I’ve been doing this for quite some time, and it’s often quite staggering when my phone pops up memories of past deliveries to far-flung places, or I see an unexpected article about one of the many glamping sites or hotels that we have delivered to.
With literally hundreds of huts out there it is great to re-visit some from time to time. To see them in-situ and find them dressed with furnishings and features that would be worthy of filling the pages of stylish magazines. It’s when we open such a highly respected magazine to find one of our huts featured that we really get an increased sense of well-being and pride in what the team does.
Recently, Jane and I took some Autumnal themed props and set up a social media photo shoot at a local hut, delivered to mid Dorset earlier this summer. It’s a work-from-home office for a keen fly fisherman. It’s the one I made the furniture for, the design being very much led by the customer who worked closely with our Creative Designer Cat to achieve the hut of his dreams.
To facilitate his extensive fly-fishing gear (he is very keen) and a desk to work from, with a day bed to relax, the design was worked up into something quite special. There are drawers, cupboards and bookshelves and a few little bits of magic, such as a waney-edge laburnum top crafted from a board of timber sourced from a local supplier, a tree that grew in the village where the hut now sits. Interestingly our new shepherd’s hut range includes a model which is very similar to the layout of this hut, so I was keen to hear some feedback
As we approached to set up photography on the Chestnut wood steps, with the Autumnal / Samhain / All-hallows theme dictating things, I could hear the radio playing softly. To the call of ‘Alexa pause’ he joined us outside. ‘I absolutely love my hut’ he said, and he invited us to look around. It was well lit, the desk was laid out with laptop, fly tying gear, pens, books; all the accoutrements of a garden office that we all aspire to. The double window looks out over the lawns and flower beds towards a picturesque, thatched cottage. Some say if you like thatch it’s good to live opposite it rather than under it. This seemed to me to be the best of both worlds; he can spend the day looking out at the most picturesque scene.
It was interesting to hear about the little things, of how he likes to not have a kettle inside the hut which makes him get up from time to time to walk back to the house, breaking up his day when working from home. The small electric heater is more than enough in such a well-insulated space, ticking away on a thermostat without the hassle of making up a wood burning stove. The added expenditure on a really good quality office chair which makes sitting at the desk a pleasure, and the ergonomics of having things to hand, all add up to make this his perfect place to retreat to.
It was such a pleasure to spend a couple of hours on an Autumn afternoon, with tea and homemade flapjack in great company whilst setting up the Autumnal props. What struck me the most as we drove away was how it was genuinely a hut for all seasons. A space to sleep, work and play all year round in complete comfort and contentment. A ‘hut to hunker down in’, in spite of the current goings on out there in this crazy world.
Written by Plankbridge co-founder, Richard Lee
