When the show home team at Designer Contracts were asked to tell the story of a growing modern family on a new development near Ipswich, they responded with an inspired tale with a happy ending.
The new Bellway Ridley’s Orchard development at Whitton, on the edge of open countryside near Ipswich, is aimed at first time buyers and families. And for this project, the brief for the two show homes – one three and one four bedroomed – was to convey the story of a young couple with a small child who transition from one home to another as a second child comes along.
Said Abbie Lockett of Designer Contracts who led the project: “It was really important for us to reflect this story but create two contrasting schemes, tied together by a few personal touches.”
The family’s progression from one home to the other is particularly well illustrated in the child’s bedroom. In the three-bedroomed Tailor house, loveable penguins and ‘everything snowy’ suggest the much-loved sanctuary of a young child: as she grows into her teenage years and the family move to the larger house, her love of snow can still be seen – with a suggestion it has moved on to snowboarding.
Elsewhere in the Tailor scheme, sociable family living is at the heart of its design, maximising space with an open plan kitchen/diner overlooking the garden and a multi-functional bedroom with double bed and working-from-home space.
Worked through in soft duck egg blues and greys, contrasted with soft wood and black spaces, the overall effect is a home that epitomises modern family living in a stylish but practical way.
As our fictional family makes the move to the larger four-bedroomed Silversmith home, the step up to more space and a more aspirational lifestyle can be seen through the striking décor of plum, mustard and golds and a hint of black.
Growing in confidence as well as size, they choose to dress their home with bold colours and the use of patterns in the fabric and wallpaper. Again, the house features an open plan kitchen/diner – but this time it’s a statement! The custom-made plum banquet seating, accompanied by striking yellow velvet chairs, creates an eye-catching feature to the rear of the property.
Said Bellway Essex sales manager Laura Trigg: “The scheme that Abbie and the design team put together has been a showstopper. Seeing the designs come to life was very exciting, and from the feedback our clients and colleagues have provided, we know we made the right decision with choosing the beautiful schemes. Thank you to the whole team at Designer Contracts, and a special thank you to Abbie for listening to what we wanted for these beautiful homes and making our visions come to life.”