Open Air Business October/November 2018

GLAMPSITES
and cooking; it’s non-breakable, well made
and beautiful. Using this type of product
promotes a sense of nostalgia, a call back to
childhood camping, with the added modern
touch of luxury that glamping now stands
for.
CREATE A STORYLINE FOR YOUR GUESTS
Pulling on the strings of nostalgia and
creating a story for your guests is essential
and this can be easily achieved with
carefully selected interior pieces. Use
photography to promote your site according
to how you want your guests to feel when
staying with you. Following a huge rise in
winter stays, pull on elements of hygge by
incorporating soft cosy blankets (we love
Neat Homewares’ self clean lambswool
luxury throws), soft pile and velvet cushions
and burnt reclaimed wood furniture for the
ultimate winter nest.
Small additions also make a big
difference. For those of you that supply
hampers, consider little furry friends when
stocking treats, with dogs now members of
the family a gentle nod of acknowledgment
is sure to please your guests. Add handmade
winter or autumnal wreaths to doors -
these are really fun to make and can be
made from natural pickings; we use willow
branches for the structure and add thistles,
corn and threaded conkers to decorate.
Adapt your spaces throughout the
seasons. With technologies ever improving,
invest in heating systems for your structures
to prolong the season into the autumn
and winter months. Another innovation
from the team at Universal Glamping is the
GlampRad. Proving that heating doesn’t
just have to come in ugly white units, it can
be stitched into canvas or encased in steel
panels depending on the space you want to
heat.
When making the furniture for the
GlampLoft we were keen to make the dining
table and benches lightweight so they
could be moved outside in the summer.
This was enhanced further with the sides
of the canvas structure opening to create
an indoor/outdoor space for those warmer
summer evenings. Play with these ideas so
that they work with your location and bring
the personality of your site out; consider
the best views, wind shelters and adaptable
spaces to ensure your guests get the best
out of their stay.
When working with colour, darker matte
shades of blues and greens are still on
the rise, with the addition of softer sandy
shades like Dulux’s colour of the year 2019,
‘Spiced Honey’. This earthy, jute warm tone
can be made to reflect soothing, cosy or
vibrant moods depending on the pallet it is
combined with. Add playful pops of colour
with tasseled or pompom fringed blankets,
lampshades, scatter cushions or mirrors.
These key, on-trend colours also work great
with canvas and wood tones - think carefully
about the colouring of your structure and
how to pair it with accessories to give a
comfortable and warming environment.
“WHEN WORKING WITH
COLOUR, DARKER MATTE
SHADES OF BLUES AND
GREENS ARE STILL ON THE
RISE, WITH THE ADDITION OF
SOFTER SANDY SHADES LIKE
DULUX’S COLOUR OF THE
YEAR 2019, ‘SPICED HONEY'”
It is always important to consider light
to avoid overly dark or synthetically
light spaces. Try to stay clear of clinical
surfaces, shiny or bright plastic accessories.
Instead opt for matte and tactile materials
promoting a reconnection with the
environment and a deeper physical
grounding to the world around us.
SUSTAINABILITY AND WELLNESS
As sustainability and wellness becomes
ever more prominent in society, we are now
more aware of the products we consume
and the effect of the things that we do.
Alongside this, the resurgence of craft means
people are investing more in products made
from honest materials and those which
portray a sense of traditional and modern
craft techniques. Again, adding a storyline
to your site, promote yourself on what you
provide. Market the sustainable aspects
of your location, structures and internals,
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