Designing the interior of the Potton Show Home at
The National Self Build and Renovation Centre Swindon

Victorian, and Arts and Crafts architecture can be seen just about everywhere these days, in town and country, as homes, country houses and village cottages. It is an instantly recognisable part of our architectural heritage, so we’d miss it if it wasn’t there.

What we probably wouldn’t miss is the interior design of the period. One immediately thinks of rather heavy, darkly lit rooms with deeply carved and turned oak furniture (what is now despairingly called ‘brown’ furniture) and much free-borrowing of Medieval patterning. It is a style not noted for it’s lightness of touch. It does, however, have a strong following and you only have to open the pages of some interior magazines to see that.

But what is so clever about this era of design is that not only will it sit happily in any townscape, village or landscape it will happily accommodate traditionalist or uncompromisingly modern interiors. With the Renaissance range we have decided on the latter approach to show how exciting it can be to retain a vernacular building but strip back the interior to a contemporary minimum and to give light and air to the internal structure. To this end, the ground floor living areas, the kitchen and dining room are open plan but you will see how easy it would be to create separate rooms if you want them. The whole emphasis is on flexibility of design.

These styles of architecture makes a strong statement, so like the Victorians, we also need to make a strong design statement inside. The posts and beams are the first feature to consider; upstairs on the landing the juxtaposition of these with the triple-arched first floor window creates a cathedral like quality. Immediately, this tells one that, above all, the lighting has to be right. There has to be a glow and interplay of light and shade.

To balance the scale of the posts and beams there will be colour. I think the time is now right to re-introduce colour and pattern into the home. Small areas of colour and pattern are being layered and shown up against a plain wall. Bright areas of colour are back as boldly patterned wallpapers. I like this because it brings a sense of humour back into furnishings. Not only that, it fortuitously allows us to have fun and give several nods to theVictorian style in materials which are bang up-to-date: Slate flooring with a sandstone border by Burlington, solid wood flooring by James Latham, textile wall coverings by Vescom, combine with rugs, cut velvets and silks, reds, blacks, rusty oranges and deep purple (used in contemporary modernisation, of course), all set against a chalkily-pale background.

Mindful of the impression made by the quality of finish and also giving a sense of permanency to the building, the Windows, doors, fixtures and fittings are all of an extremely high specification. After all, these are not items you will want to be changing any time soon.
Lighting supplied by Aurora and Chelsom has been carefully thought through and installed to offer maximum flexibility, imaginative style and ease of operation. Internal doors, by Sunfold, are stunning and we are showing several styles to illustrate the possibilities. I especially like the glazed sliding doors which not only look really funky but are great space savers.
In the bathrooms sanitaryware and ceramic tiling is by Villeroy and Boch with Keuco supplying
accessories including Mirrors, storage units and Shower products

In the William Ball “Nero” kitchen, black high gloss doors are framed with a chestnut laminate and feature back lit glass fronted units. Coupled with the Aurora plinth lighting which strikes off the slate floor beautifully. Falcon is supplying the cooker, the extractor hood, the wine cooler, the sink and all accessories. This is a dramatic but eminently practical kitchen and, being open plan to the dining area, offers the ease of movement and the conviviality we all want in a modern home.

To offer a sense of luxury and comfort the first floor has been carpeted throughout, Brinton’s are presenting a new design from their “Pure Living” range which will show off the Hammonds Furniture in the Main Bedroom. There we have opted for red gloss and pale wood wardrobe,
storage units and Bed. In the fourth Bedroom which we have utilised as a work from home office, Hammonds study furniture will provide a self-contained and private working space.

With furnishing, accessories and dressings provided by ILVA, we have endeavoured to show what is currently the best available in contemporary design, quality and value. These items are subject to the whims of fashion and growing or diminishing families and will be changed from time to time to keep up with the current trends or to showcase new products.

So, it will always be worthwhile coming back to the Centre to have another look.

Lesley Vanderschoot

December 2006