It’s the final day at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show today and what a week it’s been! Wonderful weather (give the odd shower!), wonderful conversations and a real buzz around the dog-friendly Guest House — it’s definitely one we won’t forget in a hurry, especially as our tradestand, the result of a collaboration with the Bath-based social enterprise The Urban Garden, was awarded a fabulous Four Stars by the judges.
If you’ve followed along on Instagram or dropped by in person, thank you so much. It was such a pleasure for Richard, Hannah and the team to catch up with familiar faces and meet so many new ones too. Chelsea is always a highlight in the calendar, but this year felt extra special as we marked our 25th anniversary.
We’ve been genuinely blown away by the response to the Guest House. Most days there’s been a queue for people wanting to take a peek inside, and the feedback has been really heartwarming. From the chequer-board tiles in the ensuite shower room to the handmade kitchen (yes, it really can handle a roast dinner!), people seemed genuinely charmed by the hut and how much comfort, character and craftsmanship our designers and hutmakers have managed to squeeze into a relatively compact space.
The dog-friendly details didn’t go unnoticed either, with our under-bed dog bed on castors and our new Plankbridge oak dog bowl drawing smiles and nods of approval, and people loving the little details like the wooden pegs to hang the dog lead.
We had some lovely feedback for the styling too, which was a real collaborative effort. As you might have noticed if you’ve been following us on Instagram, we have worked with some brilliant British brands to bring the hut to life this year – bathroom tiles from Fired Earth; Roman blinds, cushions and garden table and chairs from Susie Watson Designs; homewares and accessories from The Country Crib; beautiful bedding from Piglet in Bed – so it’s been great to see how warmly people have connected with the interiors.
Of course, Chelsea week simply wouldn’t be complete without its share of few magical moments, and this year was no exception. From visits from Angela Hartnett, Rachel de Thame and Adam Frost to chats with Sophie Thompson, Kate Silverton, designer Roisin Quinn and the ever-wonderful Judy Hutson, co-founder of The Pig Hotel group for whom we’ve crafted many huts, Press Day was alive of energy, excitement and connection.
It was also a real honour to be featured in Bunny Guinness’ round-up of the Best Chelsea Gardens in The Telegraph and, having welcomed journalists from Gardens Illustrated, Homes & Gardens and Country Life and many more to look around the Guest House, we’re hoping for lots of lovely press coverage in the weeks to come. A particular highlight was hosting a live recording of the Ins and Outs podcast inside the Guest House with the ever-lovely garden design guru Pollyanna Wilkinson and interior design expert Jojo Barr (we’ll share the episode link as soon as it goes live).
Chelsea always reminds us why we do what we do, and why we love helping people turn their hut dreams into a reality. A heartfelt thank you to our amazing team and to everyone who stopped by to say hello… we really appreciate all your enthusiasm and support.
Do drop us a line if you would like further details of the Guest House or any other of our hut models, or would like to follow up on a conversation you had with a member of our team at Chelsea. We would love to hear from you! enquiries@plankbridge.com
