Lunawood Collection
Lunawood Collection is based on Scandinavian design combined with the best technical properties of thermally modified wood.
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Fifteen miles north of the Russwood headquarters sit a pair of Scandi-inspired chalets. These are the latest editions to Pine Bank Chalets, a self-catering accommodation business located in the town of Aviemore. Owner Simon Hughes has always been keen to evolve and improve the guest experience, so when two of his older cabins were ready for retirement, he decided to build something new in their place. Simon worked with an architect, a joiner and various members of the Russwood team to achieve his vision. The outcome is Osprey Lodge and Eagle Lodge: aesthetically pleasing and solidly built retreats with modern, natural finishes.
The Lunawood Collection: a durable choice for indoors and out
Simon likes to minimise the number of materials used in his lodges, which is one reason he chose to clad Osprey and Eagle Lodges inside and out using our Lunawood Collection panel system. The Lunawood Collection comes from sustainable forests in Finland and is the heartwood of Nordic pine and spruce which has been thermally modified to create a resin-free timber.
The stability of the Lunawood is one of its key advantages. Once it has been treated with heat and steam, there is significantly less swelling and shrinking, meaning dimensional movement is reduced by up to 50%.
Specifier Tip: Choose the brushed finish on any of our Lunawood Collection cladding products to accentuate the grain and create a beautifully textured surface.
The system was easy to cut, very stable and once underway, the fitting was really simple.
Simon Hughes, owner of Pine Bank Chalets
A stunning timber that provides versatility
Externally, Simon’s use of two Lunawood profiles provides visual variety within a restricted colour palette. The façade is clad in our 42mm x 68mm board to provide depth, while the rest of the cabin uses shallower 19mm x 68mm boards.
Internally, Simon kept things simple, opting to clad the ceilings and feature walls in the main bedrooms with a single width of board (19mm x 117mm). However, Simon admits that his favourite profile is the Trio, which he used in the cabin’s saunas. “The thickness of the panels gives them a solid feel, and the LED lighting behind the backrest really makes the profile stand out,” he elaborates.
As well as enjoying the flexibility provided by the range of profiles, Simon appreciates that Lunawood timber comes in various surface finishes, too. He chose a brushed finish, as the tactical nature of it adds warmth to the cabins.
In what was essentially a self-build project, being straightforward to fit was another key consideration when it came to choosing cladding.
“The system was easy to cut, very stable and once underway, the fitting was relatively simple,” says Simon.
If Simon needed any further persuasion that the Lunawood Collection was the best option for his new cabins, its origins were the icing on the cake. “Being half-Finnish on my mother’s side sealed it for me,” he laughs.
Getting the finer details just right
As well as supplying Simon with the interior and exterior cladding required for his lodge builds, we also provided the fixings for the project. Thanks to our proximity to the project, Simon could drop into our showroom to discuss and view our products and get advice on the best finishes and fixings. On the advice of our team, he decided on Kompefix® and L-GoFix® MS A2 Screws.
KompeFix creates a ventilated gap between timber cladding and the substructure of a building, helping to prevent moisture trapping. Using it as Simon did, in combination with the Lunawood Collection (which is already protected against changes in humidity), results in impressive stability and durability.
Our patented L-GoFix® A2 screws are designed in Austria and precision milled from A2-grade stainless steel. They provide clean, consistent detailing – which is something that Simon valued in his project – alongside corrosion protection.
Quality flooring and decking to complement the cladding
Having used Russwood for previous projects, Simon was keen to incorporate our products wherever possible. We supplied both cabins with engineered European oak flooring plus planed Thermopine® decking in the RW214 profile. This grooveless thermally treated Scots Pine decking was secured by Simon and his joiner using our secret fix system, SenoFix® FT.
As the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and by this measure, it’s safe to say that the Pine Bank Chalets project has been a resounding success.
“We are delighted with how the new lodges have come together, and the feedback is that these are amongst the favourites of our returning guests,” says Simon. “The exterior cladding is already starting to weather and mellow with no movement or issues, and the internal cladding is just as stable. The feedback is that these cabins are among the favourites of returning guests,” says Simon.
Check out our interior cladding Lunawood Collection here and our external collection here.