FINDING a corner of your home or garden for a little sanctuary during lockdown is something that many of us would crave.
And it would seem some people have gone that extra mile and taken to creating garden rooms with a very good use.
One couple have made the most of theirs by creating a bar while others have gone for a more traditional home office or gym.
And for Glasgow-based Outside In Garden Rooms they have coped with rising demand for their services while announcing that that they are expanding with a new hub in Edinburgh.
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They have seen a spike in people looking for versatile spaces used for home offices, gyms, home cinemas, bars, and workshops.
The expansion has even seen business owner Melanie Russell’s sister Wendy Isaac leave her career in film and television to run new Edinburgh hub.
Founded in 2018 by Jordanhill entrepreneur Ms Russell, the firm saw enquiries from across Scotland rocket when lockdown began. The move into the capital, which will double the size of the business, has been prompted by a need to meet rising demand on the east coast.
Wendy Isaac and Melanie Russell at a recent garden room development
Ms Russell, Outside In Garden Rooms founder, former co-owner of digital agency tictoc Digital, said: “We were very excited by the growth of our business pre-pandemic, but there’s no question that lockdown has brought a huge increase in enquiries and orders for our garden rooms."
Ms Russell added: “Despite supply chain challenges, we continue to manufacture and deliver a top-end product and surpass our clients’ expectations. Working with Wendy is an amazing opportunity to really take our business to the next level as we’re both incredibly driven and organised people.
“The expansion into Edinburgh through our new hub will double the size of the business and is a significant step for Outside In Garden Rooms as we seek to better serve the market on the East of Scotland and beyond. It means we will be able to take that same quality of product, service and delivery to an even bigger audience. We are all very excited about it.”
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The Edinburgh hub will be run by Melanie’s sister Wendy Isaac, who joins the business after almost 30 years working in the film and television industry.
Ms Isaac said: “There is a huge opportunity for Outside In Garden Rooms in Edinburgh and its surrounding areas, and having a hub in the capital means clients will be able to more readily access the information and support they need to make their garden room plans a reality.
“I am so proud of what Mel has achieved in bringing the business so far, so quickly. I am delighted to join forces with her in Outside In’s exciting next chapter.”
No last orders at this garden room bar
One couple hired Outside In Garden Rooms and now have their own bar to retreat to.
Gordon Barnaby, 49, a civil engineer from Larbert and his wife Sharon, 56, are delighted with their new home bar.
Mr Barnaby said: “We had a wee bar next to our kitchen and we enjoyed it so much that when we were redoing our kitchen, we thought we might as well take the next step and get a garden room built for us which could become a bar.
“It’s been an absolute lifesaver for my wife and I to be able to feel like we’re going out during lockdown. The bar has given us a sense of normality when nowhere else has been open. We’ve got a big projector set up which I watch football and golf on, as well as a juke box and decking outside for when the weather’s nice – it’s been ideal.”
He spent a week building the u-shaped bar himself. He took some of the stuff from his old bar and bought everything else on Etsy. He has an 8 litre keg which is always filled with beer. During Christmas they turned it into a Santa’s grotto for their grandchildren.
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