Bespoke Saunas
In addition to our signature range, we offer a bespoke service and can work with you to design and build a sauna tailored to your needs.
Our in-house design team is experienced in working with private and commercial clients to bring a creative vision to life and is here to offer inspiration, guidance and advice.
If you’d like to find out more or discuss an idea, please contact us to speak with a member of the team.
Previous bespoke projects
Sandbanks - The Saltwater Sauna
The Saltwater Sauna offers a Nordic bathing experience on the south coast of England. We started working with owners Sam and Arlene in 2021 when they purchased one of our mobile saunas. The arrival of a sauna on Sandbanks proved a big success, which led to our collaboration with the couple to develop a more permanent structure on the same site.
Arlene, originally from Finland, wanted a sauna that honoured Scandinavian design and architecture with sharp, clean angles and a black exterior. Along with her husband Sam, the pair provided our team with a list of key features to include but they were also open to suggestions on improving the space, leading to a truly collaborative design process which resulted in the bespoke Arden design taking home the ‘Best Sauna Design’ award at the British Sauna Society Sauna Summit.
Avon Beach - The Saltwater Sauna
With the popularity of saunas and contrast bathing on the rise in the UK and with the original The Saltwater Sauna on Sandbanks regularly booked out, in 2024 the team decided to expand their venture to include a new site at Avon Beach on England’s South Coast.
For this project, Sam and Arlene wanted to increase capacity, so this ambitious bespoke project, crafted to blend seamlessly next to existing quintessential beach huts, includes two hot rooms as well as an office space. Sitting right on the beach, the two new saunas allow visitors to enjoy contrast therapy in the ultimate seaside setting.
Ben Fogle’s Woodland Retreat
A bespoke outdoor wood-fired sauna and plunge pool designed and handmade for British adventurer, broadcaster and writer Ben Fogle.
Ben wanted his sauna to look like it had been in his woodland garden for some time, so we used weathered wood and reclaimed roofing sheets to create a natural, worn aesthetic. The full-height glass wall and frameless glass door at the front allow total immersion in the landscape, but rustic outer doors hide this so that it remains a secret when the sauna isn’t in use.
Ben, a committed sauna bather, talked to us about his passion for saunas and their myriad benefits in this magazine article. The interview can also be viewed on our YouTube channel.
A Garden Hideaway
For this project, the client was looking for a discreet, cabin-style structure that would sit comfortably in a private garden in a residential area in Oxford. This contemporary sauna was based on the design for our signature Arbor V sauna—a five-seater, Alpine-inspired build. In this bespoke edition, the glazed front of the Arbor V is replaced with a solid door and a narrow window, leading into a changing area and beyond, into the sauna itself.
It retains the classic Arbor V post-box-style window along the side as well as the clean lines and warm tones of the vertical internal cladding which contrast with rounded benches that feature an elegant fanned corner.
The modern black exterior balances the traditional cabin shape, giving it a sharp yet understated look.
The Vapor
Originally conceived as a bespoke design for a client, the Vapor is a nature-inspired, cabin-style outdoor sauna which blends seamlessly into a natural landscape and offers a grounding, peaceful retreat from the demands of daily life.
The Vapor’s living sedum green roof enhances its environment, providing habitat for wildlife and an excellent forage source for bees and butterflies - or - for a more traditional feel, the Vapor is also available with a cedar shingle roof.
Inside, the warm tones of the continuous horizontal cladding are contrasted with thin-slatted single-tier floating benches, giving the sauna a balanced, harmonious feel. The benches are opposite each other, making the Vapor ideal for social sauna sessions. The large five-sided double-glazed window follows the angle of the roof, drawing your focus beyond the stove and framing your chosen view.
Mobile Sauna
We are experienced in designing and building high-quality mobile saunas that offer an exceptional sauna experience wherever you are.
We usually use two standard trailer sizes for our mobile saunas, seating 8 or 5 people, but we are not limited to these and can work with you to create a bespoke trailer base. We can send you examples of floor plans for our larger and smaller standard trailer sizes upon request. These are completely customisable, allowing you to design your ideal mobile sauna.
Fitted with a wood-fired stove, our mobile saunas can be located wherever your business requires it - whether that’s up a mountainside, in a forest or next to the sea.
The Ora
A compact, carefully considered outdoor sauna, the sophisticated Ora frames the view for an expansive sauna-bathing experience. Its full-height glass wall and central frameless door allow you to enjoy a seamless interaction with nature as you recharge in the sauna's heat.
The locally grown cedar external cladding gives the Ora a clean, natural appearance, and the flat roof keeps the structure low in height while allowing ample headroom inside. The teardrop-shaped wall-mounted HUUM ‘Drop’ stove smoothly balances the structure's straight lines, and the two-tier floating benches sensitively contrast the rich tones of the vertical internal cladding, creating a tranquil, minimalistic feel.
The Ora seats up to four people, and its compact size makes it perfect for space-saving projects - from residential gardens to glamping sites.
A Spacious Home Spa
With its intricate benches and tinted glass front, we love the sleek, sophisticated look of this spacious indoor bespoke sauna we designed and built for a private home in Warwickshire.
The black exterior blends seamlessly with the marble walls of the surrounding space, and the central stove provides a natural focal point. The long wrap-around benches offer plenty of room to lie down and stretch, making this sauna ideal for social sessions.
Scottish Sanctuary
For this project on the Western coast of Scotland, the brief was to create a sauna that maximises the view of the loch on which it is located. With a wide floor-to-ceiling window, this sauna allows for a truly immersive sauna bathing experience and the chance to connect deeply with nature and the elements.
The sauna was developed to blend into the wild landscape and withstand the dramatic weather of this part of the coast. With its curved shape and black exterior, the design has since evolved into our signature Aire X sauna.
Ready to embark on your bespoke journey?
If you’re looking to develop your own bespoke design, whether for private or commercial purposes, please feel free to call us to discuss your concept further.
You can reach us:
By email: info@heartwoodsaunas.com
By phone: (+44) 1654 701101