Ten minutes with George Mayes from Boon

Boon founder George Mayes talks about how he started his bespoke building business and the importance of quality fixtures and fittings.

George Mayes’ bespoke builds have a real architectural difference and sustainable conscience. One of his designs has even topped Airbnb’s twenty-one most wish-listed UK homes list.

But where did it all begin?

‘I come from a creative family; my dad was a boat builder and I've always loved design. After studying architecture at university, I set up a building company in London which I ran for fifteen years,’ George tells us.

‘Over time, I started noticing flaws in the efficiency of onsite construction, and spotted a gap in the market for high-end, bespoke modular buildings.’

George says the name Boon was inspired by a Californian road trip.

‘We stumbled upon a boutique hotel of the same name nestled in the redwoods of the Russian river valley. It was a cross between a hotel and a campsite and focused on high-quality, locally sourced materials and produce. After sampling many of the local wines, my wife and I made a pact that we’d try to create something similar one day.’

Today, Boon’s bespoke builds are used as Airbnbs and holiday rentals, extra guest accommodation and home office spaces. Each structure is sustainably built, without the need for traditional foundations, and can be used year-round.

As for George’s favourite project to date, there’s a clear winner.

‘The Pigsty was my first project, and it’ll always stand out for me. My friend at Vale Farm in Winchester let me use an old grain barn as a workshop while I was designing a curved structure. He liked the look of it so much that he went on to buy the construction and set it up as an Airbnb on the farm.

‘We worked closely with Vale Farm on the specifications, taking architectural cues from surrounding barns and the natural environment, and seamlessly merging the hard lines of steel with the softness of the wood.’

It’s clear that Boon’s designs are detail driven. And that’s where Corston comes in.

‘We put so much effort into every aspect of our builds, but it’s the finer details that people touch and interact with, like light switches and door handles, that really get noticed.

‘Finishing a project properly gives it a much more premium feel – there’s no point in working so hard on a build, only to install cheap, poor-quality fittings.

‘I love that Corston’s finishes are consistent across every product. Before, I found myself buying switches and sockets from different companies, not knowing if they were going to match. The slick, modern Bronze finish was just perfect for The Pigsty. And Antique Brass looks beautiful in our more rustic Potting Shed build.

‘Also, everything arrives quickly which is great when you’re working on a project with tight timescales, and the perks for trade customers are definitely worth applying for.’