As seen in The Telegraph: a borrowed workspace and a reclaimed kitchen table
It’s a lovely moment when you spot your small business in a national newspaper. Even lovelier when the story behind it involves helping a friend.
Pods and Pavilions was recently mentioned in The Telegraph’s article about my friend Holly Johnson, who saves money by borrowing and sharing things with friends and neighbours. Written by Annie Hayes, the piece explores everything from camping equipment and cars to dogs - and, in Holly’s case, somewhere to work.
That’s where our garden pod comes in.
A little help, and somewhere to open the laptop
Holly works remotely, and I'm happy to share my brand new office space with her (an OffSet Ovalhouse Ornate Garden Demo Pod) which has just been moved from Sculpture by the Lakes to my garden. As the article explains, it gives her an alternative to renting a desk, which she says would cost £35 a day.
Her story is a lovely reminder of how much we can help each other simply by sharing what we have. Sometimes that’s an extra chair or a borrowed paddleboard. Sometimes it’s a quiet place to get on with the working day.
The timing of the Telegraph article was perfect. The pod was moved last week and since its arrival I’m now experiencing the difference a garden workspace can make in my own home.
My dining table had a full-time job
Despite running a garden-pod business, until the Ornate Garden Pod was installed in our garden, I was working at our kitchen table.
Like many people who work from home, I hadn’t deliberately decided to turn the heart of our house into an office. It happened gradually. A laptop became a laptop and a notebook. Then came paperwork, samples, chargers and all the other things that apparently need to live within arm’s reach.
Before long, my work had a seat at every meal. And frankly, it wasn’t great company.
There was always something to move before we could sit down. There was also always something catching my eye: an unfinished task, a note to follow up, an email I could quickly answer.
The table wasn’t clocking off. Neither was I.
The shortest commute I’ve ever had
We’ve now moved our Off Set Oval House demonstration pod from Sculpture by the Lakes into our garden, and I’m using it as my office.
After years of showing people these pods and talking about how they might use them, I’m getting to live with one myself.
The commute takes seconds. My laptop and paperwork have somewhere to stay. At the end of the day, I can close the door and walk back into the house.
It’s early days, but the difference is already noticeable. I have somewhere lovely to work and our kitchen table is a kitchen table again.
We’ve made more room for each other
What I hadn’t quite expected was how naturally we would start using that space again.
We’re sitting down more, chatting more and enjoying being together without my work competing for room and attention. Nobody has to negotiate with a pile of paperwork before putting down a plate.
Moving my office outside has given us a versatile room in the garden. It has also given us back a room inside that we already loved.
And the pod doesn’t have to stop being useful when the laptop closes. With its table and comfortable seating, it’s somewhere to read, relax or enjoy a change of scene after work too.
Come and have a look
Holly’s borrowed workspace and my new garden office are great ways of using a pod. Both have reminded me how valuable it is to have somewhere that works for the way you actually live.
If your dining table is currently doing a shift as a desk, I’d love to help you explore the possibilities.
You can browse our garden pods or get in touch through Pods and Pavilions or call me on 07940831707 to arrange a viewing in Dorset.
Sometimes the smallest commute makes the biggest difference.
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