Case studies / The Granary
A direct booking home for a Norfolk retreat.
- My role
- Brand, design and build
- Product
- Brand website with direct booking
- Built with
- Cursor, Claude, Next.js, Vercel
01 Summary
A direct booking home for a Norfolk retreat.
I designed and built a new website for The Granary, a private one bedroom barn for two in West Norfolk. It moved off Wix to a custom build, so guests can book direct as well as through Airbnb.
Airbnb's cut
taken on every booking that could have come direct.
02 The problem
A special place on a template site.
The Granary is a carefully restored grain store, but its website was a Wix template and bookings ran through Airbnb, which takes a commission each time. The owners wanted a site that felt as considered as the barn itself, and a way to offer guests a better rate by booking direct.
03 The process
From template to retreat.
Four steps from a template site to a place guests can book direct.
01
Find the feeling
Slow mornings, records, a deep bath and big Norfolk skies. I designed the logo and sage mark, then set a calm visual language and tone of voice to match: "Slow mornings start here."
01 · Find the feeling · brand sheet 02
Design for the guest
The site is built around reasons to stay: relaxing, room to write, exploring Norfolk and the details. Each one gets its own page and its own story.
02 · Design for the guest · site map 03
Make booking direct
An availability calendar, nightly rates by month, clear rules on deposits and minimum stays, and a simple booking request the owners answer themselves.
03 · Make booking direct · flow and calendar 04
Hand over the keys
I built an admin editor so the owners update their own copy and images and write journal posts, with no developer needed.
04 · Hand over the keys · admin editor
04 The metrics
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Wix template | Custom brand and build on Vercel |
| Bookings through Airbnb | Direct booking alongside Airbnb |
| Help needed to change the site | Owners edit copy, images and journals themselves |
05 The solution
Your own corner of West Norfolk.
A calm, editorial website with a direct booking flow and its own admin, built in Cursor and Claude and hosted on Vercel.
Every page leads back to the same simple ask: choose your dates.
“Sam designed The Granary's original logo, so when we decided to redesign our website, we knew he'd be the perfect person to help. He has a wonderful eye for design and really understood what we wanted to achieve — something beautiful, thoughtful and full of character that reflected the experience of staying at The Granary. The whole process was collaborative and enjoyable, and we're absolutely delighted with the result. He's created a website that feels completely us, and we couldn't recommend him more highly.”
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