We interviewed the interior designer responsible for our most colourful show home yet to get some tips and tricks on home décor, Rebecca at Suna Interior Design. Read more about her creative process and how she came to design the show home known as Helix.
Q: How was the colour palette selected?
The colour palette for the Helix show home was originally selected to work alongside the branding for the development, which is bright, punchy and bold, so we wanted the show apartment to live up to that expectation!
It was also really important that the colour palette wasn’t over coordinated and ‘show homey’, we wanted people looking round to be able to relate to the apartment and picture themselves living there, so it needed to be more of a realistic representation of how people live in their homes, and this generally points towards a more eclectic and varied colour palette.
And from a marketing perspective the bold colour offers a real opportunity to stand out from the crowd, with some stand-out photography.
Q: How can a customer take inspiration from the bold colours and use them in their own home?
There are obviously degrees of boldness that a customer can adopt, so colour doesn’t have to be a scary prospect. Using colour on one element in room works really well to bring personality to a space, so maybe a coloured sofa or one wall in a bold colour, like in the living room at Helix. Or maybe a gorgeous bold wallpaper is a really great way to add colour, like the beautiful mural wallpaper in the master bedroom at Helix.
And here’s a handy tip, if you don’t want a colour or pattern on a feature wall to be too overpowering then don’t put it on a wall that faces you as you enter the room, sometimes its nice to have the wallpaper or bold colour on the wall ‘behind’ you so that you see it once you are in the space, a nice bright surprise!
To test out bold colour, and to help you to make your decision about which colour to use, paint tester pots on large pieces of lining paper so that you can hang them on different walls and try different colours before you make the leap into applying paint to an actual wall!
And for those who want to enter the world of bold colour a little bit more slowly then add it in pops in the artwork, or cushions or bedding, a really lovely way to bring brightness into a room, and also a great way to enable you to update a room with relatively little expense.
Q: How did you make the most of the space?
When designing a show home the space planning is the very first thing we do, before we get into any of the yummy details of colour and furniture and artwork. Working with a scaled plan we ensure we have the main areas balanced and working for the potential occupiers of the home. That the sofa is as big as it can be for as many people to sit as possible, without overpowering the room. That the dining table can accommodate the occupiers and their guests comfortably. We will always recommend a king size bed in the master bedroom, and then we can assess the size of the bedside tables and any other furniture in the room. Make the most of wall space using mirrors and artwork and define areas by the way you arrange the furniture. Most importantly, we imagine how a purchaser will use the space, putting ourselves in their shoes and making sure that the way the show home is laid out will reflect how someone will actually use the space.
Q: What’s your favourite room in the show home?
I love the master bedroom, I’m a sucker for a bold colour scheme and I love the bold geometric patterned wallpaper and the moody colours we have used as a contrast to that wallpaper. The dark colour behind the bed really works to make this room feel elegant and sophisticated and a real haven that the occupiers can escape to at the end of a long day!
Q: How can a customer utilise space within their own home?
Space planning is all about function first and foremost. How will you use the space, do you like having guests over for dinner or is a dining table the place where you work from home? Will your second bedroom need a double bed for regular guests, or will it be more useful to you as an office, and your guests can maybe use a sofa bed for occasional stays. Make sure your main furniture is positioned in the perfect place and then work out from that, so put your sofa in place and then you can decide if you can have one or two armchairs, and how long your TV unit can be.
Find out more about Helix here https://www.hydenewhomes.co.uk/find-homes/developments/helix-91/ or contact the sales team on 0345 606 1221.