A Day in the Life of the Ornate Garden Installation Team

Behind every beautiful pod is a team that’s up before dawn…

When you see one of our Ornate Garden Pods sitting peacefully beneath the morning sun; sleek, sculptural, and at home among the flowers, it’s easy to assume it simply appeared there. Maybe craned in by some invisible force. But for those who’ve lived a day with our installation team, the truth is far grittier, far earlier, and far more human.

“People think they are craned in or dropped off already built,” says Kaizer, one of our lead installers. “But we’re often lifting and fitting over a ton of material, in someone’s garden, with millimetre accuracy. In mud, rain, you name it.”

03:00 – On the Road Before Sunrise

For our installation team, the day begins when most people are still deep in sleep. Depending on where the delivery is, the crew will often leave the Birmingham yard as early as 3am.  Coffee is essential. So is teamwork.

The destination could be anywhere: beside a Loch in Scotland, a tight courtyard or rooftop terrace in London, or a coastal garden in Devon with 40mph winds in the forecast.

“Some mornings you don’t speak for the first hour in the van,” says Steve. “You’re just mentally preparing for the job. It’s like a quiet ritual.”

07:00 – Arrival and Reality Check

Pulling into the client’s driveway, there's often a pause. What was described on the phone as a "flat driveway" turns out to be more like scaling the side of the Shard. That driveway gate? Not even close to van width. But adaptability is in the team’s DNA and a “can-do” mentality isn’t optional. It’s essential.

“No two installs are the same,” says Mike, the team’s logistics brain. “We’ve timed tides to handball pod parts onto barges, then carried them up 40 stairs to a clifftop house on the River Dart. Another day, we’re loading everything into a trade lift to reach a rooftop terrace 40 floors up on a London apartment block.”

07:30 – Unpacking the Beast

Unloading begins. Carefully, deliberately. Some pods tip the scale at 1000kg, and every curve is handcrafted. You don’t just toss them around like flat-pack kits. There’s a reverence to the process.

“You can’t rush it,” says Kaizer. “Everything’s designed to be snug, precision fit. If you get one bolt wrong now, you’re paying for it in six hours.”

09:30 – Building the Bones

This is when the transformation begins. The base goes down first, aligned to the client's specifications. Then come the graceful spruce arcs, each one forming part of the pod’s iconic curved shape.

The customer usually joins at this stage—eyes lighting up as they see their vision becoming real.

“I’d seen the pods online and then went to meet Nathalie at the Pods and Pavilions show garden at Sculpture by the Lakes in Dorset,” said Julia, a customer in Oxfordshire. “But seeing it rise up in my own garden felt like watching a sculpture being born.”

11:00 – From Skeleton to Sanctuary

Once the arcs are locked in and the doors are in place, it’s all about the layers and this is the long stage: the inside ceiling is upholstered in Dune Cream PU leather, the outer panels are fitted together like giant jigsaw pieces and then the curved polycarbonate windows - our signature feature which wraps the pod in light and ensures 360 degree views are slotted in.

Inside, the flooring goes down, seating frames are secured, and suddenly it stops being a structure and starts becoming a space.

“My favourite part?” Steve grins (after joking, 'home time!'). “That moment when the pod clicks from ‘object’ to ‘retreat.’ You feel the mood shift.” (Quite poetic Steve!)

15:30 – Finishing Touches and First Impressions

Electrics are wired and tested. Every seal and join is inspected, adjusted and perfected. Then it’s out with the polish. Yes, the team hand-cleans every inch before the customer steps inside.

“We’ve had customers cry when they walk in,” Kaizer shares. “You can’t fake that reaction.”

Then comes the walk-through: showing them how the lighting works, how to clean the windows (absolutely no Windowlene), how to adjust the tables from coffee table to dining mode or work the heating for winter or frostier mornings. No question is too small.

16:00 – The Silent Satisfaction

Photos are taken, paperwork is signed, and the pod is now fully alive—ready for dinner parties, solo escapes, book reading, card games, or just a quiet cup of tea in the rain.

But the van doesn’t head home just yet.

There’s often a return visit on the way—a quick realignment here, a hinge tightened there. Every install is covered by a 10-year guarantee, and that means the relationship doesn’t end at the handover.

“The lads don’t clock-watch,” says Mike. “They understand that to finish is when the job is truly done. That’s the difference.”

21:00 / 23:00 – Back to Birmingham, and Then Again Tomorrow

It’s not rare for the team to pull into the Birmingham yard just before midnight – especially if they have driven from Cornwall or Inverness. Tools unpacked, notes logged, if there is an early start again then the van re-loaded with tomorrow’s job.

In the busy months, they’ll do it all again in a few hours, somewhere new.

The Next Time You See a Pod…

Know that it didn’t just arrive - it was delivered with dedication, expertise, and care from a team that takes real pride in every detail. The installation isn’t just included. It’s the heart of the experience.

“It’s not just building something,” Kaizer reflects. “It’s leaving behind a space where someone’s going to make memories. That matters.”

Ornate Garden Pods – expertly installed, lovingly built, and delivered with pride by a team that truly goes the extra mile (or a few hundred).

Want to see our amazing team in action?

Contact us at Pods & Pavilions, or call Nathalie on 07940 831707 to discuss any of our pods for sale, arrange a viewing, or order the perfect pod for your garden.

Just don’t be surprised if she’s already out with the team scouting the next impossible driveway.