Customer Gallery – Real Garden Rooms, Summerhouses & Sheds

Discover the endless possibilities of Apex Timber Buildings through our customer gallery. See how homeowners across Teesside and North Yorkshire have transformed their outdoor spaces with our bespoke garden rooms, summerhouses, sheds, and workshops.

From cosy garden offices and entertaining spaces to hobby rooms and relaxation retreats, our customer gallery showcases real installations that demonstrate the quality, versatility, and craftsmanship of every Apex timber building. Each image tells a story of how our structures have enhanced our customers’ lifestyles, adding valuable living space to their properties.

Garden hobby room for model train station

Customer shows us his corner summerhouse with bench seat and storage.

Transform Your Garden with Inspiration from Real Customers

Our customer gallery features a diverse range of timber buildings, each customised to meet specific needs and preferences. You’ll find examples of garden bars complete with optics and seating areas, spacious garden rooms configured as home gyms or snooker rooms, traditional corner summerhouses perfect for afternoon tea, and practical workshops designed for serious hobbyists.

Popular Uses Featured in Our Gallery

Browse through images of garden rooms transformed into home offices, art studios, and music rooms. Discover summerhouses styled as reading nooks and entertaining spaces. See workshops kitted out for woodworking, model railways, and crafts. Our customer photos demonstrate that with the right design and features, your garden building can become your favourite room.

Share Your Apex Timber Building

We love seeing how customers personalise and enjoy their Apex timber buildings. If you’d like to share photos of your garden room, summerhouse, shed, or custom build, please email them to sales@apextimberbuildings.co.uk. Your images might inspire others planning their own garden transformation.

Ready to create your own outdoor space?

Custom BuildsBrowse our range of garden rooms, summerhouses, and custom builds, or contact our team on 01642 612016 to discuss your project. Every building in this gallery started with a conversation – yours could be next.

Children’s Playhouses

Garden Structures

Custom Builds

At Apex Timber Buildings, every custom build starts with a conversation — usually with Steve, who owns the business, designs the buildings, and leads the team that builds and installs them. From your first call to the day we leave your garden, you’re dealing with the same people who actually make the thing.

We’re based in Middlesbrough, and we work right across Teesside, County Durham and North Yorkshire. If you’re within reach of us, you’re within reach of a truly bespoke timber building — one designed around your garden, not the other way around

What we build is what makes us different

Custom garden rooms and timber buildings across Teesside
Whether you’ve got a clear vision or just a rough idea, we can help shape it into something real. Some of the custom builds we do most often include:

Garden Rooms & Home Offices A properly insulated, fully finished garden room that works year-round as a place to work, study or just get away from the house. Built to your dimensions, not ours.

Hot Tub Canopies & Garden Bars If you want somewhere to actually enjoy your garden — whatever the weather — we can design something around that too. We’ve built everything from simple canopies to full walk-in garden bar setups.

Bespoke Sheds & Workshops Need a workshop that actually works for how you use it? We’ll design around your tools, your workflow and your space — not around a catalogue page.

Odd-Shaped & One-Off Builds Sometimes there’s no category for what a customer needs. That’s fine. Some of our best work has come from a conversation that started with “I don’t even know if this is possible, but…”

Just have a look at some of the builds below, and call us with your challenge.

Custom Garden Rooms North Yorkshire, Durham and Cleveland

Bespoke cedarwood garden building Wynyard

Got a tricky garden? Good. We love those

Not every garden is a neat rectangle with a flat lawn and plenty of room to play with. Most aren’t, in fact.
Over the years, Steve and the team have built garden rooms and timber buildings into:

Narrow side passages and tight corners
L-shaped gardens and split-level plots
Spaces with odd angles, low fences or overhanging trees
Gardens where access is so tight, most builders wouldn’t bother

If you’ve already been told “it won’t work” or you’re not sure what’s even possible in your space, that’s exactly the kind of challenge we enjoy. We’ll come out, take a look, and tell you honestly what we can do — and more often than not, the answer surprises people.

No space is too small, too narrow or too irregular. We just design the building to fit it.

Still wondering whether to contact us?

Designed, built and installed by us. Not a template in sight.

