It’s been a while!

What’s been happening in the world of DHI???

My last post was about the holiday home Golden Meadow in Torcross, Devon. This project proved to be a great success as the holiday home has been almost fully booked ever since.  The rental rates have also increased over the last 2 years due to demand in the property (it’s the most successful property listed on the holiday home company it’s listed with), so it was worth the extra effort and cost to make the property the best it could be; needless to say the client is very happy and it just goes to show how much added value a great interior can bring to a project.

We have had a busy couple of years and currently have a great team that work well together; interior designer Alex is back with us after 3 years at a top architectural practice working on multi-million pound projects and so she brings some great skills and experience to the team.  It’s like she’s never been away and having her back has enabled me the time to write this blog.  Sarah is also a fairly new member and without her I don’t think I would be able to breathe.

On the project front, we have completed another holiday home called Beam End in Beesands, Devon which is a little village on the sea that time forgot.  This was for the same client as Golden Meadow, it’s a much smaller property but the house was taken right back to its shell so it was great to work on this from scratch.  We decided very early on not to use the budget to extend the house to create extra bedrooms but to improve the current space and convert into the garage which enabled us to focus the budget on finishing touches.  One of the aspects of the job that I have loved is having to think of what people want when staying away, I think it should always be a better experience than staying at home so thinking about the detail is so important, the correct linen is key, good quality crisp white bedding is a must – not only for the housekeeper but also to give the guests a 5* hotel feel.  The bedding used here is the same as at the Goring Hotel in London – where the Duchess of Cambridge spent the night before her wedding to Prince William.  Also, little touches like Molton Brown shower gel and good quality brassware in the bathrooms adds the finishing touches as well as spending a little more than average on bathroom tiles for an added air of luxury.

We have also been busy working for a few property developers, one of our recent projects being a conversion of a prominent office building in the heart of Birmingham.  This has been converted into 77 apartments called The Lightwell (http://the-lightwell.com) the marketing for this project was such a success that all the apartments sold off-plan.

Also, one of my favourite projects was working on The Loft House, the conversion of the old Brunel Technical College. This is not only a great iconic building but also where I studied graphic design so it was a trip down memory lane for me.  This project for Acorn Property Group was a finalist in the inaugural 2019 Bristol Property Awards.

So, looking back on all these projects, the one thread that runs through is colour!  I have come to realise I am a big fan of introducing colour into every project.  This could be a strong colour on a sofa or introduced within the art and fabric used for soft furnishings.  I am a strong believer in mixing pattern and texture.  The animals may have gone into the ark two by two but cushions needn’t go in pairs; mixing these items up gives a space a more eclectic look and prevents it looking too contrived.

I have said this so many times, I am not a great believer in trends for interiors, the space should reflect the personality of the client or if it’s a commercial project, the target market.  If trends are important to you I would suggest reflecting this in the use of fabrics for cushions as this is the easiest thing to change when trends change.