MODE launches, and we’re doing it differently.
In the last few years I’ve personally overseen the design, build and installation of hundreds of Garden rooms, from humble garden corner-offices to flagship commercial showrooms. I’ve learned, perfected and trained others on every part of the design and construction process, and I’m happy to say I’m damned good at it!
But it’s not enough just to design and build garden rooms competently. To deliver a genuinely great experience for customers, the whole business has to be focussed on that. Some suppliers maybe forget that even a small garden room is a huge outlay for most people - like buying a car or a house extension. They are trusting their supplier to provide something of real, lasting value to them – something that will still be valuable to them many years into the future. When it comes to commercial projects, the financial stakes can be even higher.
Every customer, and every room we built, was different. But I soon realised there were a few underlying principles, golden rules, if you like – that would make a project successful.
#1 - Design the right room for the job
A garden room is about so much more than what it looks like or the square meterage. It’s about the experience you have using it. Therefore the design process should start with you, and what you want to do there, your budget, priorities and timescale. For example, if you’re going to be working from your office, for example, the view from your desk may be even more important than the view of the garden room from the house. The position and orientation of the room, doors and windows are critical to make sure you enjoy spending time there.
#2 - Spec the right materials
Innovation in materials is continuous; new options are constantly available, all with different characteristics in terms of performance, cost, ease of use, and environmental impact. Whilst the underlying principles of keeping a building warm, dry and stable will probably never change, the product options and construction techniques do, constantly. It is our responsibility to appraise and test new materials and products to make sure we’re always offering the best ones to do the job.
#3 - Be honest and transparent
As a supplier with a product to sell, there’s always a pressure to tell customers what they want to hear. “Yes, the whole thing will be done in a couple of weeks” or “No, there won’t be any mess” or “Yes, a very cheap room will be comfortable to work in throughout the winter”.
The reality is is that building a good quality garden room is like any building project; there are often unknowns in the process, there may be compromises to make, and there’s always mess and disruption. We treat our customers like adults; we’re honest about risks or limitations, we tell them what to expect from the process, and we keep them fully in the loop when plans have to change.
And so I put my own team together, under a new brand - entirely dedicated to those three principles.
And that’s how MODE began. If you’ve got any thoughts, questions or comments we’d love to hear from you.
MODE Directors - Nick, Joe and Jo