A lot of garden building companies are essentially resellers. They take a standard design, maybe tweak a few dimensions, and send a crew you’ve never spoken to before.

At Apex, it works differently. Steve Hayden has been designing and building timber structures for years. He runs the business, designs every custom build, and works alongside the team at our Middlesbrough workshop to make sure every building that leaves us is built properly. When we install at your home, it’s the same team who built it.

There are no off-the-shelf templates. No catalogue to flick through and pick from. Just a conversation about what you want, what your space allows, and how we can make it work.

That’s why customers come back to us for their second and third buildings. And it’s why reviews like “if only all businesses were this good” keep appearing.

Children’s Playhouses

Garden Structures

Customer Gallery – Real Garden Rooms, Summerhouses & Sheds

Garden Structures

summerhouse for collage2

Garden Structures: Pergolas, Pagodas & Bespoke Timber Features

At Apex Timber Buildings, we find that many customers know they want a garden feature but aren’t quite sure what it’s called. Whether you are looking for dappled shade, a grand entrance, or a sheltered walkway, we hand-craft every structure to your exact specifications in our Teesside workshop.

Below is our guide to the different types of garden architecture we can build for you.

Pergolas: The Classic Garden Frame

What is it? A pergola is an open-roofed structure consisting of vertical posts supporting cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice.

Best For: Creating a “room without walls” over a patio or decking. It provides a sense of enclosure while remaining airy.

Apex Touch: We use heavy-duty, pressure-treated timbers that are perfect for supporting heavy climbing plants like Wisteria or Grapevines.

Pagodas: The Architectural Statement

What is it? Often confused with a pergola, a Pagoda typically features a tiered or peaked solid roof, inspired by traditional East Asian architecture.

Best For: Creating a dramatic focal point or a fully shaded “temple” style retreat in the garden.

Apex Touch: Our pagodas are built with precision joinery to ensure the roof tiers are both structurally sound and visually stunning.

Arbours: The Cozy Garden Seat

What is it? An arbour is a small, freestanding structure that usually incorporates a built-in seat. It often has a trellis back and sides with a curved or peaked roof.

Best For: Creating a private “nook” for reading or enjoying a morning coffee.

Apex Touch: We can customize the trellis pattern to offer more or less privacy depending on where it sits in your garden.

Wooden Covered Walkways: The Grand Transition

What is it? A series of connected frames (essentially a long, narrow pergola or a roofed corridor) that leads from one part of the garden to another.

Best For: Adding a “wow factor” to long paths or connecting the back door of your home directly to a garden office or workshop.

Apex Touch: We can provide fully roofed walkways (using shingles or polycarbonate) to keep you bone-dry as you walk between buildings.

Gazebos: The All-Weather Entertainer

What is it? A freestanding, octagonal, or rectangular structure with a permanent, solid roof and open sides.

Best For: Alfresco dining and entertaining. Because the roof is solid, the party doesn’t have to stop when the British rain starts!

Why Choose an Apex Garden Feature?

End the Confusion with Custom Design

Because we build from scratch, you don’t have to fit into a “standard” category. We can blend styles—for example, a Pergola-Walkway hybrid or an Arbour with integrated planters.

Built for the North East Climate

Cheap, store-bought kits are often made from thin, untreated pine that warps in the wind. Apex structures are:

Pressure-Treated (Tanalised): Guaranteed against rot and insect attack.
Overbuilt for Strength: We use thicker timber posts to ensure your structure stays upright through the toughest North Yorkshire winters.
Professional Installation: We don’t just “drop it off.” Our team ensures it is safely anchored into the ground or your decking.

Transform Your View Today

Whether it’s a romantic rose-covered arbour or a grand timber walkway, let’s build something beautiful together.

Children’s Playhouses

Custom Builds

Customer Gallery – Real Garden Rooms, Summerhouses & Sheds

Children’s Playhouses

More Than Just a Playhouse – A World of Adventure

At Apex Timber Buildings, we know that a playhouse isn’t just a garden structure; it’s a castle, a secret base, a cottage, and a space for your children to create their very own world.

