Our fantastic gym and family room where we can all chill out

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Step into the Borlase’s new gorgeous garden room and you are treated to a warm, light-filled space designed perfectly for exercise and relaxation for the whole family. 

Gym equipment sits behind a stylish room divider at the far end of the room, with a massage treatment table next to that. At the other end, comfortable seating and a large TV invite you to snuggle up and watch your favourite box set.

Erika and Joseph Borlase, plus their two children, are the lucky owners of this solid log building which has been cleverly added by Norwegian Log as an extension to their open plan, barn conversion home. With an internal access door from their kitchen, it also has its own external ‘front’ door and two sets of large bi-fold doors which look out onto the courtyard garden and vegetable parterre. 

Joseph was born with a bone condition which means he has to exercise regularly. “Having our own gym at home has been brilliant. A friend of mine owned a gym that sadly shut down, so I bought the equipment and installed it here,” explained Joseph.

The 48m² space also allows Erika to practice her hobby of holistic massage and the children to chill out, play games and watch TV. “It’s becoming a bit of a man cave though, I must admit,” chuckles Joseph.

As the rest of his Oxfordshire home is timber-clad, Joseph is already a fan of wood as a building material. “I like wood as it’s so much easier and a lot cleaner than brick. It’s natural and much nicer than a plastered wall. It’s also really calming,” said Joseph.

He likes it so much he also recently had installed on his family camping and caravan park, a smart new Norwegian Log reception building and shop.