In the latest edition of Shire Magazine, one of our amazing customers
has been interviewed all about there garden studio or “The Bothy” as they have named it. This build was one of our most challenging to date but also one of our favourites, we love how it looks like it has been there for years and sits within the garden beautifully.
If you would like to look through the latest copy of Shire, it well worth popping the kettle on and having a browse as there are plenty of fantastic features
Here is what Pete & Sal had to say about their unique garden build:
Peter and Sal from Cheshire show us around their new build – a garden studio made by Cedar & Oak in Twemlow, which they’ve affectionately named “The Bothy”
“It all started because we had two old sheds in one part of the garden, and our thinking was to replace them,” says Peter. “But then we felt that having a covered area as part of that could be quite interesting. “The idea somewhat morphed from there. We looked at various possibilities, including a log cabin, and then one of Sal’s friends at the Knutsford Community First Responder Trust said her future son-in-law – who turned out to be Peter at Cedar & Oak – built shepherd’s huts and garden studios. “Peter and I talked through some of the things we were looking for, and he was able to interpret our ideas and come back with designs.
Originally we weren’t looking at a curved roof; I asked if that was a possibility, and he said he thought it was. We also were keen to have a covered area.” They also decided to take the plunge and have the building insulated. “It’s sandwiched between the lining boards, which are all plywood, and the external cladding has a waterproof membrane too,” Peter says. “Although we don’t need it as a studio or a home office, someone in the future might want to use it like that, and the insulation makes it much more comfortable in winter. Although it was more expensive, we’re delighted that we did it. We also said we wanted electrics and hard-wired internet.” Multi-functional space.
The workbench and cupboards are all designed so they can be taken out and the room repurposed. “We thought we might want to use it as a model railway room, so the central set of doors are designed so we can put a model railway upright as they cantilever out,” Peter says. “The beauty of the building is its flexibility. My wife uses it for guitar practice, while my son uses it as a yoga studio. “Although he contracted out the electrics and the patio, Peter controlled the whole project. He was very flexible with the construction and installation. At one point, Sal decided she didn’t want to have a hook-and-eye system to hold the door back, so Peter and I designed an alternative system. He was infinitely patient with things like that.” Both Peter and Sal love the rustic nature of the larch cladding and they’re delighted that it was supplied by a local sawmill a couple of miles down the road.
If they’d had a simple shed, Peter says, it would have made no difference to the value or the functionality of the house. “But I suspect the money we’ve spent on this is probably going to go on the value of the house should we choose to sell it,” he says. “It’s an attractive, helpful feature from that point of view. But it has also enhanced the whole functionality of that area of the garden, which is a great thing.
If your interested in a garden build please get in touch via email, social media or telephone as we would love to have a chat.