Outside space is going luxe with Finnish saunas, high-tech golf studios and stylish furniture
Cold water bathing is healthy, fun and free but it can leave you chilled to the bone. Hence the proliferation of mobile saunas at swimming places around the country.
Soon people wanted a sauna of their own, and so the next new thing in home design was born.
There's a lot to love about garden saunas. They bring the sweat house experience to your own back yard.
Cold water immersion is part of the thrill. Ideally, there's a stream running through the bottom of the garden, but an improvised plunge pool will do the trick. I've seen old enamel baths repurposed for the job.
Luke Williams is one of the founders of The Hot Box, a company that runs saunas in Carlingford, Dublin, Carlow/Kilkenny, Meath and Rosses Point in Sligo.
They began selling sauna experiences in 2021. 'We weren't happy with the quality of saunas we could find in Ireland,' he says. 'So we started to build our own.'
Soon, the team was getting inquiries from people who wanted to install a sauna at home. Their timing couldn't have been better. The Hot Box hit the sweaty wave of sauna converts at its crest.
'There's a very large appetite for it. People are more conscious of their well-being and less inclined to go to the pub.'
After much research, and in response to demand, the team set up Aalto Saunas, a company that builds Finnish saunas to Irish requirements.
For private gardens, the most popular size is a 2 x 2.5 metre footprint. This gives you a sauna that can fit four people comfortably or six people who don't mind a squash.
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Aalto Saunas are built on site, to the customer's specifications. They cost between €15,000 and €18,000 (excluding Vat).
'High quality would be our big thing,' Williams says. 'And craftsmanship. Our saunas look pretty from the outside, but they're also really well insulated. They'll last you 40 or 50 years.'
There's a choice of heating mechanisms: wood-fired or electric. 'There are advantages to both. I prefer the wood-fired sauna experience, but you can set an electric sauna on a timer so it's ready when you wake up.'
Aalto saunas can be specced up or down, depending on requirements. 'Some people want a really big window because they've got a nice view.'
Less expensive alternatives include barrel saunas, which are widely available with prices from around €5,000. As with all things, you get what you pay for. Some of the barrel saunas on the market are basically made of planks held together by metal strips and without insulation.
When you're inside, you can see the light coming through the cracks.
If saunas are the hottest thing in garden luxury, they're by no means the most extravagant thing you can put in your back yard.
Shomera, home of the Irish garden studio, has recently launched a limited edition luxury range: a spin studio (€59,950); a home cinema (€64,950); and a golf studio (€84,450). All come fully kitted-out, and all prices are inclusive of Vat.
The luxury studios fit the footprint of the Shomera 25 (6.6 x 3.6 m), which is the company's most popular model and also the largest you can build without planning permission.
Prices for the basic studio start at €42,950. 'We're on the more expensive side of garden studios,' says David O'Reilly of Shomera.
'Our spaces look good and perform well – those two don't always go hand-in-hand. They're built from scratch in our factory in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, and constructed on-site.'
There are cheaper garden studios on the market, but many of them are modular, built elsewhere and hoisted into place.
'I could not get over the number of people who are interested in the golf studio,' O'Reilly says. 'They want a sport they can do at home with their family and friends.'
The golf studio comes with a GTS ultra-impact screen, launch monitor and Teeline strike mat with a Panasonic 6000 Lumens projector. There's also a seating area and a small bar.
'It's a social thing. You can play a tournament with your friends or you can just get your head down and practice.'
The spin studio includes two Peloton spin bikes, an 85-inch wall-hung 4K TV screen, Sonos surround-sound speakers, air conditioning, and neon lighting.
'I never realised how popular spin actually was,' O'Reilly comments. 'It's the interactive element that surprised me. You hook the bikes up to the TV on the wall and suddenly you're cycling through the Nevada desert, and you can join spin classes from all over the world.'
You can see the appeal. There's always a reason not to go to the gym and, for some, those barriers are insurmountable.
The cinema studio is a more tried-and trusted model. It has two-tiered seating, a recessed ceiling-hung blackout curtain system ensuring minimal natural light, a high-tech Epson 4K projector, and a Dolby Home Theatre sound system. It's also soundproofed.
'It was the mothers who were pushing for this,' says O'Reilly. 'Most houses in Ireland have open-plan living areas, and there's nowhere to get away. Parents wanted a dedicated space outside the home where they could spend time with their children and without their phones.'
There is currently a waiting list for all three studios, and Shomera .has plans for more designs, including a sensory room.
'People are using their gardens as an extension of their home, for sure,' says Grace Cahill of Studio Grace. 'I'm seeing lots of outdoor Jacuzzis pop up in stores. Even Aldi's embracing the trend!'
Aldi's Spa Pool, an inflatable hot tub (€399.99), reappeared in the middle aisle in March. It's like a grown-up paddling pool with warmth and bubbles.
In her role as an event stylist and designer, Cahill sees a shift in the way people perceive their outdoor spaces.
'People are entertaining in their gardens a lot more and there's a big emphasis on the aesthetic because of Instagram. They're hiring florists and bringing in tableware to elevate the whole setting. They want everything to look glorious.'
While a garden wedding at home is something many people dream of, Cahill finds her clients often baulk at the logistics and expense.
'Once you've paid for the caterers, the toilets and the marquee, you'd be better off in a hotel,' she explains. 'They have the infrastructure. But money-no-object brides do exist!'
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