Concept For Living

The Deaf Institute, Manchester

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Manchester’s most exciting new bar and music venue comes in the shape of a Victorian building once used as a deaf and dumb institution.

The Grade II listed property (built 1878) has been beautifully reconstructed by Joel Wilkinson and Adelaide Winter and since opening its doors in February 2008 has become one of the city’s coolest watering holes.

By day, The Deaf Institute is a delightful café; after the sun has set it hosts an inspiring programme of gigs and club nights. Concept For Living loves its quirky interior design which features recycled and salvaged products – old library doors have been revamped as bars and a collection of vintage speakers behind the upstairs bar adds to its retro look. We particularly love the snug basement bar as a relaxing place to enjoy the delicious locally-sourced food.

Located on Grosvenor Street near Oxford Road, The Deaf Institute is a must-visit for anyone who happens to be in Manchester this June.

www.thedeafinstitute.co.uk

On Trend: Yellow

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Bring the warmth of summer into your home with some of these fantastic yellow-coloured products and you’ll feel like you’re walking on sunshine.

10 of the Best: Garden Lanterns

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Light up your garden and create the perfect mood with our pick of lavish lanterns.

1 Chinese blue metal lantern, £5.99, The Contemporary Home.

2 Garden lantern, £11.99, Reminis.

3 Coloured glass lantern, £10, Tesco.

4 Large miner’s lantern, £15, Garden Trading.

5 Bamboo hanging windlight, £15, Lombok.

6 Pair of square lanterns, £15, Not On The High Street.

7 Purple lantern, £6.99, Grosvenor Garden Centre.

8 Teak wood lantern, £68.51, Heal’s.

9 Swinbrook lantern, £40, Burford.

10 ‘TU’ black metal lantern, £4.99, Sainsbury’s. Step stool, £60, Garden Trading.

Property Focus: Cheshire

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Cheshire: county of rolling countryside, historic castles, canal-side pubs, the ancient Roman city of Chester – and some of the finest new homes in the North, as Concept For Living discovered…

Made to Measure

A new property in Hale, South Manchester, bridges the gap between traditional and contemporary architectural styles to create a perfect fusion of the two.

Wrenwood, the latest home from award-winning developers Hillcrest Homes, stands on Hale’s prestigious avenue, Broadway, and ticks all the boxes for modern day living. The mansion features five spacious en-suite bedrooms, four reception rooms, a media room, home office, contemporary kitchen with breakfast and family area and a beautiful indoor swimming pool with exercise room and sauna.

Externally, the property sits within its own landscaped grounds and has been created using the finest traditional materials such as hand-made brick, stone, natural slate and green oak.

The excellent attention to detail Hillcrest invests in its properties was recognised in last year’s National Quality Awards when the developer won the ‘Best One-off Property’ award. Wrenwood is no exception, and has been designed with feedback from Hillcrest’s previous clients in mind.

The property has been prepared for a lavish home entertainment and technology system and Hillcrest will also provide the owners with an advanced security system.

For more information about Wrenwood and other Hillcrest developments, visit: www.hillcresthomes.co.uk or call 01925 269 912.

Move in a Week

A part-exchange deal at a development in Chester is offering homebuyers the chance to sell their old home within a week.

An exclusive collection of four-bedroom homes in Saughall, Chester, has only three properties remaining for sale – and developer Antler Homes is offering a deal which enables buyers to swap homes within seven days. With the average home in England taking more than three months to sell, Antler has decided to offer home seekers a part exchange deal which would allow them to buy a new Antler property.

With part-exchange, the developer obtains three independent valuations on a property and will make the owners an offer within seven days.

Lying on the outskirts of Saughall Village, High Grove comprises four-bedroom homes in a cul-de-sac location. Ideal for families, each of the last trio of homes features an integrated garage and a spacious garden. Internally the properties feature high quality fitted kitchens including a wide range of integrated appliances. Bathroom suites include stylish chrome fittings, classic pure white sanitaryware and contemporary fitted furniture.

Prices at High Grove start at £335,000. For further information about the homes available and part exchange, visit the show home and marketing suite from Thursday to Monday between 10am and 5pm. Alternatively visit: www.antlerhomes.co.uk or call 01244 881 261 for more information.

Cretan Show Home Unveiled

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

The doors to a fully furnished show home have been opened at a new development in Western Crete.

An exclusive collection of nine villas situated in rural Crete, as previously featured in Concept For Living, is now complete and has a flagship show home available for viewing.

Developer Caversham-Barnes designed the two and three-bedroom properties to meet the expectations of Britons seeking an overseas home. They feature heated pools, sun terraces, air-conditioning and central heating , and are some of the few in Crete with secure garages.

The new show home at Litsarda Villas, named Villa Galini, is unusually large by Cretan standards. The two-bedroom, three-storey villa has a floor area of 150 sq m and occupies a plot of 2,304 sq m (more than half an acre) planted with old-established olive trees. While the external design of the villa is typical of the traditional white ‘sugar-cube’ style of country homes on the Greek island, its appearance has been softened with the addition of balustrades and shady pergolas on two spacious balconies.

“For those planning to retire to Crete, inland locations are better suited to year-round living. On the coast, businesses tend to cater for holidaymakers during the high season and then close for the winter months, turning seaside resorts into ghost-towns.”

Prices at Litsarda Villas start at €249,900 for a two-bedroom villa including a self-contained lower ground floor. The properties are supplied fully furnished and equipped, so prices include everything from the furniture, indoors and on the terraces, to crockery, pots, pans and cutlery.

For more details call visit: www.caversham-barnes.com or call Caversham-Barnes on 0118 948 3202.

£1M Grant for Manchester Flats

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

A Manchester based developer has been awarded a £1m grant for its award-winning homes.