Serving Teesside, North Yorkshire, and the North East, we manufacture premium timber playhouses that are built with the same level of care and structural integrity as our luxury garden rooms. Why settle for flimsy, flat-pack plastic when you can have a hand-crafted timber escape that lasts a childhood?

Why Choose an Apex Timber Playhouse?

Built for Safety

Safety is our #1 priority. Every playhouse we manufacture is designed to meet rigorous safety standards:
Finger-Gap Protection: We include a minimum 12mm gap around doors to prevent trapped fingers.
Shatterproof Windows: We use high-quality styrene or safety glazing—never standard glass—to ensure a safe environment for active play.
Splinter-Free Finish: Every panel is planed and rounded to ensure smooth edges for little hands.

“Big Kid” Strength & Durability

Our playhouses are built using heavy-duty, joinery-grade timber. We use real Tongue & Groove boards for the floors and roofs (no OSB or chipboard), meaning our buildings are strong enough for “big kids” (parents!) to join in the fun without the floor sagging.

Weatherproofed for the North East

The British weather can be tough. Our playhouses feature:
Pressure-Treated (Tanalised) Options: To protect against rot, damp, and insect attack.
Heavy-Duty Roofing Felt: Keeping the interior bone-dry for year-round play.
Sustainable Sourcing: We use FSC-certified timber that is as kind to the planet as it is to your garden.

Customise Your Child’s Dream Space

Because we manufacture everything in our Teesside workshop, we can build to your exact imagination. Popular upgrades include:
Verandas & Porches: For that classic “country cottage” look.
Split Levels & Lofts: Perfect for older children who want a “den” area.
Integrated Guttering: Teach them about eco-living by connecting their playhouse to a mini water butt!
Choice of Colors: While we provide a high-quality base coat, our timber is perfect for you to add a splash of color to match your garden.

Expert Installation: Stress-Free for Parents

Don’t spend your weekend struggling with confusing instructions and hundreds of screws. Our professional team will deliver and assemble your new playhouse on a level base, ensuring it is structurally sound and ready for play the moment we leave.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age are your playhouses suitable for? Our buildings are generally suitable for children aged 3 and up. Because of our heavy-duty construction, they often grow with your child, remaining a favorite “hangout” spot well into their pre-teen years.
Do I need a special base? Yes. To ensure safety and longevity, all playhouses must sit on a firm, level base (concrete, flags, or a timber frame). We can provide advice or installation for the base if required.
Can you build a specific design I saw online? Absolutely. If you can think it, we can build it. Show us a sketch or a photo, and our master craftsmen will bring it to life.

Customer Gallery – Real Garden Rooms, Summerhouses & Sheds

Sheds & Workshops

Workshop space

At Apex Timber Buildings, we don’t believe in “one size fits all.” Based in Teesside, we manufacture bespoke timber structures designed for specific purposes. Whether you need a secure home for your tools or a fully-equipped creative studio, our hand-crafted buildings offer the durability and craftsmanship your garden deserves.

High-Quality Garden Sheds: Built for Storage

Our garden sheds are engineered for maximum durability and security. We focus on protecting your garden equipment, bikes, and seasonal furniture from the harsh Northeast weather.

Design Philosophy: For a dedicated storage shed, windows are often unnecessary. Omitting windows increases security by keeping your valuables out of sight and provides more wall space for internal shelving.
Roofing & Drainage: To protect the base of your building and extend its lifespan, we recommend adding guttering. This is an eco-friendly way to divert rainfall into water butts, providing you with free, sustainable water for your garden.
The Apex Standard: Every shed features tongue-and-groove floors and roofs—never OSB—ensuring a solid foundation for heavy lawnmowers and equipment.

We tailor our buildings to fit into your garden, if you are having difficulty imagining where you could fit a shed oiutside your home have a look at the Odd Shaped Buildings on Custom Builds page.

sheds log stores and workshops

Posh Sheds – Beyond the Basics

Why Settle for a Shed When You Can Have a Retreat? Forget everything you know about drafty, spider-filled garden shacks. At Apex Timber Buildings, we’ve perfected the art of the “Posh Shed”—a premium, hand-crafted timber escape that looks as stunning as your home and works as hard as you do.

