In our second blog from Sarah Mather, Managing Director at Interiors by Casa, she explains the interior design inspiration behind the thirteen70 show home at Keld. You can find out about the twelve77 in the first of her blogs here.
Entering the thirteen70 for the first time, I immediately pictured a ‘grown up’ family. A family whose children are getting ready to fly the nest, but who still love spending time together. They love to entertain; they throw Christmas parties and hold their Sunday dinner together each week without fail. They value their own space, but also want spaces to come together and reflect on the day.
Working closely with the Northstone design team, our aim was that the thirteen70 show home was a true reflection of a family home, whilst also feeling aspirational.
Using textures and neutral tones
We purposely used differing textures, lighting and colour throughout the home to draw attention to different spaces. As you walk around you will see that it’s the minor details that make the biggest impact.
When you first enter the living room, you’ll see the use of natural wooden textures which brings an added warmth to an already family-orientated room. In contrast, the wallpaper in the master bedroom and the unique wooden wall in the ‘retreat room’ add sparks of personality and statement ‘moments’ throughout the home.
The use of taupe in the ‘lootility’ room – a combined downstairs toilet and utility room – is a timeless colour that provides an alternative to more traditional neutral tones, such as browns and beiges. We used bold colours sparingly to create impact, and this room certainly does that.
Once children have grown up, the overuse of glaring or bright colours typically seen in a child’s bedroom becomes a thing of the past. Parents can turn to a more mature and elegant pallet for their bedrooms, but this doesn’t mean that a room needs to be white from ceiling to floor.
By bringing an array of differing textures to the children’s bedrooms in the thirteen70, we have incorporated the same personality and character that colour would have provided, but with a real sense of maturity.
Making the most of space
One of the biggest mistakes made when considering the interior design of a home can be overfilling a larger room. In the ‘retreat room’ - an alternative use for a spare room - our focus was making the most out of the space provided.
With a salt lamp for an extra relaxing atmosphere and a single bed rather than a tempting double, we were able to create a welcoming and calm getaway within the hustle and bustle of family life. Don’t be afraid of using a single bed in your guest room to make the most out of the space that you have. By having this extra space within your home, it will make incorporating wellness or any other hobby into your daily activity much more achievable.
Going for a statement kitchen
As you enter the kitchen, you will see that we have chosen to use blue fittings rather than more typical whites and greys. Blue is the new black, and using the colour as a neutral has been on an arc in recent years.
In the thirteen70, the shade of blue acts as a real statement whilst also not standing out too much in comparison to the other rooms of the house. Marble is used on the countertops throughout the kitchen adding a real touch of luxury, as well as continuing the ‘natural’ theme we used in the twelve77.
Designing flexible spaces around you
All Northstone homes prioritise flexible living spaces and this is something we really considered with the interior design too. By taking influence from European homes, the design team created even more space for different functions within the thirteen70, whether that’s the ‘lootility’ or retreat room we’ve touched on.
Making the most of the flexible spaces, we wanted to create a real sense of family in the kitchen. By adding a dramatic dining table in the centre of the room and a sofa at one end, it has divided the space into not only a kitchen diner, but a focal point for the family to come together.
A place for every member of the family
As you will see, we have tried to incorporate every aspect of family life into the interior, right down to our four-legged companions. During lockdown, the nation’s love of dogs grew even more, and we wanted to reflect this by creating a specific place for the dog in this home. You will see that we have extended this easy, usable storage room and created a handy dog walking station, complete with storage areas designed to make life as clutter-free as can be.
To find out more about the homes available at Keld, and to book a visit to thirteen70 in person, you can contact Glenn on 01282 917001 or book online.
