'We Built An Annexe For Our Kids To Live In'

Cheryl and Ciaran Maher transformed an old gardener’s hut in their back garden into chic accommodation for their grown-up children.

- Caroline Ednie

Opening up their New Forest home as a b&b five years ago presented Cheryl and Ciaran Maher’s family with one problem. ‘Turning our house into a b&b meant that our daughter Kellie no longer had suitable accommodation to live in during her breaks from university,’ explains Cheryl. A happy solution came in the form of an existing gardener’s hut in their garden. ‘Both Kellie and our son Alan had camped out in the hut over the years, but it was dark, damp and uninsulated,’ says Cheryl. ‘We decided to rebuild it to create a comfortable home for them both.’