Jurgen Broos: 'The outdoors is becoming an extension of the indoors'

NEWS

MARKET & CURRENT AFFAIRS

Rosanne de Boer, Monday 17 March 2025

184 sec

'Outdoor cooking is trending'

Jurgen Broos, owner of Broos Groenvoorziening in Hoeven (North Brabant), observes that outdoor living is increasingly becoming an extension of indoor living, with growing attention paid to gardens. Outdoor cooking has become a trend, and Broos is also installing more outdoor living spaces. Especially during the pandemic, the desire to spend time outdoors increased. 'Garden sheds have evolved into luxurious outdoor rooms, fully equipped.'

'As demand for outdoor living spaces increased, we invested in the machinery and materials needed to build them,' says Broos. 'Our clients are generally willing to invest and want outdoor spaces that are fully equipped. These projects are becoming increasingly exclusive, often including saunas and sometimes even swimming pools. We can excavate part of the garden for a pool, but we don't install the pools ourselves — that's the one thing we subcontract. Saunas and outdoor kitchens, however, we do install ourselves. Clients appreciate having a single point of contact and not needing to hire multiple contractors.'

Outdoor Cooking

'Are people spending more on their gardens? Absolutely — more than before the pandemic and more than two years ago. But bear in mind that rising material costs and inflation have also driven prices up. Everything has become more expensive in recent years.'

Broos has noticed a growing interest in outdoor kitchens. 'Outdoor cooking is a trend. FORNO, a subsidiary of Adezz based in Uden, offers a wide selection of products that we gladly use. For example, in a client's garden in Oud-Gastel, near Roosendaal, we recently installed a round corten steel fire table from FORNO, which develops a rich rust-brown color over time.'

For this family with three children, Broos built a sunken seating area with a firepit, a terrace for outdoor cooking, and an outdoor living space. 'Most of the garden furniture, including outdoor cooking equipment, chairs, and tables, came from FORNO and Adezz. It's convenient to source everything from one supplier, especially since the client wanted a coordinated design. To give our clients a clear vision of their garden, we incorporate the garden furniture into our design software. The large white planters in this garden are also from Adezz, with both round and square shapes.' White panels were also installed, which can be illuminated to enhance the sense of unity.

The Firepit

Broos emphasizes that outdoor spaces are increasingly viewed as extensions of indoor living, and many clients want to reflect their home's colors in the garden. In this Oud-Gastel garden, the house's white tones are echoed in the choice of planters. The sunken seating area includes a LED strip that reflects the glow of the fire and can be adjusted to various colors depending on the desired atmosphere.
'During our initial discussions, the clients said they wanted a firepit. They thought it would be fun for their children, who are between four and twelve years old. Some parents might find firepits dangerous, but these parents chose to let their children grow up with it. They even organized a kind of unveiling ceremony where the children collected sticks in the woods to roast marshmallows over the fire.'
'When sitting in the sunken seating area, you feel truly immersed in the garden. It feels more intimate than sitting fifty centimeters higher on a terrace chair — the perspective is different.'

Expanding into Belgium

After posting photos of the seating area online, Broos received more inquiries. 'But you need a fairly large garden for a project like this. From photos, it might seem like three square meters is enough, but you really need about five square meters for such a seating area with firepit.'
Many of Broos' clients have large gardens, as land in Brabant and Flanders is more affordable than in the Randstad. 'I have clients in both the Netherlands and Belgium.' The company's headquarters is located in Hoeven, close to the Belgian border, between Etten-Leur and Roosendaal. 'We have branches in both countries. Our service area extends from Breda to Bergen op Zoom, Moerdijk, and Brasschaat near Antwerp.'
Broos Groenvoorziening is a family business founded in 1961 by Jurgen's grandfather Jan. 'Back then, it was called J. Broos Tuinen. In 1984, my father Stan took over and renamed it Broos Groenvoorziening.' Jurgen took over around the turn of the century. 'It was always my dream to run the family business. I knew it from a young age. I attended horticultural school and later studied Green Space at vocational college. Whether my sons will one day take over? My eldest son, who's almost fourteen, is already showing some interest. But they don't need to decide yet. My father still works in the company and hasn't reached retirement age.'

Decking

Broos Groenvoorziening has experienced significant growth over the past ten years. Both 2023 and 2024 were strong years. 'We had about the same number of orders as in previous years, and the outlook for 2025 is also positive. I employ 25 people, but I still personally oversee every project. I remain the main point of contact from start to finish. I enjoy personal contact with my clients, though it means long days — often from six in the morning until nine at night. My wife supports me in the business.'
Recently, Broos also completed a garden in Etten-Leur. 'We installed decking using wood from Awood, another subsidiary of Adezz. Decking is in high demand. We had also included a water table from Adezz in the design, but the client eventually decided it was too costly. This garden is for a family of four with two teenage children.'

Broos Groenvoorziening vo...

ADEZZ

AWOOD

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