cabin for a long time.