If you’ve just moved into a new home or are planning a major renovation (you might want to read this before you do) then the biggest question you often face is what will it look like? Have you thought about how the colour of the sofa will either clash or compliment the colour of the wall? Do the light fixtures match the other metals in the room like table legs and cabinets?
All sounds a little daunting doesn't it? That's where our experts come in. Alysha Alli is Redrow’s in-house interior designer, responsible for designing and fitting out all our stunning show homes across England and Wales and Ruth Wasserman is a product designer and former designer direct at Made.com.
Instagram completely changed how we present ourselves and our homes to the world.
Express yourself
‘Our homes are an expression of who we are’ thinks Ruth, who points out that Instagram and other social media apps have had a big impact on how we express ourselves ‘10 years ago, we showed our personality to the world through what we wore, now with the rise of social media we’re using platform like Instagram to show off who we are in the form of our homes and their interior design’.
Individual taste is one thing but how does Alysha manage to style a show home that has to appeal to a wide range of home buyers? ‘We have a big collection of different homes which range from 1 bedroom apartments in London to big, 5 bedroom detached homes so that helps us focus on who would be living in each one and we design the show home with that buyer in mind’.
Finding inspiration
For those of us who struggle to see the big design picture, Ruth’s advice is to sit back and take a look around ‘You can be inspired by anything, anytime. A walk in the wood might make you think about how a certain colour or texture could work in your living room!’. It’s a thought echoed by Alysha ‘You can read all the magazines and visit all the trade shows in the world but we take inspiration from everywhere - lifestyle, culture, art, travel. Find something you can connect to and make that the feature of your design story’.
Stream the latest New Homes Podcast episode
To hear more top tips and design chat from Ruth & Alysha, watch the latest episode above or stream it later on Apple podcasts, Spotify or YouTube.
The episode was filmed in the stunning Harrogate show home at our Lucas Gardens development in Bedfordshire.
WIN an exclusive design consultation
To celebrate the release of the latest episode of The New Homes Podcast, we’re giving away the ultimate interiors prize. You can win an exclusive zoom design consultation with Redrow’s in-house interior designer, Alysha Alli and £200 in Made.com vouchers. To enter, head over to our Instagram. You can check out the full terms and conditions here.