1. 48 | www.yourshow-home.com
Furnishing & Gardening:
Designer contracts
Jill Lee, design sales manager at the UK’s leading supplier of
floorcoverings to the new build sector, Designer Contracts, talks
trends and explains how the interior design team applies them
to grand scale and budget show houses across the country.
FURNISHING & GARDENING Designer Contracts
W
e are definitely seeing more and more clients
who want bolder and brighter colours and
styles in show homes.
In terms of interior design for the coming autumn
months we are seeing a lot of coppers and metallic which
are very much on trend and coming through in many of the
new products, fabrics and wall coverings.
Over the last decade there has been a greater
appreciation of eclectic and unusual furnishings. People like
to take old items and give them a modern makeover. Think
gilt edged mirrors that have been spray-painted with
vibrant colours to bring them up to date.
Classical chairs are also making a resurgence – they may
be painted to look more modern and eye-catching while
retaining their traditional shape.
However the design of any room needs to fit with
potential buyers’ aspirations and we need to create a look
and feel that they can see themselves in.
The interior design team plays a vital role on the
development as a whole. We are able to make suggestions
on how to make the most out of every room, as well as
enhance the architectural design and place the correct
furniture and colour palette to complement a room.
The earlier a designer is involved the better, so selections
can be made for key rooms such as kitchens and
bathrooms, as well as choices for tiles and flooring, which
will ultimately complement and showcase the designer’s
concept to better effect.
It’s also about creating a home that will appeal to the
specific target audience – whether it’s a million pound
property or a first time buyer’s. With a careful brief, the
right interior designer can develop a scheme that will offer
the client or housebuilder a rapid return on investment.
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2. www.yourshow-home.com | 49
FURNISHING & GARDENINGDesigner Contracts
Staying abreast of all the latest looks is critical when developing a new interiors
project. Show homes need to be presented as up-to-the-minute, yet not so over-
the-top that they alienate potential buyers. People like to be ‘wowed’ by a new
home and aspire to the looks we create. So setting just the right tone is really
important.
Our latest project was for the residential construction specialist Lovell Homes.
We added our interior design expertise to the four-bedroom Glenavon View show
home at the developer’s Cherry Hill site in Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, on the edge
of the scenic Clyde Valley.
The development is home to 48 two, three, four and five-bedroom properties
priced from £127,500. Cherry Hill is a perfect base for both families and young
professionals, offering the ideal combination of rolling countryside and modern life
amenities.
We were asked to create a scheme that would appeal to families and young
professionals looking for a luxurious and elegant home environment. This resulted
in a chic, sophisticated interior design reflecting the high-quality build and
featuring a neutral palette of rich creams and taupes, highlighted with glamorous
gold and pewter metallics.
The stand out feature of the spacious ground floor of the four-bedroom Glenavon
View show home is the open-plan kitchen in high gloss ivory and Orleans oak. The
highlight of the dining space is a glass-topped table with sculptured base
surrounded by elegant dining chairs and overlooked by dramatic crystal lighting.
The light-filled garden room then opens onto the beautifully landscaped gardens.
The Glenavon View’s opulent living room, decorated in soft neutral shades, is
adorned with subtle beaded wallpaper, velvet upholstery and chrome-detailed
accessories, leading on to a stylish study area with marble-effect wallpaper and
dark wood furniture.
Upstairs, the spacious master bedroom includes a tiled en-suite and features
exquisite beaded wallpaper with chic, silver-embossed three-drawer chest cabinets.
Taking centre stage is a king size bed with button-detailed bedstead in crushed
velvet, dressed with layers of different textures including crisp cotton bed linen,
taupe throws and co-ordinating cushions in a mixture of black velvets, soft creams
and on-trend metallics.
The guest room features a tall crystal decorated headboard and showcases
stylish lighting. The third room is a twin and is designed to appeal to the younger
set, styled with wood panel-effect wallpaper, pug dog print bed linen and prints on
the walls. The distressed wooden bedside cabinets feature wooden tripod lamps
and doggie-themed accessories.
Finally, the fourth bedroom, designed to make any little girl feel like a princess,
is styled with bows, hearts and crystal detail.
In an industry where it can be easy to over promise and under-deliver we stay
very brief driven. We listen to what our clients want to achieve and use our
experience and imagination to fulfil, and hopefully, exceed their expectations.
Designer Contracts is the UK’s largest flooring contractor. As well as a show
home design service, the company is an expert in supplying and installing flooring
to the new build industry and control flooring to commercial and public sector
industries. It also supplies curtain, blind, lighting and furniture packs.
www.designercontracts.com
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