ROOM WITH A VIEW The story of Westbury Garden Rooms

THE STORY OF WESTBURY GARDEN ROOMS

ROOM WITH A VIEW

How beautiful wood-frame and glass structures from orangeries to pool houses and conservatories can revive a love affair with the home

There are not many men who would build a conservatory for their mother, but Jonathan Hey, a self-taught builder, was unfazed at the prospect and surprisingly pleased by the results. Not only did he enjoy the process of the build, but also designing the conservatory itself. So much so, in fact, that it led him to launch his company, Westbury Garden Rooms 30 years ago.

Before long, Hey’s business had taken off and he was designing garden rooms, orangeries, pool houses and conservatories for people across the country. The brand continues to grow and today creates designs all over the world, from Paris to the United States. Its most recent overseas project, and largest to date, was a pool house for the Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya, in Sri Lanka. “It’s amazing how an orangery or garden room can completely transform where and how you live,” Hey says. “In fact, many of our clients say that it becomes the new heart of their home.”

Hey likes to begin the process by establishing with the homeowners how the new space is to be used, whether as a kitchen extension, a dining space or simply a quiet area in which to relax and connect with the garden. This way, he and his team are able to create something unique to the each homeowners’ needs, with no two designs the same.

When arriving at either of the Westbury Garden Rooms offices – one is in Essex (along with the factory), the other in London – the first impression is of a homely, friendly feel, added to by a warm welcome from the office dogs. Client meetings are held in a purpose-built orangery, flooded with natural light from large timber windows, helping to envisage how a space like this would be lived in. Behind the scenes, there are around 25 people working in the factory, another 25 in the office and 10 people in the fitting team.

All the brand’s structures are manufactured in the UK, in its factory, and each and every one is crafted from Accoya wood, which is made from pine that goes through a non-toxic, environmentally friendly chemical process called acetylation. Accoya is the world’s leading high-performance wood and is sourced from fast-growing, certified sustainable forests, and not only is it stable and durable, but it is also resistant to rot, so its properties match or exceed those of the best tropical hardwoods, plastics and other non-renewable alternatives. “As a business, we have always been committed to ensuring that we act in an environmentally responsible manner so that not only do we have a low carbon footprint, but as a result our customers’ homes do too,” Hey explains.

Westbury Garden Rooms’ commitment to the environment and the years of expertise, dedication and attention to detail all contribute to its well-earned reputation. In fact, the majority of the brand’s commissions come from customer recommendations and word-of-mouth, something it is particularly proud of. “We often revisit and photograph finished rooms,” says Hey. “It’s a real pleasure being greeted by happy homeowners who have found a new love of their home since investing in a garden room.” westburygardenrooms.com n (For design advice on decorating a garden room, turn to page 81.)

ABOVE LEFT This classic orangery extension on a Victorian home, creates an informal seating and dining area overlooking the garden. ABOVE RIGHT This garden room, which was built to house a kitchen, has been carefully designed to blend in with the style of the house. LEFT This orangery extension for a large, manor house in Kent has twin roof lanterns to allow as much light as possible to flow in. OPPOSITE Skilled craftsmen at work in the Westbury Garden Rooms factory in Essex.