What Makes a Shed “Posh”?

A posh shed is defined by the details. It’s a building that invites you to stay a while, whether you’re potting plants in style or enjoying a quiet coffee away from the house.

Architectural Flair: Choose from contemporary Pent designs or classic Apex styles with decorative trims and premium finishes.
The “Stay Dry” Guarantee: High-grade, slow-grown timber and professional-grade roofing felt mean your interior stays bone-dry and smelling like fresh pine, not damp earth.
Guttering & Green Living: We don’t just let rain run off the sides. Our posh sheds feature integrated guttering systems that feed into decorative water butts – saving your garden and your building’s foundations.
Security with Style: Mortice locks and toughened glass mean your luxury retreat is as secure as it is beautiful.

Why Choose Apex for Your Next Project?

We manage the entire lifecycle of your building. From the initial design in our local workshop to the final installation in your garden, our team ensures a seamless experience. We proudly serve Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington, and the surrounding areas.

summerhouse for collage2

Professional Timber Workshops: Your Creative Hub

A workshop is more than just a large shed; it is a functional workspace. Whether you are a joiner, a mechanic, or an artist, we customize these buildings to support your craft.

Natural Light & Comfort: Unlike storage sheds, windows are a standard feature in our workshops to provide the essential natural light required for detailed work.
Power & Connectivity: We design our workshops with power and lighting in mind. Whether you need multiple sockets for power tools or high-output LED lighting for a studio, we can help plan the layout to suit your equipment.
Insulation & Lining: If you plan to use your workshop year-round, insulation and internal lining are highly recommended. This keeps the space warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and significantly reduces external noise—essential for comfort and productivity.
Plumbing & Utilities: For creative work such as pottery, painting, or even a home dog-grooming studio, you may require running water and drainage. We can discuss the structural requirements needed to house utility connections effectively.

Children’s Playhouses

Garden Structures

Custom Builds

Customer Gallery – Real Garden Rooms, Summerhouses & Sheds

Animal Shelters

We design and build animal shelters for domestic, professional and commercial applications. As with all our buildings these can be tailored to fit the site, use and budget.

Children’s Playhouses

Garden Structures

Custom Builds

Customer Gallery – Real Garden Rooms, Summerhouses & Sheds

Summer houses

Your summerhouse offers a place for you to enjoy your garden regardless of the British weather, escape the hustle and bustle of the household, enjoy a good book, a glass of wine or maybe both. Apex Timber Buildings, what would you do in yours?

Summerhouse North Yorkshire Garden rooms

Garden room clad in Strongcore with UPVC bifold doors

All our summerhouses are hand built to your exact specifications.
You can choose the specifications you want, for your building.
We build your summerhouse off site in sections then deliver it to your site where we assemble it, reducing any inconvenience to you.
We can help you as much or as little as you want. You can lay your own base in preparation for your summerhouse or install the internal fittings yourself, alternatively just tell us what you want and let us do it all. See our options to get some ideas of what you would like to do with your summerhouse.

Our summerhouses are not mass produced!

So what does this mean when comparing our buildings to other mass produced summerhouses.

Well for a start you don’t need to find a summerhouse to fit your garden, we build our garden rooms to your measurements. It also means we hand select each piece of wood as we build your summerhouse, so if we come across a badly warped or knotted piece of wood we don’t use it.

We can tailor your building to suit what you want it for

Our clients have used our buildings for all manor of business and recreational activities including; dog grooming parlour, art studio, massage salon, home gym and music studio. Take a look at the Customer Gallery page.

Built to last

The one thing we can say with confidence about our Summerhouses is they are strong, all our buildings feature a timber stud wall frame construction using either 50x38mm or 75x50mm PSE timber. Joists are set equally on all walls ensuring they don’t exceed 600mm centres for greater strength.

All our summerhouses are hand built to your exact specifications.
We build your summerhouse off site in sections then deliver it to your site where we assemble it, reducing any inconvenience to you.
We can help you as much or as little as you want. You can lay your own base in preparation for your summerhouse or install the internal fittings yourself, alternatively just tell us what you want and let us do it all. See our options to get some ideas of what you would like to do with your summerhouse.

