SWR Home & Outdoor is located in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, so you couldn’t get much closer to home than this charming property just down the road from our main offices.
Background
Built in the early 20th Century, ‘Spring Cottage’ is a quaint two-bedroom home with plenty of character. House owner, Damien Kehoe, particularly liked the deceptively large back garden, but wanted to make some extensions to create a relaxing outdoor space.
What Damien had in mind was a designated area for al fresco dining and outdoor relaxation. Bi-fold doors, raised decking and a Jacuzzi hot tub had all been installed at certain points, but two important elements were still missing – a fall protection system and an awning to shelter the raised area.
Damien said: “We needed an awning to provide shelter from the weather and some balustrades. SWR were a company that was known to us and had a good reputation around Hemel Hempstead, so we did a quick search online and found a lot of positive reviews. That was very encouraging.”
Following his research, Damien contacted SWR and arranged a visit to our showroom to discuss his requirements.
The Products
The customer wanted the awning to create a private room outdoors – a place to relax and enjoy the elements. Due to the extensive outdoor area, the awning had to have a large fabric span whilst retaining a subtle, contemporary design. Early on, we knew only the Markilux 210 Pergola was good enough.
The Markilux 210 is a large-scale pergola that uses slim-lined posts as support for the main awning. Damien wished to maximise as much of his outdoor space as possible, so any posts used would have to be subtle and unobtrusive. In addition, the Markilux 210 uses an automated cassette system that allows the fabric to fully retract and disappear at the press of a button.
The customer also chose the Markilux Shade Plus Vertical Awning as an optional extra for even more privacy and further protection from the sun. As the platform was raised, Damien knew a safety barrier also had to go around the area to section the area off and prevent falls. Our Channel System with Reinforced Glass Panes was the perfect solution early on in the process.
The Installation
At SWR, we only use fitting teams who specialise in certain areas, so installation dates for the balustrade and pergola had to be arranged separately. Both products were fitted on time and reflected exactly what the customer wanted.
Damien said: “Thanks to SWR, all the work is now complete and I’m very happy with the results. I love the modern look of both installations and they don’t intrude too much on the raised area –which was what I asked for.”
“SWR’s service was first class. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a home improvement company in the local area.”
Mr Kehoe