The workmanship really stood out so I bought the display model

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Jack Richmond’s new garden office is buzzing. Not with the annoying trill of phones or social media alerts but with the gentle sound of bees collecting nectar from the colourful meadow flowers planted outside his office door. 

All a far cry from his previous offices in the city where he worked as an accountant at a large consultancy and then a busy private equity firm. Jack recently decided to ditch the commute and join his Dad’s accountancy firm with a view to taking over the business when he retires. His new workplace is at the bottom of his gorgeous garden housed in a contemporary Norwegian Log cabin.

Wanting an office space separate to his family home, but without the high cost of hiring business premises, he had decided to opt for a modular building at the end of his suburban Surrey garden. A key requirement for his new office was enough room for a future employee, as well as a spacious desk area for himself.

“I went to see four or five garden building brands. Most of the buildings were a made from a bit of wood, then insulation and then another bit of wood, but I really didn’t want the building to look or feel cheap,” he says.

Visiting Norwegian Log on its stand at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, Jack liked what he saw so much he bought the 5 x 3 metre GRV building being used as a display model at the event. “Norwegian Log’s buildings are made from solid wood so you could instantly tell the difference in quality. The workmanship just really stood out,” he says. 

“I was happy for Norwegian Log to use it for another show whilst I applied for planning permission. Whilst the application was going through - I wanted the building as close as I could to the garden boundary - my office was actually being used at the Berkshire Show,” he laughs. “It worked out really well as Norwegian Log’s team was very helpful in advising me about planning permission, as well as coordinating the delivery date. So as soon as planning permission was granted, the building arrived and was craned into place.”

As Jack’s home is on a corner plot, clients can access the office via a side gate in his garden fence. “It’s ideal as it means they don’t have to come through the house,” he says. “The building retains heat brilliantly in the winter, I used it on the coldest day last winter and it was warm and cosy. This summer I’ve sat here with the doors open, looking out onto the garden.”

And the future. “If my business really expands and I do need to move into bigger premises, then I’ll be able to use this building as a family room. It’s such a flexible space.”