Standard features

38kg roofing felt
50 x 38mm timber frame construction
Fixed window
Finish Stained

Options

75 x 50mm timber frame construction
40kg polyester felt
Internal partition with or without door
Georgian frames
Additional windows
Toughened glass
Lining & Insulation Insulation
6mm ply finish
T&G board & skirting
Electric Pack
Painted w/nails filled
Floor bearers

Corner Summerhouses

Corner summerhouses can be designed to fit snugly into the corner or provide a commanding feature, positioned to capture the last hours of sun.

Children’s Playhouses

Garden Structures

Custom Builds

Customer Gallery – Real Garden Rooms, Summerhouses & Sheds

Greenhouses

Greenhouses made with a timber frame offer an attractive alternative to metal or plastic greenhouses, and like all our buildings, being able to specify exactly what size and shape you want means you get the greenhouse that suits you best. You can even choose a building with a green house at one end and a panelled area at the other!

…and Potting Sheds

The UK’s inclement weather is a strong argument for a potting shed to provide a warm and dry place to sow seeds, pot seedlings or prune potted plants. It offers dry storage for various tools, seeds, compost and not forgetting a comfortable spot for well deserved cuppa.

Children’s Playhouses

Garden Structures

Custom Builds

Customer Gallery – Real Garden Rooms, Summerhouses & Sheds

Garden Rooms

The demand for garden rooms has seen a huge increase over the last few years. Our customers are wanting to utilise space in their gardens for work, additional living space or recreational activities.

Unlike our more traditional summerhouses, garden rooms are an extension of our homes and generally require at the very least electricity and wifi, but more often than not, customers are wanting plumbing and multi-media installations too.

Home Office & Studios

Home offices provide part time and full time homeworkers a place to separate their business activities from their home life. The opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of family life to a place where they can concentrate without distraction.

Recreational Garden Rooms

Finding room to relax, meditate, play a musical instrument or craft is more reasons we are seing an increased demand for our garden rooms. Spaces where equipment can be set up and left, ready for us to enjoy when we finally get some time to ourselves.

The Garden Pub / Bar

Last but by no means least is the garden bar or pub in a shed. Our customers desire to socialise and enjoy time relaxing with their favourite tipple has been evident. The desire to have your own micro pub at home has been a clear winner for many and the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing.

See more on how our buildings are being used on the Customer gallery page.

Call 01642 612016 to get a quote

or complete the form on our contact page to arrange a call back.

green garden room - partitioned building

Built to last

The one thing we can say with confidence about our timber buildings is they are strong, all our buildings feature a timber stud wall frame construction using 75x50mm PSE timber joists, which are set equally on all walls ensuring they don’t exceed 600mm centres for greater strength.

Built For Year-Round Comfort: Insulation and Materials

Every Apex garden room is designed as a usable space 12 months of the year. The walls, floor and roof can be fully insulated to keep you warm in winter and cool in summer, helping to reduce noise and improve overall comfort. Our buildings use a robust timber stud wall frame construction with 75x50mm PSE timber joists, providing a strong structure ready to accept insulation, internal linings and service runs. Externally, you can choose from a range of durable cladding options to suit your home and garden 6 from painted softwood and Strongcore boards through to premium timbers such as Cedar or Larch (subject to availability).

Do I Need Planning Permission in North Yorkshire?

In many situations, a garden room can be installed under permitted development rights and will not require a formal planning application. As a general guide, buildings that are single storey, below a certain overall height and positioned within your garden (rather than in front of the main elevation of the house) will often fall within these rules. However, the exact requirements can vary depending on where you live, the size of the structure and how you intend to use it. We always recommend that customers in North Yorkshire, Teesside and the surrounding areas check the latest guidance from their local council or planning department before proceeding.

Complete with Electrics, Plumbing, and WiFi

Your garden room can be supplied ready to connect to all the services you need for modern living. We can arrange for full electrical wiring with lighting, sockets and external lights, and we can work with your chosen electrician to connect back to your main consumer unit. For customers looking to add a bar, kitchenette or bathroom, we can prepare the building for plumbing and waste connections so that sinks, toilets or showers can be fitted as part of the overall project. We also leave suitable routes for data and WiFi cabling, helping you achieve a fast and reliable internet connection for home offices, studios and entertainment spaces.

