Hand building our wood fired Sauna for your Basking pleasure.

Every new adventure has to start somewhere and ours started with visiting many wonderful saunas in Scotland.

I am so pleased Scotland has embraced sauna culture over the past few years! Having been a keen cold water swimmer for many, many years, I could think of nothing better than doing something I really love: getting into cold water and getting some heat in me after! So off we trot to buy our first horse box (yes, I plan on more, but let's get this year under our belt first).

What a beauty!

The next phase of our project involved carefully stripping her out (the horsebox is a lady, don't ask me why, she just is!). The process helped us to gain a clear understanding of the space we were working with. Once we had everything cleared away, we could take precise measurements, which would serve as the foundation for our design plans. This was an exciting moment, as it marked the transition from demolition to creativity, where we could finally begin to brainstorm and conceptualize the fun part of design. With a blank canvas before us, we felt a surge of inspiration, eager to explore various styles, wood types, color palettes, and layouts that would breathe new life into the space. The possibilities seemed endless, and we were ready to dive into the creative process, envisioning how to transform the area into something we could be truly proud of.

The start of the strip!

The plans were carefully crafted, considering every detail necessary for a successful outcome. After numerous brainstorming sessions and collaborative efforts, the design received enthusiastic approval from all, marking a significant milestone in the project. The construction activities began with excitement and anticipation. The site buzzed with activity, tools in hand and ready to turn blueprints into reality. The sound of hammers and drills filled the air, signaling the start of a new chapter in this ambitious endeavor. Each construction phase brought its own challenges and triumphs as the team navigated unexpected obstacles, all while staying focused on the vision that had inspired us from the beginning.

Alder Cladding

Coming together nicely!

Benches in, tiling and heat protection done, finishing trim on the windows.

We had a bunch of big decisions to make, but some of the key ones for me were picking out the sauna wood, the wood burner, and the bench design. We went with Alder for the cladding and flooring because it's tough, stays cool to the touch, has beautiful color variations, and has a nice, subtle smell like fresh hay. To mix things up with the lighter Alder, we chose ThermoAspen for the benches. We wanted a bit of luxury, and we think we nailed it with this choice. The benches have a lovely chocolate-brown color, a gentle toasted scent, feel amazing to touch, and won't get too hot, making your sauna time super comfy. We decided to raise the floor of the sauna, rather than going for seating at different levels. We think we found the optimum height for everyones enjoyment. As you know heat rises, so we thought why no raise the seats! If you get too hot while Basking with us, pop outside and forest bathe or cold plunge while you do it. We hope you'll agree with our choices when you visit us!

Now for the wood fired stove! Oh the stove, I love it so much. After many hours of meticulous researching we found the one. We fell in love but made the decision with our heads of course! The Harvia Legend lives up to the name. The steel frame surrounding the stove hold a large amount of stones, which ensures good heat even when the fire dies down and gives a wonderful sauna bath even at lower temperatures, not that we plan on low tempreatures; well inside anyway! The safety distances were also key and this model has some of the shortest safety distances on the market, in a tight space this was crucial. I think you will agree its just gorgeous.

Oh there she goes. On her second burn, minus the sauna stones.

Right now we are treating and cleaning the wood both inside and out, you will have to come see us for the finished results. We can wait for phase two to start! The onsite build......... check out the next blog for that part of the journey.