You love working from home but don’t enjoy sitting on the couch with your laptop while your kids run around the living room or your partner talks to you and keeps asking you questions. What could you do to make your family understand that just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you’re always available?

A good option would be to build a home office in your backyard. This would allow you to have a private workspace to focus on your work away from distractions. Garden suites are perfect to be transformed into home offices. You could also use a shed or have your office custom-built for you.

Are you in need of some inspiration for this project? Make the most of the space you have with these nine modern office backyard ideas.

Idea #1: Customize a design that matches the style of your house

Garden suites and sheds come in different shapes, sizes, and styles. To ensure your property keeps a cohesive look, try to make sure your new office matches the style of your house.

If you have a modern house, you need a modern backyard office. Look at the colours and materials used for your home exterior, and let them guide your choices for your office exterior.

Idea #2: Let the sunshine in with a skylight and large windows

Of course, you will need at least one desk lamp in your modern backyard office. But you should also consider incorporating a skylight, or at the very least, large windows in its design.

When you let the sunshine in, your new office will feel airy and much more inviting. This is much better than sitting in a cramped space in the dark and trying to focus on your work.

Idea #3: Don’t forget about insulation and ventilation

You want your backyard office to look nice. But don’t forget about making it functional and comfortable. After all, you will spend at least a few hours each day in it, so you might as well enjoy yourself.

Be sure your backyard office is well-ventilated and that its walls are insulated. This will allow you to use your custom workspace all year round and not just during the warmer months.

Idea #4: Pamper yourself with underfloor heating

Of course, you will need a heating system in your modern backyard office to help you stay cozy during the winter.

But if you want to pamper yourself, install underfloor heating in your small backyard office. Imagine being able to work without your shoes on while the autumn leaves or the first snowflakes of the winter, are falling outside.

Idea #5: Arrange two separate workstations in the same office

You can easily share the same backyard office if you and your partner work from home. You could work side by side on a wide desk or have two separate desks on different corners of the room.

If your office is made from a large garden suite, you could even have your room to set up your workstation.

Idea #6: Place a coffee table and chairs outside your office

Even if you have the most comfortable backyard office you can imagine, you should still get out and breathe fresh air occasionally during your work day.

Go for a short walk around the block. Or just sit outside and enjoy your backyard for a moment.

You could include a small terrace in the design of your modern office and furnish it with a coffee table and some chairs.

Idea #7: Plan for more than enough storage space

You don’t want to return to your house every 10 minutes to get something you need for your work. To be sure you can keep everything you need around you, plan for plenty of storage space in your backyard office.

Shelves and drawers will allow you to store all your work essentials.

And if you can separate your office into two different rooms, one could become a garden shed or a tool shed.

Idea #8: Consider having a bathroom and a kitchen area in your office

It’s your backyard office and can be as modern and well-equipped as possible. Since you will have electricity, you could set up a small kitchen area to enjoy lunch or healthy snacks during the day.

You could also equip your office with a small bathroom so you don’t have to go home just to use the toilet.

Idea #9: Let your backyard office double as a guest bedroom

Finally, if you want your office to feature a kitchen and a bathroom, you could also turn it into a wonderful guest bedroom.

When you’re not working, a friend or family member could visit you and stay in this tiny guest house where they could enjoy some privacy.