Ready to plan your perfect garden room? Contact our team today for a free, no-obligation quote and let’s start building your dream space.

Children’s Playhouses

Garden Structures

Custom Builds

Customer Gallery – Real Garden Rooms, Summerhouses & Sheds

Call 01642 612016 to get a quote

or complete the form on our contact page to arrange a call back.

daniel thomas

24. September, 2024.

We bought a fairly basic shed from Apex, nowhere near as impressive as some of the buildings featured on here. The quality is top class, there was a bit of a wait from placing the deposit to the shed being delivered but it was worth it. It feels very solid and I’ve no doubt it will stand up to many years of use. Top lads doing a top job at a very reasonable price

Catherine Harrison

22. April, 2024.

We have just taken down a cat run that Apex installed 23 years ago!! It stood the test of time and our indoor cats have loved it. We had to take it down as we are selling the house. It was so well constructed, it wasn't an easy job !!!!

Gary Booth

21. February, 2024.

Steve and his excellent team have just installed a "Posh Shed" in our garden (our third building from Apex!). Can't praise them highly enough. The whole process from first consultation to installation (including removal of tatty old shed) was flawless and a complete pleasure. The Posh Shed is sturdy, attractive and exactly what we wanted. If only all businesses were this good.....! Highly recommended.

Janet Barrett

10. November, 2023.

We had a shed and a summerhouse from Apex approx 6 months ago. We couldn’t be more pleased. They are excellent quality and Steve and the team all worked very hard and had them both completed very quickly. All were polite and friendly and very tidy workers. No faults have developed in either building, both have withstood some appalling weather. I feel fully justified in giving Steve and the team the highest recommendation.

Douglas Sykes

25. April, 2023.

Great company to deal with. I got my garden room from Apex about 18 months ago and delighted with the work. Great after sales from them, can’t recommend enough.

william steele

Love my man Cave

Susan Wilkin

20 July 2022

recommends

We are delighted with our beautiful corner summer house that blends in with the garden perfectly. The service and advice were second to none and Steve and his team were hard working and polite. Nothing was too much trouble. We would highly recommend.

30 July 2021

Garden Room just completed today, what a fantastic job by Steve and his team. Steve and his team did a great job, delighted the way they all worked to complete the work. Garden was left tidy each day they were here to work. Highly recommend Apex Timber Buildings. Thanks Steve.

Nigel Morris

12 June 2021

Absolutely over the moon with my fabulous workshop! Steve and the guys have been amazing and worked non stop to finish!! Highly recommend this company!!

John Cozens

27 August 2020

Many thanks for our 12x8 shed that you've just supplied and fitted. The quality is amazing and we're so pleased with it. Add to that your great team of lads who came and fitted it and you've got one very happy customer. Highly recommended Cheers 😎

Ruth Fyfe

20 June 2020

Shed arrived yesterday for my beauty room. Excellent customer service from start to finish. Definitely use these again. Thanks guys

Peter Rodham

14 May 2020

great service and very reliable top quality and very competitive prices

Chris Hicks

31 March 2020

My wife and I visited the show room where we met Debbie, she was very helpful and informative. This was followed up by a home visit from Stephen who was fantastic advising us on size and what design would suit our requirements, at no point did any sales pitch take place they just wanted to build us something that we'd be happy with. Stephen let us know the cost of what we wanted very quickly, we paid a deposit and they built the summer house for us. Apex arranged a date that suited us for the installation, the team were very courteous and worked hard to complete the installation as quickly as possible. The quality of the materials and high standard of craftsmanship is second to none and I highly recommend Apex Timber Buildings.

Stephen Gamlin

13 October 2019

Great workmanship and communication a pleasure to do business with, thank you for my shed.

Les Podraza

20 September 2019

Steve and his crew did an absolutely brilliant job building my garden office. Astonishing quality and total professionalism. Highly recommended company but most importantly really nice people that care!!