We asked our customers to share photos of their Waltons garden buildings with us in our recent #MyWaltons competition. After nine months of fantastic customer photos, we were able to whittle down the entries to choose our winner.
Leigh’s summer house completely blew our judges away, and is undoubtedly a worthy winner. We asked Leigh to tell us a little more about his new summer house, as well as how he and his wife transformed it. Leigh opted for the 12 x 8 Contemporary Summer house with Side Shed.
Why did you choose this particular summer house? What features are important to you?
I had spent some time browsing photos of summer houses on the web looking for inspiration and was looking for something that was modern and would allow me to help me give my garden a bit of the “Chelsea Flower Show look” I dreamed of. I came across the Contemporary Summer house with Side Shed on the Waltons website and decided it was the one for me!
I wanted to have a small amount of shed storage without having a separate shed so it really was the perfect fit for our garden. I also loved the big opening doors and the blank canvas it gave me to make it my own.
How do you plan to use your summer house? How will it change or improve your life?
I love being outdoors and anything that gives my family and I the opportunity to get into the garden more is a bonus to me! My wife and I love to spend a quiet evening in the summer house with some music just relaxing whilst my little boy likes to sit in there, in between playing in the garden, to watch some Thomas the Tank Engine. We wouldn’t be without it.
Has the summer house changed how you use your garden?
Without a doubt, we have used our garden so much more since having the summer house. Everyone has their own ideas as to what their perfect summer house would be like and ours was to have somewhere to relax and to be able to open the doors and see our beautiful garden close up.
How did you customise your summer house? Can you tell us about the stylish lighting, decking and landscaping decisions you made?
The summer house has had lots of customisations. I’ve insulated the building to allow us some use in the cooler months and inside we have built in-ceiling speakers, a TV built into the wall with surround sound, Wi-Fi, some lamps, sofa (made ourselves), pictures on the wall and a cool and relaxing colour theme on the outside with a warmer brighter feel on the inside.
On the outside I’ve also recently installed a bigger decking area with deck lighting which has really finished it off nicely! I love tech; I’ve made everything in the garden and the summer house voice and mobile phone controlled as well.
How much of the work did you do yourselves, and how much was done by contractors? (i.e. wiring for electrics, etc)
I’ve done everything myself and the summer house was the first thing I got started with in our garden after clearing it when we moved here. My inspiration has been my visits to the Chelsea Flower Show where so often a building is the key focal point of the garden design. So I started with that and I am still working away in other areas of the garden to get the show garden I dream of!
What inspired you to decorate your summer house?
The inspiration for the design and styling of the summer house was my wife and I’s love of the beach and the feeling of being in a happy place. We’d got engaged on the beach in Malibu a few years before and wanted to have that feeling of a Malibu beach hut but without the $20 million price tag (or a beach)! So the photos inside are our favourite places and the styling is us trying to get some of those relaxing beach vibes.
Are you happy with your finished summer house? What do you like most?
We love our summer house! We just love the fact that it gives us another room and it’s a place of happiness and relaxation.
We absolutely love how Leigh and his wife have transformed their summer house, and we think it’s a very deserving winner of our #MyWaltons 2020 competition. Keep your eyes peeled for the 2021 competition - you could be crowned our next winner!
Have you got a Waltons garden building that you use as your ideal gardening space? Let us know all about it over on our Facebook page!
