The trials, tribulations and triumphs of building a boudoir cabin by hand.
The trials, tribulations and triumphs of building a boudoir cabin by hand.
We always have plans to make Angel Eyes bigger and better - always looking for new, amazing boudoir opportunities to bring your way. And in 2024, we got the ball rolling on one of our biggest projects to date, following the opening of our original studio back in 2020.
On the 6th of August 2024, after much planning, we ordered what would soon become our brand-new, custom-built AND hand-built boudoir cabin! Building an entire studio in-house is not for the faint of heart! So if you’ve ever wondered what it would look like (and how we coped) building a whole cabin from the ground up, join us for the incredible journey that led to launching our new boudoir cabin during our five-year boudoir anniversary!
To begin our bumpy journey, we were told the foundation for our new brainchild would be included in the order. So we waited. But lo and behold… that wasn’t the case. With a seven-week delay now on our hands, we finally began working on our dream ourselves.
While that delay meant we pushed our launch from early January to March 2025, it did turn out to be a beautiful anniversary present nonetheless! However, this delay also meant that we built through a heatwave, storm season, the Christmas period (when everything shuts down), and even a Tropical Cyclone!
Breaking Ground (& Getting Soaked)
First port of call was the landwork! We broke ground digging foundation holes late in 2024… right as the skies opened. A relentless deluge of rain kept stalling us - day after day. Between preparing what we could for our foundations and waiting for the rain to ease so we could work on dry ground, we were pushed closer and closer to the Christmas break.
Given our luck so far, by the time we were ready to pour concrete… everything was closed. What should have been a few hours done by a professional concreting truck turned into two days of cementing by hand using a borrowed cement mixer. And just as the rain left, in came the heatwave… and the march flies.
So, after 4 cubic metres of sand and gravel, 20 cement bags, and the help of our son, Mel’s brother, our lovely makeup artist, her husband, and a friend - under the scorching Aussie sun - it was finally done! But not without some friendly help from some puppies who wanted to leave their own paw print on the project.
Foundations: Starting from the (Literal) Bottom
We then began creating the official base of our studio. The rain was back with a vengeance as we unpacked pallets in the garage to keep them dry.
In the rare moments of sun, we started on the base with a whole array of nails, joists, and noggins that needed to be hand-fixed together to create a solid platform for the rest of this amazing project. Much of our time was spent working under a tarp to keep both ourselves and the base as dry as possible - we simply refused to let anything delay us more!
Raising the Walls: Drills, Sweat, and Teamwork
Being a small, local business means putting in the hard yards and making the most out of what you've got, which is both amazing and a damn hard slog! Once again, we ran into an issue. The down rods (and their holes in the panelling) that hold the structure together, that should have been included in our delivery were nowhere to be seen…
After going back to our engineer and formulating a plan, we began our tedious journey of drilling holes every 30cm into every one of the 17 layers of panels. We used three different drills - one for countersinking, one for pilot holes, and one for the bugle screws. But with a team effort… we slowly got it done!
Now with our walls, door frame, and window frames in place, we continued on.
Drilling, Staining, Roofing: Summer Heat Meets Cabin Dreams
The Queensland summer sun was back as we moved on to building out the roofing and staining the entire cabin during yet another heatwave! With Dave taking over the final round of drilling the high up beams, given his height advantage, Mel began staining!
Adding the two coats of wood protection over the entire cabin was necessary, not only for quality but also to enhance the look and feel of our backdrop. Bringing us one step closer to the completion of our gorgeous new boudoir photoshoot studio!
The Verandah Vision: Trenching, Timber, and a Wasp Surprise
With the cabin beginning to come to life in front of our eyes we were getting closer and closer to the finish line. The trenching, electrical work and metal roofing were then applied and we began work on the wonderful verandah that would come to be the scene for our outdoor (but still private!) boudoir set, which has been a long time dream for the team!
But of course we couldn't complete these next few steps without throwing another spanner in the works, not only did we decide against using the previously supplied floorboards due to stability, and instead replacing it with our hand selected red tongue timber.
But we came face to face with a 1m wasp nest! This was swiftly dealt with however not without a fair share of *mild *panic!
Painting the Dream: From Raw Wood to Picture-Perfect
After sanding down the wood, came another MASSIVE job, since this would dictate exactly how the studio would appear in our amazing clients' images. Let's speedrun the following process:
Staining and an undercoat was applied to the walls both inside and out.
In our Light & Airy set, caulking was then needed along with another layer of white paint to fill in any gaps in the wall panels. Beams and window sills also had to be stained.
In our more Moody set a stain was then applied to the walls, roof boards and beams and then two coats of different coloured stain to get that perfect look!
In a team trip we then acquired some click flooring for a stunning vibe and...
Finally, we completed the staining on the verandah as well.
Final Touches & Flying Debris: Battling Cyclone Alfred
Within the last stretch of the cabin launch, we needed to add the accessories and staples from our existing studio! Curtains were installed, cladding was applied, stairs were constructed and a path was built.
But what's the fun in finishing there! Of course, right at the finish line us and SEQ/NENSW were then hit with Tropical Cyclone Alfred, one last hiccup before we could officially launch the studio! Dave rushed to install the drainage before Alfred hit, to give us the best chance of no damage.
Luckily, we did come out on the other side with minimal damage which we're IMMENSELY thankful for, with only the guttering being affected.
The Big Reveal: Welcome to Our New Boudoir Cabin
Upon fixing up the cyclone damage we were finally complete! With our first sessiontaking place on 18 March 2025 we were finally at home in our new, upgraded, absolutely gorgeous boudoir cabin.
Through all the struggles and speed bumps, we're so incredibly proud of what we have created and everyone who has helped us in this journey. Not only does this reinvigorate our creative spark and provide a new and improved experienceand images for the clients that trust us with their amazing boudoir journey, it also provides so many new boudoir opportunities that we're excited to bring to the Brisbane/ Gold Coast area.
From new sets and concepts, to a lived-in, luxury vibe that elevates our images and steps away from a simple blank backdrop - this is our dream and we're so excited to see it come to life!
If you're curious about our new studio and want to find out more about what we can offer you, please reach out on Facebook or Instagram, or inquire online!
Thank you for coming on this journey with us and we can't wait to show you all the amazing things that are still to come in our Angel Eyes journey.
Ready to begin your boudoir journey?Book your boudoir session with us to uncover your authentic, unapologetic greatness!