Custom Garden Rooms
Hampshire and the south coast is known for it’s high tech industries such aerospace, satellite and maritime companies. Today we are talking to Luxora by R3. A company with an equally modern approach to building custom garden rooms, offices, and studios.
Workshopshed: Thanks for talking to us, there are many different types of garden buildings, what distinguishes a garden room over the alternatives?
Luxora: Great question! A garden room is really the grown-up, sophisticated cousin of the garden shed. Where a shed keeps your lawnmower dry, a garden room keeps you warm, dry, and comfortable all year round. It’s properly insulated, built to feel like a real room. Think of it as an extension of your home, just with better views and no shoes on the carpet rule.
Workshopshed: Having started out in a garden shed, one of the issues was damp during the winter months. That’s not an environment you’d want for a laptop or expensive gym equipment. How can a garden room help?
Luxora: Oh absolutely! Damp and tech do not mix! A garden room is built with proper insulation, breathable membranes, and weatherproof cladding. So whether it’s your laptop, your Peloton, or your prized guitar collection, everything stays dry, cosy, and ready to use all year round. It’s basically like having an extra room at home, minus the houseplants you keep forgetting to water.
Workshopshed: What’s the process of ordering a new garden room from first contact to complete building?
Luxora: First, you get in touch: call, email, or carrier pigeon, we’re not fussy. We’ll chat about what you want, offer a site survey, and guide you through design options. Once you’re happy, we handle the rest: groundwork (if needed), the build, the finish, all the way to handing over the keys. You sit back, enjoy your garden, and maybe plan how you’re going to make your neighbours jealous.
Workshopshed: The build process is quite unique, structural insulated panels sounds like something out of Grand Designs, how do those help the building?
Luxora: Ah yes, SIPs. Or as we like to call them, the secret sauce. These panels combine insulation and structure in one, making the whole building super energy-efficient, solid, and quicker to build than traditional methods. They’re like the Swiss Army knife of building materials, clever, compact, and they make you feel a bit smug about how eco-friendly your garden room is.
Workshopshed: If you need to have power sockets or networking, is fitting those hard?
Luxora: Not at all. Our full turnkey packages include all the electrics and even connecting to your house if you like. Need sockets for your office, lighting for your studio, or hardwired internet for your gaming den? No problem. We make sure everything’s set up so you can plug in and get going from day one, no extension cables trailing across the garden, we promise!
Workshopshed: All the pictures I see of garden rooms seem to have lots of large windows which makes sense if you want to enjoy views of the garden.
But for those wanting to build a workshop, big windows could make it hard to place heavy equipment such as a milling machine or lathe. Can a garden room be tailored for those kind of requirements?
Luxora: Absolutely. While big windows are lovely for soaking up the view (and smugly admiring your flowerbeds), not everyone wants them, especially if you’re planning on bringing in heavy kit. We design each garden room to suit the space and the use. Need solid walls for shelving or machinery? No problem. Want reinforced floors for gym equipment or a lathe? Easy. It’s your space, we just help make it happen. No one-size-fits-all here.
Workshopshed: Back in the 18th century, having a hermit or a pineapple topped folly was the ultimate in status symbols. What would be your choice for a modern day equivalent?
Luxora: Well, a live-in hermit might be frowned upon by planning these days… but I reckon a fully kitted-out garden room with its own Wi-Fi, coffee machine, and maybe a hot tub next to it is the modern-day equivalent. Bonus points if you casually drop into conversation, “Oh yes, that’s just my garden room… I work from there… or sometimes nap… or have cocktails… you know, standard.” Much more useful than a pineapple on the roof and probably easier to explain to your insurance company!
Luxora are based in Portsmouth and provide high-quality, custom garden rooms, offices, and studios across Hampshire, West Sussex and Surrey. You can contact them via their website or social media.
Posted in: Interview
Tags: SIPS, Sponsorship
Metal sculpture in brass, mounted on an 1800s French Coin
