A garden studio on the beach

Garden Office Week – how Swift Garden Rooms built a garden studio for a family of artists

Prepare to suffer a severe case of garden office envy as you read this sponsored post by Swift Garden Rooms on creating a garden studio on the Wirral Peninsula!

When Grandma Sue, Mum Laura, Dad Kris and three wonderful children decide to do something about working from home, they do it properly! This close-knit and artistically skilled family have proved that with enough research, planning and sheer hard graft, a dramatic and aspirational business plan can be focused around the two elements that mean the most…their professional passions and a remarkable location, literally on the shore of the Wirral Peninsula in Cheshire.

Admittedly, not everyone can claim to live “on the beach”, yet we must all have elements about our home location that we find appealing, and that can perhaps benefit the business we carry out in our home office. This is a brief case study that concentrates on the inspirational progress that was made from business plan to reality.

STEP ONE: SETTING THE GOALS:
The family made the decision to create a business that utilises the fantastic artistic talents that they all have in abundance. Combining recycled materials with panache and imagination, together with hi-tech laser cutting equipment produces a wide array of possibilities. You can see their approach for yourself on the Garden Offices Gallery.

A massive vision board was created, plus a detailed, step by step business plan,full of sketches and cuttings as well as words and figures.

STEP TWO: SOURCING THE BUILDING:
Intrinsic to the whole plan is to create a garden studio where the family can work their magic and invite fee paying clients to come and share a fabulous location and learn all kinds of techniques to produce their own pieces of art.

Because of the location, this new building will fully connect with the environment, provide a practical and efficient working area and reflect the family’s solid values and imagination. It has to be a permanent, robust structure that can withstand the harsh seaside conditions, and provide a strong and enticing first impression that will add to the whole customer experience.

Swift Garden Rooms were eventually selected to handle the design, planning and installation of a garden studio that is now creating a positive and powerful reaction from all who see it. The design had to be started from scratch. The family, being typically thorough, already knew what practical boxes had to be ticked, and Swift designers produced ideas that combined such function with flair, and meet a business-like budget.

STEP THREE: CREATING THE REALITY:
Did we forget to mention? While the isolation of this home is appealing, it also meant that every element of the garden studio had to be brought across a bumpy (and as it turned out, wet and windy) beach.

Fortunately, the SIP panels that Swift use in their construction systems are manageable and require virtually no extra processing on site. In just two weeks the building rose up from the side garden and keys were handed over to enable the family to start introducing their recycled furnishings, amazing reclaimed flooring and all the equipment for their art courses.

The main features of this garden studio are:

• Unique and bespoke design with a stunning appearance to enhance business potential.
• SIP panel technology producing a robust, permanent and highly insulated building.
• Huge opening glazed doors to connect with the garden area whilst working from home.
• Panorama window overlooking the stunning shore and ever-changing seascape.
• Plumbing for work sinks and dedicated electrical layout for work stations.

STEP FOUR: WORKING FROM HOME:
This is a significant step beyond merely carrying out a work function at home rather than in a more conventional workplace. This is a fully committed and dedicated business that is centred around a tailor-made garden studio in a beautiful home setting.

This proves how far you can expand the “working from home” concept. The Heath Family created a dream to work from home and now they’re successfully living it!

For information about Swift Garden Rooms please click here : www.swiftorg.co.uk

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