The Brief
Our client had been unable to access their garden for seven years. Living with MS and using a wheelchair full-time, standard garden access simply didn't work, steps, uneven ground, and a lack of usable outdoor space had effectively made the garden off-limits. The goal was to change that completely: create a genuinely accessible, attractive outdoor space that could be used every day, regardless of the weather.
Why Trex Transcend Island Mist
For a project like this, the decking surface had to be right. We specified Trex Transcend in Island Mist for several reasons: it's slip-resistant in all conditions (critical for wheelchair use in wet weather), it requires no ongoing maintenance, and it carries a 25-year warranty, important for a project of this investment level. Island Mist's warm grey tone also works beautifully with the garden room cladding, creating a cohesive, considered aesthetic rather than an afterthought.
The Garden Room: 6m × 4.5m, Built for All Seasons
The garden room measures 6m × 4.5m, large enough to function as a genuine living space, not just a shelter. It features vertical timber cladding and full-height black aluminium bi-fold doors that open the room completely to the decked area outside, removing any threshold barrier between inside and out. The room is fully insulated and can be heated, making it genuinely usable year-round, not just in summer.
The Accessibility Detail
Getting the accessibility right required careful planning. A custom wheelchair ramp integrates seamlessly into the deck design, it doesn't look like an afterthought, it looks like part of the space. Level thresholds throughout mean no bumps or lips. Wide manoeuvring areas on the deck allow comfortable turning radius for the wheelchair. The Trex surface, with its textured profile, provides grip in wet conditions without the need for add-on anti-slip strips.
The Outcome
The total investment was £60,000, a significant commitment, but one that transformed how our client lives at home. Seven years of being excluded from her own garden, ended. The decking wraps around the garden room, creating a continuous indoor-outdoor flow that means the garden is now genuinely part of the home.
Projects like this remind us why the detail matters. A deck is never just a surface.
"Seven years of being unable to access my own garden. Now I'm out there every day."