Segun and Jade live in the South of England with their family and – like many of our clients – were looking for a Garden Room so that Segun could work from home.

But – unlike many of our clients – Segun is a Screen Nation Awards nominated composer who writes and produces music scores for film, documentaries and and TV, including three seasons of Doctor Who.

We’ve built plenty of Garden Studios for both amateur and professional musicians, but this project was on another level, so we collaborated from the start with professional audio specialists Yellow Technology, working closely with Segun to specify the structural, practical and technical requirements for the studio before any work began.

You wouldn’t expect an audio company to build a Garden Room, but neither would you expect a Garden Room company to fit out a recording studio, so this partnership allows us to work together to create some truly spectacular studios. And because New Home Improvement Group includes New Garden Room Company and New Driveway Company, we were able to oversee and project manage the entire scheme – including the build, electrical, plumbing and landscaping aspects.

Obviously, it was essential that Segun’s garden recording studio was soundproofed, so that he can work whenever inspiration strikes without disturbing his family and neighbours, but with a professional recording studio, the acoustics on the inside are equally important.

At design stage, we adjusted the layout of the building, making sure that the interior had an airy roof space to minimise interior sound reflections and incorporating extra insulation to the walls and special soundproofed privacy windows.

Structurally, the studio has triple-layered walls clad in composite wood, an open-timbered pitched roof finished with Welsh slate tiles, and we installed security cameras, an alarm system and security lights. The aluminium windows were custom made and carefully positioned for maximum light and minimum acoustic reflection.

On the inside, the studio features an open plan reception area and main workspace, allowing room for Segun’s piano and plenty of space for other musicians to set up when required.

It was important to fully map out the placing for lighting, switches and the air conditioning to ensure that they didn’t interfere with the audio cabling and specialist internal acoustic panels that Yellow Technology were to install.

We fitted a kitchen and toilet to make the studio entirely independent too, so that taking a break doesn’t disrupt the creative flow by requiring a trip back to the house.

Speaking of the trip back to the house, read on to see how we transformed the garden, building the patios, pathways and terraced landscaping that make this project so outstanding.

“It all started when I wanted a Garden Room where I could work from home. Then it quickly snowballed into a full landscaping project. I absolutely love the Garden Room – it’s everything I could have hoped for and more.

For me, it’s all about being able to work from home. It means that I have space that’s separate from the house, but I’m still close to family. I can still pop in at any time to have some lunch at home or get back to work after dinner and still have precious family time.

It’s something we really looked forward to having and – even in the short time we’ve had it – it’s been transformative.

Initially, I sat down with Darren from New Garden Room Company and Pete from Yellow Technology, my recording studio design and acoustic specialists, and we collaborated together to figure out the design and how the building was going to work.

And it had to work – both aesthetically and so that I could work from home with the same facilities I’m used to in top London recording studios.

To make the most use of the patio outside the house, we had work with the way it had built previously, and we ended up solving that problem by incorporating a lovely sleeper bench, raised flower beds and rendered walls topped with trellis.

New Driveway Company were great, working with us to find the best solution – they wanted to make it great. It looks fantastic and we’re really happy with it, including the new pathway that leads from the patio to the Garden Room.

Previously, the garden had been very open, so for extra privacy they installed new fencing, matching the colour of the sleepers and trellis to tie the design together.

I would whole-heartedly recommend New Garden Room Company, New Driveway Company and the New Home Improvement Group as a whole, because they operate under one banner and one ethos: they want to leave knowing that you’re happy with their work and do the best job possible.

I know that sounds simple and obvious, but it’s actually unique in my experience. I’ve never found another company that has the same drive and determination to work towards those guiding principles.

Segun – Garden Recording Studio & Landscaping

Just getting the Garden Room materials in to lay in the electrics and plumbing presented a challenge, because Segun and Jade’s house is on a very steep hill and only has access through one doorway via the garage. As soon as we began planning the Garden Room it was clear that the whole garden would need to be landscaped.

The garden is also on a steep slope and consisted of old concrete patios, overgrown paths and low fencing – not conducive to privacy or impressing visiting clients.

So before we began the digging, we re-sited the greenhouse and shed, then excavated and laid two patios – one outside the house and the other next to the garden room – and linked them together with a stepped pathway and terraced planting beds using wooden sleepers.

Around the lower patio we built recessed seating, rendered the old wall and topped it with new trellis, and installed close board fencing around the upper part of the garden to provide privacy as the family move between the house and the studio. Electric lights line the pathways for safety, security and aesthetic effect.

This was a big job with a big brief, but with plenty of forward planning, a can-do attitude and close collaboration between all parties, we delivered a project that has delighted Segun and Jade.