1. Who We Are
Studio Caroline is a garden design practice based in the United Kingdom. We are the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services and this website.
Contact details:
Studio Caroline
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://studiocaroline.uk
2. What Personal Data We Collect
We may collect and process the following personal data about you:
- Enquiry and contact data: your name, email address, telephone number, and any information you share with us when you contact us via our contact form, by email, or by phone.
- Project and correspondence data: details you provide during the course of a garden design project, including property details, design preferences, and project-related communications.
- Newsletter data: your name and email address when you subscribe to our newsletter.
- Social media data: interactions you have with us through our social media profiles (e.g. Instagram, Pinterest). Please note that these platforms have their own privacy policies, which govern how they process your data.
- Website usage data: technical data collected automatically when you visit our website, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, and time spent on the site. This is collected via web analytics tools (see Section 7).
- Cookie data: information collected through cookies and similar technologies placed on your device (see Section 7).
3. How We Collect Your Data
We collect personal data in the following ways:
- Directly from you when you fill in the contact form on our website.
- Directly from you when you contact us by email or telephone.
- When you subscribe to our newsletter.
- Through your interactions with us on social media.
- Automatically through cookies and analytics tools when you browse our website.
4. How We Use Your Personal Data
We use your personal data for the following purposes, and rely on the following legal bases under UK GDPR:
| Purpose | Legal Basis |
|---|---|
| To respond to your enquiries and communicate with you | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) — it is in our mutual interest to respond to your questions |
| To provide garden design services and fulfil a contract with you | Performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b)) |
| To send you our newsletter (where you have subscribed) | Consent (Article 6(1)(a)) |
| To analyse and improve our website performance | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) — to ensure our website functions correctly and is relevant to visitors |
| To comply with legal obligations | Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)) |
5. Who We Share Your Data With
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We may share your data only in the following limited circumstances:
- Website hosting provider: Our website is hosted on a third-party server. The hosting provider may process your data solely for the purpose of operating and maintaining the website.
- Email service provider: We use a third-party email platform to manage and send our newsletter. Your email address and name will be stored with this provider if you subscribe.
- Analytics providers: We use web analytics services (such as Google Analytics) to understand how visitors use our website. These services may collect and process data about your visit. Where applicable, this data is anonymised or pseudonymised.
- Social media platforms: Our social media pages are operated on third-party platforms (e.g. Instagram, Pinterest). Those platforms' own privacy policies apply to any data you share with us or them via those channels.
- Professional advisers: Such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary and subject to confidentiality obligations.
- Legal authorities: Where we are required to disclose information by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights.
Where we use third-party processors, we ensure that appropriate data processing agreements are in place in accordance with UK GDPR requirements.
6. How Long We Keep Your Data
We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected:
- Enquiry data (no project undertaken): Up to 12 months from the date of last contact.
- Project data: Up to 7 years from the completion of the project, to meet legal and accounting obligations.
- Newsletter subscribers: Until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent. We may periodically ask you to reconfirm your subscription.
- Website analytics data: In accordance with the retention settings of the analytics provider used (typically up to 26 months).
7. Cookies and Analytics
Our website uses cookies — small text files placed on your device — to help the site function and to understand how it is used.
Essential cookies are required for the website to work correctly. They do not collect personal information and cannot be switched off.
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. We use a web analytics service (such as Google Analytics) for this purpose. These cookies are only set with your consent.
When you first visit our website, you will be asked to accept or decline non-essential cookies. You can update your cookie preferences at any time via the cookie settings link in our website footer. You can also control cookies through your browser settings — please refer to your browser's help documentation for guidance.
8. Your Rights Under UK GDPR
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification: You have the right to ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete data we hold about you.
- Right to erasure: You have the right to ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
- Right to restrict processing: You have the right to ask us to restrict how we use your data in certain circumstances.
- Right to data portability: Where processing is based on consent or contract, you have the right to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format.
- Right to object: You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
- Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on consent to process your data (e.g. for our newsletter), you can withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing before the withdrawal.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within one calendar month of receiving your request.
9. Transfers Outside the UK
Some of our third-party service providers (for example, analytics or newsletter platforms) may process data outside of the United Kingdom. Where this occurs, we take steps to ensure that your data is protected to the same standard as required by UK data protection law, for example by relying on the UK's International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs) or adequacy regulations.
10. How We Protect Your Data
We take appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. These include using secure, password-protected systems, encrypted email where available, and ensuring that only those who need access to your data can access it.
11. Complaints
If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact us in the first instance at [email protected] and we will do our best to resolve the matter.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK's supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
Website: https://ico.org.uk
Phone: 0303 123 1113
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Last updated: Septemeber 2026