What To Do With a Summerhouse When It’s Not Summer?

A summerhouse is a fantastic addition to the garden. During the warmer months, it gives us a spot to sit out in the garden and provide the perfect amount of shade. Perfect if you’re prone to burning or have little ones! But what do you do with a summerhouse when it’s not summer? Here are a few tips.

Keep It Protected

Any wooden structures should be properly protected from the elements to keep them at their best, a summerhouse is no exception. Over the fall and winter when there’s more rainfall they’re more prone to damage, and so this is something to address. You can use an exterior paint designed for wood, or even look at products designed for wooden log structures such as chinking for a log home. This will fill in between the gaps, keeping the rain out the heat in. Not only will this make your summerhouse look nice all year round, but will keep it in good condition too.

Make It Cozy

Having your summerhouse properly insulated and filling it with cozy furniture, rugs and blankets mean it can be used as a retreat even when it’s cold outside. If you have an electrician fit you with a suitable socket, you could even use an electric heater in there too. You could hang out some bird feeders or a bird table and sit and observe the wildlife while enjoying the peace and quiet of the garden.

Use It For Hobbies

It could be anything from brewing alcohol to playing music to painting. It gives you a whole separate area away from the house where you can indulge in hobbies and do the things you love. Much nicer than using a draughty old garage or garden shed!

Use It As Storage

If it’s a little too chilly to use, or you’re unable to hook up electrics in there, it makes sense to use it as a storage area. If you have things like outdoor bean bags and extra folding chairs and things that you use in the summer, the summerhouse is a great place to keep them safe. Stick to keeping messy tools such as lawn mowers, shovels and other gardening equipment elsewhere. But items that need to be kept out of the elements ready to be used next spring can be safely locked away in here.

Use it For Parties

Just because we’re out of the summer doesn’t mean that garden parties are over for the year. Throwing a fall barbecue is a great option, and having cozy seating in the summerhouse as well as your table and chairs outside will make a wonderful addition. It’s still reasonably mild outside and so take full advantage by firing up the grill and kitting out your summerhouse.

A summerhouse is a great investment since it’s not just useful when it’s warm outside It will add value to your property, and can be a stunning feature piece in the garden. Incorporating it into your design by planting around it will make it look harmonious in the space, and gives you an extra room to use and enjoy.

Do you have a summerhouse? How do you use it over the colder months?

Samantha

Samantha hails from Virginia and is a proud wife to a retired Deputy Sheriff and mother to two amazing little boys named Jack & William. A veteran product reviewer; Samantha has been reviewing products for 8 years and offers high quality product reviews with original photography.