Wealden Times | WT228 | May 2021 | Restoration & New Build supplement inside

Restoration & New Build Supplement sponsored by S C
How to:
Personalise
a new build
Transforming a white-walled, brand-new tabula rasa
of a new-build can be a real mission! So we asked SGS
Architectural Interiors for some expert advice
We are fortunate enough to work with
clients who are constructing architectdesigned
new-build homes, but it can be
challenging to imagine living in a house
you’ve only seen as a two-dimensional
drawing. Whether your new build is a
one-off or one of a few, the challenge is
always to make the shiny new property
into a comfortable home which is
personal to you. Our job is to bring these
plans to life and help our clients visualise
the moment they will step through the
door into their dream home.
A new build home is a blank canvas and
a fabulous opportunity to get creative. A
great starting point is to introduce colour.
Often new builds are finished in developers’
white, so identify your preferred colour
palette and start applying it. To find that
colour palette, you can take influence from
your personal fashion taste, inspirational
artwork, or the wonders of nature. Start
compiling images of the colours and
interiors you are drawn to and you’ll soon
begin to develop a palette that is truly
unique to your home.
You can quickly make a new build feel like
home by introducing familiar things. Just
because you’re moving into a new property,
doesn’t mean you should feel like you have
to start from scratch with all your interior
furnishings and accessories. Simply hanging
a favourite picture or reusing an occasional
chair with happy memories, will help to
make you feel at home.
to install a pendant or add personality with
some wall lights. Layering light is important
in every interior, so adding a feature table
and floor lamps is also a good way to soften
the lighting and create a more intimate
atmosphere. Think of these light fittings like
jewellery accents and another opportunity
to add your personality to the space with a
statement light fitting.
Where we are involved in the construction
of a new build, we often work with
character grade timber floors or reclaimed
stone and specify unlacquered finishes which
patina for door handles and bathrooms
if the client wants the home to feel preaged.
If you are purchasing a new build,
then adding vintage furniture or accessories
can add this same character and soften the
pristine finishes.
Finally, don’t forget the outside. Often
new builds look like they have popped up
out of the ground and they need some help
to become established in their setting. We
always work with landscape designers at
an early stage in our new build projects, so
that planting and finishes can be installed
as early as possible and will have more
time to weather and grow around the
property. Adding outdoor furniture and
planted pots to your home will soften the
junctions between the surface finishes and
will immediately make your new build stand
out from the rest. The key to any interior
is to create a home which serves the owners
lifestyle and reflects their personality,
Don’t underestimate lighting. Often new
builds are lit with grids of overhead downlights,
but hopefully there is an opportunity
the same is true with a new
build to make it a home.
sgsdesign.co.uk
17 17 priceless-magazines.com priceless-magazines.com