Summertime retreats

There was a time when summer houses were elaborate structures only built in the gardens of large country homes. Often found next to a lake or carefully positioned to take in a panoramic view across sweeping countryside to far off hills, this variety of summer house belongs to an era where tennis parties, afternoon tea on the lawn and quiet ambles along the rose walk were de rigueur.

Now, almost every suburban garden, and many a rural retreat, has its own particular form of summer house - ranging from the dolled-up common garden shed to large one and two-room wooden affairs with sturdy doors, windows and at times, their own heating system.

The latest and most exotic summer house to come on the Irish market has a central barbecue and comes with its own supply of reindeer skins for comfortable seating. This now well-established current trend for summer houses perhaps began with the modest intention of creating extra space outside of the house to store deck chairs, barbeque equipment and other garden furniture. However, many home owners have turned their attention to the garden in search of a home office, studio space, reading room or - and this is a popular option - a children's playhouse.

One of the most attractive features of these more modern summer houses is that they can be constructed in a few hours or, at most, over a long weekend. And in some cases, the suppliers will come and erect the summer house for you. The Co Wicklow garden shed and fencing business, Abwood Homes, has an extensive range of summer houses. Made of treated timber, they come in what's called a rustic finish, using unplaned timber and a deluxe finish, in which the timber is planed and kiln dried.

The Chalet, costing from £480 to £1,025 depending on size and finish, with its windows to the front, double doors and four foot verandah, would make a nice workshop, garden studio or office space. Other appealing Abwood designs for younger folk include the Wendy House (from £240£375, including a two foot verandah) and the Tree House (£650) which is built on stilts and reached via a set of steps and balcony. And new to the market this year is a Georgian Summerhouse (£2,900) which has Georgian windows and doors, brass door handles and window stays. This stylish offering is made from cedar tongue-and-groove cladding and a cedar slatted roof. All Abwood garden houses have felt roofs and prices quoted include VAT, delivery and erection. Also new to the Irish market this year is a superb range of summer houses made from Nordic pine and sold under the Universo brand. Imported solely by Fountains and Decor Ltd, the water garden specialists, these garden houses have a high quality finish, latched windows and lockable doors, with plexiglass panels to allow light inside. They have solid timber or chipboard floors and felt roofs. Concrete foundations are required for the larger houses. The Universo summer houses come in varied sizes and dimensions including hexagonal, square, rectangular and an interesting one cut-off at an angle which would fit very well in the corner of a garden. Some varieties also have large verandahs (prices from £517 to £6,966, excluding construction).

If you're looking for something that looks more like a miniature house than one of the Home Space garden houses currently being built by the Co Down house builders, Corry Homebuilding may be the one for you. Available in sizes from 11ft x 11ft to 23ft x 13ft, these timber-framed structures are fully insulated with a plasterboard interior finish, vaulted pine ceiling, plywood floors, slated roof and, if required, pebble-dashed exterior walls. Home Space garden houses also come with light fittings, power points and heaters. Clive Corry says that their Home Space houses are an increasingly popular option for people in search of a home office away from the main house. Other suggested uses are a teenager's retreat, a Jaccuzzi room or fitness suite. Internal or external porches are optional extras. As with all summer houses, planning permission is not required. Prices range from £5,500 to £9,000, which includes VAT and construction (average three-days on site.) Delivery charges vary from £150 to £350, depending on location. At the deluxe end of the market, you won't find anything more unusual than the Finnish-designed hexagonal garden house. Imported by Arctic Dwellings Ltd, these garden houses come complete with a barbeque unit, all-around bench seating, a set of wooden plates, cups, knives and forks and the aforementioned reindeer skins.

Made from Finnish pine with felt roofs and double-glazed windows, these gardens houses, which are 3.5 metres in diameter, offer one the potential for year-round barbecues (smoke is released through a chimney at the centre of the house). With the addition of fold down hinged panels on the seats, they could even accommodate guests in search of a night's sleep following a party.

The wooden interior also makes them ideal for conversion to a sauna room. John Lehane of Arctic Dwellings believes that in this context, they would make an excellent additional feature to hotels. Each Finnish-designed garden house costs £6,250 (£6,350 with sauna conversion) which include VAT, delivery and construction. An octagonal design, which has glass windows in panels around the upper half of the house, is also available with the optional addition of a central hooded cooking unit (£5,950 and £7,950 with cooking unit). They are constructed in about three hours.