From teenage den to yoga studio – the log cabin that’s part of the family

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Now a peaceful yoga studio, this log cabin has undergone a dramatic transformation, all thanks to its owner’s change of career. 

Landscape historian Karen Selway Richards has recently graduated as a yoga teacher and has set up her own business in the family’s log cabin at the bottom of the garden. And its previous use couldn’t be more different.

“We originally bought it 10 years ago as an office from Norwegian Log but it very quickly morphed into a teenage games room as we have three children close in age,” Karen explains. “It was great, we knew where they all were and that they were safe. It had a Playstation, wide screen TV and sofa beds so kids could stay over. It became the party house for the kids in the local area!”

But with the children studying at university and then flying the nest, the cabin was no longer party central. “I was retraining as a yoga teacher and realised that it would make an ideal studio for my own yoga business and so got back in touch with Norwegian Log to organise a revamp,” she says.

The natural wood interior was repainted in a contemporary dove grey and the outside was given a coat of UV protection. It is now a calm space boasting a kitchen area, toilet facilities, storage cupboards and plenty of space for up to six yoga students.

“Our log cabin has had a new lease of life,” laughs Karen. “It’s an amazing resource and is now my business USP.

“It’s cool in the summer and warm in the winter, so easy to clean and incredibly quiet. It’s my personal space. Every one of my students who comes here says “I feel at peace as soon as I walk in”. I teach people aged from 12 to 94 and they all comment on the natural warmth of the building.”

Many of Karen’s peers who trained with her have been struggling to find venues for their yoga classes. “I’m not having to hire a hall like the others. I have everything on my doorstep. It’s a beautiful, peaceful, dedicated space,” she adds.

Karen’s yoga business, The Yin Garden, is going from strength to strength and she is even now planning to offer day retreats. “My aim is for all my students to keep supple and mobile but mostly to relax,” she says. “Our log cabin is the perfect environment to do this in.”