Take a Sneak Peek at Shirebrook

With the Brook show home set to be unveiled very soon on our Shirebrook development in Derbyshire, we asked our interior design partners, Edward Thomas Interiors for a sneak peek at its design. Client Account Manager, Sam Jones previews what house hunters can expect to discover…

1. Did you follow a theme or style for the Brook? 

The Brook is a fantastic home for couples, first-time buyers or young families so our design aims to reflect the lifestyle of this demographic. There’s plenty of space for entertaining, relaxing, homeworking, and child’s play, as well as room for visiting friends and family to stay too. The Brook’s overall style is elevated country chic, reflecting elements of the countryside location but combining these with modern living trends. 

2. What colour schemes did you use?

To bring nature in, shades of powder blue and sage green are the Brook’s base colours. These are used boldly in fabrics, furniture and wall treatments to inject energy into the design and are paired with black accents for extra contrast. Natural materials including wood and rattan are mixed with cotton and linen in classic patterns such as Gingham to maintain the country vibe. Finally, pops of caramel and tan in the artwork add warmth to the home. 

3. What are your favourite features of the design? 

There’s a few styling details I love. The kitchen/diner has a slate and rope chalk board for writing a weekly menu or cocktail list that’s just really cool. The main bedroom, on the top floor of the house, has sloped ceilings and we’ve added a wall planter rail here with seagrass plant pots that really brings nature into the room. Then finally as the main bedroom’s en-suite is so spacious we’ve added a series of storage cubby holes along the full width of the wall. These have rattan drawers and are a great place for storing towels, scented candles, facecloths and cotton rounds, anything to give a spa like feel!

4. Any top tips that house hunters should watch out for? 

We’ve incorporated a few of this year’s trends in the Brook’s design. Unexpected texture features in the living room, where we’re using a textured wallpaper that has an almost linen feel, all around the room. This is paired with a panelled section that makes a feature of the TV unit. 

Stripes are used on statement furniture. The living room has an upholstered coffee table with a subtle ticking stripe while the main bedroom has an eye-catching accent chair with a block stripe. 

The final design technique I don’t want house hunters to miss is the half height painting we’ve added to the stairs and landings. This starts on the ground floor and follows all the way through to the top, creating a natural symmetry that’s visually appealing. 

5. What’s the one room you can’t wait for house hunters to see? 

It has to be the child’s bedroom! Taking inspiration from the nearby Shirebrook train station, this has a beautiful railway theme, perfect for young trainspotters! Two twin beds allow room for siblings or a sleepover with a friend, while a cosy reading corner with bookcase and storage cubes makes a playful spot for playing or story time. To complete the theme, we’ve also had bespoke railway signage made and added a picture ledge for trains to run round the room!