Kieron Summerhayes, 43, from West London, was fed up with juggling his events business from the kitchen table while his children ran around the house. Together with his business partner Matthew Wozniak, he launched My Retreat Garden Rooms, a bespoke garden room company that has now built 24 structures in their local area.
The duo left their careers in March 2020 to start an events and exhibition company called The Event Lab, just as the pandemic hit. While financially ticking over, they used the lockdown headspace to pivot their skills into garden rooms, launching the website in November 2020 and making their first sale the following month.
Kieron said: 'We were sitting trying to do our work with kids running around, like everyone else in the country. I said if only I had a garden room – it would be the shortest commute ever.' The business offers three contemporary designs starting from £22,500, but every room is bespoke, ranging from swim spa housing to gyms.
The team built a showroom in Addlestone, Surrey, and focuses on customer service and local areas. 'We’re now getting more unusual requests, such as high roofs, trapezium shaped rooms, and ones that are sunk into the ground,' Kieron added. The all-British team has grown steadily, with plans to continue expanding locally.
