Exeter · Exmouth · Woodbury · Sidmouth · Honiton
Garden rooms in Exeter & East Devon
Beautifully designed, fully insulated garden rooms for working, training, creating and relaxing, designed and built by Brendan Rawlings, a carpenter and wood sculptor based near Exeter.
From £20,000 including VAT · Indicative
Built locally
A Devon maker, not a national catalogue.
Zen Garden Studios is a small, personally led business near Exeter. You deal with Brendan from the first conversation to handover: the same person who surveys your garden draws your studio and builds it.
Brendan is a qualified carpenter and a professional sculptural woodcarver whose large-scale work has been exhibited at Glastonbury Festival. That combination shows in the details: proportions that sit calmly in a garden, timber chosen and fixed properly, and detailing designed for Devon weather.
Being local means we can visit, measure and talk things through in person, and we understand the gardens here, from narrow city plots to sloping coastal sites.
Areas we serve
Exeter and East Devon, and the villages between.
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Exeter
From city terraces with narrow side access to larger gardens on the edge of town.
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Exmouth
Coastal gardens where exposure, drainage and durable finishes all deserve extra thought.
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Woodbury
Village and rural plots, some close to the protected Pebblebed heaths.
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Sidmouth
Sloping gardens and older homes, where siting and planning checks come first.
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Honiton
Town gardens and countryside homes on the edge of two National Landscapes.
We design and install across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset, subject to site access and scheduling. Further afield? Ask us. Larger projects are considered case by case.
Your options
Three ways to build.
Zen Studio
Our signature insulated garden room in five popular sizes, personalised with your choice of look, finish and extras.
From £20,000 inc. VAT
Explore Zen Studio
Zen Sanctuary
Elevated garden living with premium finishes, architectural detailing and optional wellness features.
From £45,000 inc. VAT
Explore Zen Sanctuary
Zen Bespoke
Individual architectural designs, custom dimensions and distinctive sculptural craftsmanship.
Typical complete projects £35,000–£100,000+ inc. VAT
Explore Zen BespokeHow people use them
One room, many lives.
All images on this page are concept images.
Zen Studio
Sizes and indicative prices.
| Size | External footprint | Ideal for | From, inc. VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact | 3.0 × 2.5 m · 7.5 m² | A focused office or a quiet retreat | £20,000 |
| Classic | 4.0 × 3.0 m · 12 m² | Office for two, studio or treatment room | £23,500 |
| Long | 5.0 × 3.0 m · 15 m² | Office with a lounge or meeting area | £30,000 |
| Generous | 5.0 × 4.0 m · 20 m² | Home gym, creative studio or family room | £33,000 |
| Grand | 6.0 × 4.0 m · 24 m² | Entertaining, or two zones under one roof | £37,000 |
Need a different size? We can create a studio to suit your space.
Indicative prices including VAT. Final quotations depend on site conditions, access, foundations and your chosen specification, and are confirmed in writing after a site survey.
Choose your size and personaliseAccess and groundworks
Built for the garden you actually have.
No two gardens are alike, and the work below ground matters as much as the building above it. At the site visit we look at:
- Access. Side passages, steps and gates decide how materials reach the garden. Narrow or difficult access is planned and priced openly.
- Slope and levels. Sloping gardens are common across East Devon. The base is designed to give a level, ventilated floor without unnecessary digging.
- Ground and drainage. Soil, wet spots, tree roots and surface water all shape the choice between ground screws, pads and a slab.
- Services. The route for a buried armoured cable from your consumer unit, data, and water or drainage if you'd like a shower or WC.
- Exposure. Coastal and hilltop gardens see more wind and driving rain, which informs cladding, fixings and detailing.
Read more in our guide to garden room foundations and how we build a Zen studio.
Planning and building regulations
What applies in Exeter and East Devon.
Many garden rooms in England are built under permitted development, without a planning application. In outline: single storey, not in front of the house, no more than 2.5 m high within 2 m of a boundary, and used for something incidental to the home, such as an office, gym or studio, rather than as a bedroom or separate living space.
Your council. Exeter City Council handles planning for homes in Exeter. East Devon District Council covers Exmouth, Woodbury, Sidmouth, Honiton and the rest of the district.
National Landscapes. Much of rural East Devon lies in the East Devon or Blackdown Hills National Landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The East Devon National Landscape takes in the Pebblebed heaths near Woodbury and the Otter and Sid valleys. Here, outbuildings more than 20 m from the house are limited to 10 m² in total, and nothing can go at the side of the house without permission.
Conservation areas and listed buildings. Several East Devon towns have conservation areas, where buildings at the side of a house need permission. Any outbuilding in the grounds of a listed building needs planning permission.
Building regulations. A detached single-storey room with no sleeping accommodation is usually exempt up to 15 m² of internal floor area. From 15 to 30 m² it is usually exempt if it is at least 1 m from every boundary or built substantially of non-combustible materials. Either way, our electrical work is carried out and certified by a qualified electrician.
We check your address at the site visit and can prepare drawings for a Lawful Development Certificate or planning application. This is general guidance, not legal advice. Read our planning guide for Devon.
How it works
From first conversation to handover.
- 01
A conversation
By phone, video or at your home: how you'll use the room, your garden, timescale and budget. Free and with no obligation.
- 02
Site visit
We measure and photograph the garden and check access, levels, ground, trees, drainage, boundaries and the cable route from the house.
- 03
Design and quotation
A layout and specification drawn around your brief, then a written, itemised quotation with payment stages.
- 04
Approvals
We confirm whether planning permission, a Lawful Development Certificate or building regulations approval applies before a start date is agreed.
- 05
Groundworks and build
Foundations first, then frame, roof, glazing, cladding, insulation, electrics and finishes, with regular updates.
- 06
Handover
A walk-through of your new room, with electrical certificates and care guidance.
Do you cover my part of Exeter or East Devon?
We design and build across Exeter and East Devon, including Exmouth, Woodbury, Sidmouth, Honiton and the villages between, and further across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset subject to access and scheduling. If you're unsure, send us your postcode.
How much does a garden room cost in Exeter and East Devon?
Our Zen Studio starts from £20,000 including VAT for a 3.0 × 2.5 m studio, with four larger standard sizes. Your final price depends on specification, access, foundations and installation, and is confirmed in a written quotation after a site visit. Read our garden room cost guide.
Who do I check planning with?
Exeter City Council is the planning authority for homes in Exeter. East Devon District Council covers Exmouth, Woodbury, Sidmouth, Honiton and the rest of the district. Many garden rooms are permitted development, but tighter rules apply in National Landscapes, conservation areas and to listed buildings. We check this for your address at the site visit.
My garden has no side access. Can you still build?
Often, yes. Materials can be carried through in sections, and the base and frame chosen to suit. Difficult access does add labour, so we price it openly in your quotation rather than surprise you later.
What foundations will my garden room need?
We choose the base after surveying your ground: ground screws, concrete pads or a concrete slab, depending on soil, slope, tree roots, drainage and what will go inside. Read our guide to garden room foundations.
Begin here
Let's plan your garden room.
Tell us about your garden and what you'd love to use it for. We'll come back with ideas, guidance and a written quotation.
We design and install across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset, subject to site access and scheduling. Further afield? Ask us. Larger projects are considered case by case.