If you have your own business or you’re working from home and using your home as a workplace never seems to be as comfortable as it should be, a great solution would be a log cabin. The same also applies if you’re not working from home yet, but you intend to start doing so soon. Due to their sturdiness and functionality, log cabins are perfect as home offices, as they can be adapted for varying needs, can provide great sound isolation and are well-suited for insulation. If this has made you interested in setting up a home office inside of a log cabin, keep on reading to find out what the most important things are to consider before you do that!
The type of your business
The first thing to consider when setting up a home office inside a log cabin is the type of business you own or work in, as you might need to make some adjustments to make it suitable for your area of work. For example, if your work involves handling important documents or if you’re using expensive tools or equipment, it’s probably a good idea to install strong locks and windows, so you can protect yourself from burglars.
Another thing to take care of, if you’re using expensive equipment, is proper insulation, so you don’t have to worry that it can be damaged by moisture or cold temperatures. Those were just a few examples, but each type of work can have many specific requirements of its own and, therefore, it’s important to identify what they are and find out if your log cabin is suitable for them. If it isn’t suitable for your requirements yet, you’ll also have to figure out how to adapt your log cabin for your type of work.
Meanwhile, if you’re choosing a new log cabin for this purpose, you should keep your requirements in mind when selecting its specifications, so you can avoid having to modify it later.
The design and floor plan of your log cabin
Another important factor is the design of your log cabin, as you should aim to pick a layout that’s perfect for your line of work. As the specifics of each occupation or business type can be very different, there are log cabin design features that will make working easier for some, while being an obstacle for others. Choose between a log cabin rectangular or a log cabin squared.
With that being said, there are many log cabin designs and they come in very varied sizes and shapes, so everyone should be able to find the right one for themselves. Just identify what your needs are in terms of design and choose your log cabin carefully in order to make sure they are met. You can choose from a 10×10 log cabin, 10×8 log cabin and more, or design a customised size that fit’s your garden.
Let’s try and give you a few examples that will hopefully help you identify your needs in log cabin design. The most important thing here is usually the amount of natural lighting that you require – it goes without saying that, if your work involves sitting at a desk and working on your computer for long periods of time, you must have as much natural lighting as possible. Therefore, if that’s the case, choose a log cabin design with large windows, which will make your home office bright and sunny, lessening the need to turn on the lights all the time.
Another important aspect is the size of the log cabin and the number of rooms, for example, if you need a home office just for working on your own, a small log cabin should be perfectly fine for your needs – just make sure that you’ll have enough space for movement, so you don’t feel crammed in. Meanwhile, if you need more space, so you can work together with other people or invite business partners for meetings, you should probably opt for a large log cabin, that will be big enough for several people to work in comfortably. In addition to that, you can choose a design with more than one room, which will allow you to designate one of the rooms as your personal office and the other room for holding meetings.
A log cabin with several rooms could also be a perfect fit for people who receive customers at home, like hairdressers or manicurists, allowing you to designate one of the rooms as a reception area and the other as a working
area.
If you’d like to welcome your customers or business partners in a cosier atmosphere, it might be a great idea to choose a log cabin with a front canopy. When the weather is nice, it will allow you to hold meetings in the quiet and idyllic environment of your garden, which will help you and others to be more relaxed, having a positive effect on the quality of your work. And it will not only be great for hosting guests but will also allow you to work outdoors when it’s warm outside, with the canopy providing a shade or protection from rain – just place your desk in the canopy and work while enjoying your garden at the same time! Haven’t decided on a garden office design yet?
Take a look at these inspirational garden offices offered by Lugarde! If you can’t find what you’re looking for in any of the existing log cabin designs, remember that Lugarde offers the possibility to create your own bespoke design. Choosing this option will allow you to design a log cabin that’s made exactly for your needs, making your work a lot easier!
Insulation and heating of your log cabin
If you choose to set up a home office in a log cabin, you will probably want to use it year-round, not only during the summer. In order to achieve that, there are two things that must be taken care of – insulation and heating. If you’re picking a new log cabin, you have the option of adding insulation to it straight away, having it insulated by a professional upon delivery. Meanwhile, if you already have a log cabin that hasn’t been insulated, you can insulate it afterwards in order to make it weatherproof and suitable for working.
Technically, you can insulate your summer house yourself. However, unless you have the knowledge and previous experience of doing so, we would recommend entrusting it to professionals, as insulating your summer house incorrectly can take away most of the benefits that insulation provides.
There are three types of insulation – roof insulation, wall insulation and floor insulation – and you have the option to decide between insulating only one part of your log cabin and combining two or all three of them, according to your needs. Roof insulation will stop the heat from escaping your log cabin through the roof and will also protect it from rain and other moisture seeping through the roof. Wall insulation will be especially useful if you’re using a heater.
It’s essentially an extra inner wall that protects against heat loss and moisture, also providing improved sound isolation. Meanwhile, floor insulation will ensure that your feet are always warm – even in winter. Of course, if you live in a colder region, insulation on its own won’t be enough, as it only protects from heat loss, but the warmth must be created from something; otherwise, the inside of your log cabin will be only slightly warmer than the temperature outdoors.
To provide a comfortable temperature, you’ll also have to set up heating for your summer house. There are many options for how to do that, the most popular of them probably being an electrical heater or radiator, but you can also choose from a variety of others, like wood burners, infrared heaters, portable gas heaters or even a fireplace! Just choose the option that’s the most suitable for you, both in terms of space and costs, and enjoy working in a heated log cabin! If this article has made you excited about having a home office in a log cabin, the next step is to choose the right log cabin for your needs or adapting the one you have.
If you feel that you’re ready to do that, take a look at our range of log cabins and find the one for yourself!
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