Our showhome project, Grand Avenue, was recently awarded the title of ‘Best Showhome’ at the 2023 First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards.
Working with housing developer, Southern Housing New Homes, we were asked to create an inspirational two-bed showhome within the Kings House development in Hove. The interiors needed to appeal to first time buyers and young professionals familiar with the area.
Speaking about the inspiration behind her design, Senior Interior Designer, Tori Malone says: “Much of my inspiration came from the property’s historic location, as well as the famous Birdcage bandstand in Brighton. I used the art deco and classic influences to explore styles that included geometric shapes and bold patterns.
“I wanted to create a vibrant and playful home that was affordable and attainable to first time buyers. To do this I thought about what colour palettes, furniture pieces, fabrics, and styling choices would be appropriate.
Tori chose a base colour palette of earthy tones and added splashes of colour through fabrics, artwork, and paint. Feature walls allowed us to keep wallpaper use to a minimum as it tends to be an expensive option and we opted for bold paint colours to demonstrate how you can be creative on a budget.
To appeal to an artistic and creative first-time buyer market Tori also mixed old and new furniture styles and sourced much of it locally.
Tori says: “By doing this I hoped the target market would see the potential in creating an elegant look without breaking the bank and that a timeless look, with pieces that didn’t have to be updated regularly or fit with any current trends, could be used. I instead chose pieces for their durability and versatility that could be easily matched with different items or moved from room to room.
"The trend-led pieces I did use could be affordably replicated or easily updated, such as the soft furnishings and decorative accessories. This also added lots of character to the show home; something often missing from newly built homes.”
Tori’s fabric choices were key in making sure the design was in keeping with the property’s playfulness, and charm.
Little details count and an important and consistent part of this design was the botanical theme inspired by Brighton’s ‘Birdcage’ bandstand’ that would appeal to creative first-time buyers.
To find out more about our award-winning showhomes go to our website: www.investa-london.co.uk