Based near the coastline of Bude, between Devon and Cornwall, Aurora Moon is already set near some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.
According to Laurie Reading, one of the owners of this glamping pod manufacturer the location features heavily in their business. The beauty, the ocean and the shared passion for surfing and the wonderful woodland areas have all collectively inspired the creation of Aurora Moon cabins.
The whole team behind Aurora Moon have a great passion for travel and adventure. Laurie spends his time exploring the world’s surf spots and has a particular fondness for Bali, Mexico and Morocco. Pat’s heart lies in Africa, and he’s spent long periods of his life soaking up the culture there. Mex on the other hand spends as much time as he can in Portugal, sat under orange groves and working on his music.
This has had a distinct effect upon the style and approach of their new business which they founded in 2017 after they had been collective researching the industry for years without realizing it.
Laurie elaborates, “Our love for quirky and beautiful accommodation has often shaped our travel itineraries, and we’ve been lucky enough to stay in some incredible cabins and treehouses over the years.”
One of the things that Laurie believes is missing from glamping is a lack of soul and originality. This is more down to the mass manufacturers of the tents, cabins and lodges who have to focus on what sells. However, what he, Pat and Mex wanted to design was something that broke the mold and wasn’t just functional but truly beautiful. After extensive research, they can find nothing that compares to their cabins on the market, and with a combined woodworking and carpentry experience of over 60 years they have developed a product with intelligence and love, that reflects their knowledge and passion for this industry.
“You might say we’ve all always had this idea,” Laurie continues, “So with our backgrounds of design, carpentry and cabinet making, it seemed a no brainer for us to create Aurora Moon together.”
THE BUSINESS
There are 3 people in Aurora Moon. Mex has been doing carpentry and cabinet making for over 50 years and is renowned within his area of expertise. He has a keen eye for design, and creatively thinking outside of the box, developing totally original and beautiful products.
Laurie’s background is in interior design and marketing. He headed the design department for a wedding décor company and has started both an award-winning clothing label and longboard business. He has always had a passion for design, and his work has been featured in numerous magazines and publications over the years.
Pat is a carpenter and an ideas man. His eye for detail is second to none, and he has a wonderfully eclectic portfolio ranging from bar design to incorporating reclaimed metals into beautiful bespoke creations.
“We’ve been blown away by the interest in Aurora Moon so far,” Laurie says, “We are in talks with a company in America, who would like a number of cabins for an eco-resort. We also have a number of bespoke projects for private clients and are receiving new inquiries on a daily basis.”
THE PODS.
Laurie explains that their ‘Crest Cabin’ has an average 5 week build time, however due to the bespoke nature of their cabins they always quote a timescale based on the project. This approach is something that Laurie is keen to continue as they are all currently enjoying Aurora Moons organic growth, which allows them to further develop new ideas and concepts to fuel their already exciting pipeline of projects.
GETTING THE WORD OUT
Their marketing strategy includes a combination of editorials, social media and picking up the phone! Word of mouth has also proved to be a fantastic method of spreading the word about their products and brand.
The aim is to not only build beautiful cabins, but to also create the ideal environment for them. Currently they are looking for a suitably stunning woodland area that would not only offer a real-time experience of the value of the pods as a perfect retreat but also a truly magical escape.
MAKING TIME
As the three friends all have a thirst for adventure, they invest their time well in exploring new places. This being said, with the business still just starting out, for the foreseeable future they’re all committed with their heads down and focused in the workshop. As they all agree that their work is their passion it’s a happy place for them to be.
Laurie even admits that after a hard day in the workshop he can mainly be found in the sea, “Or creating music. Or working on new design ideas for Aurora Moon.”
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