Don’t have a garden pavilion? You likely soon will. For when Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead – the genius interior gurus behind 2LG Studio – start a new trend, it is going to catch on. Fast!
So what exactly is a pavilion?
‘It’s an outdoor space associated with pleasure,’ says Russell. ‘We didn’t want an outdoor office or anything closed as we would fill it with stuff and forget about it.
‘We wanted a space for eating, entertaining and enjoying the seasons all year round. It’s an exterior space with interior vibes where we can feel totally immersed in nature.’
Their inspiration was the big white house in Tim Burton’s cult 1980s movie Beetlejuice. Russell particularly loved its giant circular openings and white oversized trellis. Jordan wanted something formal but playful.
‘This project has been in our minds since we bought the house five years ago, but we never found the time with work,’ says Jordan. ‘This enforced period spent at home gave us the time we needed to tackle this project – it’s been a labour of love and has ignited a passion for gardening.’
The couple first sketched their ideas, then made 3D paper models of their two favourite designs. Due to lockdown rules, patience was key in starting the build, as they had to wait on the necessary contractors and the right materials – all of which are sustainable.
‘We really wanted a deck that felt like an interior floor, and ideally something that was similar to the oak flooring we have throughout the house,’ says Russell.
‘We found the company Composite Prime who were about to launch a new product called HD Deck Pro – a super-wide, super-long recycled material deck board that was perfect. It’s also really durable and slip-resistant, which is important for an outdoor space.’
The pavilion structure itself is made of British-grown larch – and comes from just one tree. ‘It’s a beautiful pale, pinky wood with lovely grain,’ says Jordan.
‘It turns silver/black over time and, as we wanted to keep the wood grain visible and the look of that Beetlejuice white house, after lots of sampling we decided on a white wash from Protek Wood Stain as it’s eco-friendly and safe for pets.’
Though most people found lockdown isolating, Jordan and Russell got closer to their neighbours after becoming friendly with a family living across the road. ‘It turns out they are both actors who have started a garden design and landscaping business.
Can you believe it?’ adds Jordan. ‘What a wonderful coincidence. They totally got our vision and took on the building of the structure and helped with planting.’
It’s an exterior space with interior vibes where we can feel totally immersed in nature.
Discovering their passion for gardening during the project was a joy for them both.
‘Growing our own fruit and veg and flowers from seed has been incredible,’ says Russell, the green-fingered half of the couple. ‘It’s great for mental health and so satisfying to give a bunch of home-grown flowers or a bowl of fresh tomatoes to a neighbour.’
‘I’m in charge of lawn mowing and have found a new obsession with outdoor tools,’ laughs Jordan. ‘But the pavilion itself is a true combination of our visions. Formal yet fun, classic yet really fresh and modern. The space is zoned so we have dining under the roof area for long lunches in partial shade.
‘The central room houses our Vlaze outdoor kitchen, giving a bit of our signature bold colour to the space. Next year we will add a pizza oven. We also had a new top made for our dining table to match, it’s deep blue enamel and so smart. The “sitting room” has two ample sofas and a coffee table from ManoMano.’
‘They’re huge and very good for social distancing!’ adds Russell.
‘One of our fave features is the low, one metre-long step. It’s big enough for chairs and casual seating and we plan to add a fire pit in front of the circle window, so in colder months we can sit and toast vegan marshmallows.’
Jordan especially loves the ornamental marble pieces which adorn the pavilion. ‘We worked with Solid Nature to create these bespoke pieces using their stone offcuts as we loved the idea of making something beautiful from waste. We designed the tables and wall circle specifically to fit the shapes of the offcut stone.’
Russell likes the pops of outdoor colour from the 3D artworks the couple designed with their artist pal Studio Bebop.
‘Don’t you love that name?! They are made with outdoor fabric stretched over forms that give the whole thing another playful touch. The trellis is a winner for me, too. It’s oversized and fun. I’m growing flowering Jasmine across it – it’s evergreen with tiny white flowers that smell divine!’
The new pavilion has added value to their lives, but how about their property? ‘The value to our living is immeasurable as we’ve used it every day since it was finished and it makes us so happy. There is no doubt it will have increased the value of our home too, but that was never a driving force.
‘We created it as a place to enjoy and share with our nearest and dearest. Our pals say it’s like being on Selling Sunset. We’ll take that… in groups of six of course!’
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