Ask Life has apartment schemes in Salford Quays (Abito) and Urmston (Eden Square) which the HomeBuy Direct grant will apply to.

HomeBuy Direct aims to make more new affordable homes available to eligible buyers who are currently priced out of the housing market. The scheme allows a purchaser to buy a new home with an interest-free loan from the developer and the Homes and Communities Agency of up to 30 per cent of the property value. This contribution can act as a deposit for the property which means purchasers are not burdened with trying to find a large sum of money before purchasing.

For example, with a property worth £100,000, an eligible purchaser would be provided with a loan of up to £30,000. This loan then acts as a deposit and the purchaser would need to a source a mortgage of £70,000. Monthly mortgage payments on homes bought using this new initiative currently work out cheaper than renting a property at Abito Salford Quays.

“Early indications from a number of high street lenders are very encouraging , with many of them willing to lend the maximum amount required to make up the 70 per cent mortgage. This can only be a positive move towards kick-starting the first-time buyer market.”

Visit: www.asklife.co.uk for more information about Ask Life.

Homebuilder reveals diverse new service

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Award-winning property developer RuralFX is embarking on an exciting new business venture: a project management service aimed at helping clients realise their conversion, renovation and xtension dreams.

RuralFX has an impressive track record in designing aesthetically outstanding properties that enhance and complement original features alongside the use of contemporary materials. An ability to highlight stunning architectural features and create an instant ‘wow’ factor has earned the company a respectable reputation. The company directors, husband and wife team Chris and Sue Leigh, constantly strive to push the boundaries of great design. With a passion for quality design and an enthusiasm for creating unique living spaces, create are superb examples of historical renovations.

RuralFX clients have access to a comprehensive range of services, from initial design ideas to liaising with architects and planners, through to full project management. With an impressive background in interior design, director Sue enhances the company’s offering with a full interior design service. From inception through to completion, Sue’s focus is on visualising the final scheme, and an intuitive ability to select the right materials, textures and colours ensures the creation of stunning yet practical living spaces.

The team are keen to hear from those with a derelict building or home in need of the ‘RuralFX treatment’, and are happy to discuss the likely financial impact of any work carried out in the current property market.

To find out more visit: www.ruralfx.com or tel. 0845 456 2105.

Hidden Treasure

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

From magical mosaics to cool contemporary, choose from our hot pick of tasty tiles and brighten up any room in an instant!

Check out the rest of the tile selection in CFL issue 127…

Victorian Grandeur

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

A grand Victorian home in St Helens has stayed true to its heritage and features a traditional design scheme with a contemporary twist.

Claire Syddall grew up in St Helens and as a child would admire the intricate Victorian architecture of the area. When she and her husband moved to Staffordshire 20 years ago, they decided to stay there to bring up their three young children, Amy, Sam and Lizzie. With Claire’s sister and parents still in St Helens, however, they wanted to find a second home in the area where they could stay whenever they visited. “We’d looked on and off for a long time but never found anything we liked,” said Claire.

Eventually they chanced upon a four-bedroom detached Victorian property which was on the market, and when Claire walked through its doors she knew they had found what they were looking for. Not only did the home have beautiful original features, it was also just across the road from where her sister lived and round the corner from her mum.

When it came to decorating and furnishing the home, Claire turned to interior designer Fiona Watkins, who she knew through Fiona’s previous work for Laura Ashley. “Fiona is the best interior designer I’ve ever come across,” said Claire. “She’s got a great eye and she does the job quickly. She’s also very organised – a real joy to work with.”

The rest of this article can be found in CFL issue 127.

A Fresh Start

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

A stone cottage in Sheffield which once had an old-fashioned interior has been transformed into a classic contemporary home complete with cinema room and separate ‘lads’ pad’.

After living in a big house on the outskirts of Sheffield for four years, Jane Ward decided to move to somewhere smaller and more practical. “I used to live in a far larger house and there were rooms that I never used to go into,” she said. “I’d go in to clean them. But when I was choosing this I wanted a home that would be functional.” The property she found is a beautiful stone cottage in a leafy area of the city, with an outdoor terrace providing the perfect spot to enjoy the summer sun. “When I first saw it I thought it was a bit like a ‘chocolate box’ house,” said Jane. Standing on a quiet road on one of Sheffield’s seven hills, but not too far from the city’s amenities, the property was ideal for Jane and her two sons, Tom, 12, and Harvey, nine. Even better, it was within walking distance of their school, unlike their previous home.

When it came to decorating and furnishing the home, Jane asked her friend Angela de Jong, of Ciao Interiors, to design a relaxing scheme and lighting concept throughout the property. The home’s previous owner had furnished it lavishly with silk wallpaper and a carpet border on the ceiling, but the style was out-dated, so Jane decided to strip away everything and start again. “I had gone through quite a traumatic divorce so it was liberating to have a fresh start,” she said. “I didn’t bring anything from the last house – I either sold it or gave it to my friends, so everything in here was done from scratch.”

The rest of this article can be read in CFL issue 127.

Rustic Minimalism

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

A family home in Lancashire showcases minimalist design and hotel-inspired colour schemes. Jennie Musgrove met the owners to find out why it took four years to get their dream property.

Darren and Sharon Halliwell were looking for a new house in their hometown of Wigan when they chanced upon a barn in Aspull, beside the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. A large, two-storey property built from beautiful Lancashire stone, it was the perfect place for them and their two teenage daughters, Levi-Dakota and Kara-Paris. The only problem was that someone else had already started converting the building. Disappointed, the Halliwells continued their search for a new home, but Darren’s bike rides along the canal path often took him past the barn and he admired the ongoing renovation from a distance.

After a few months, Darren noticed that work on the building had stopped, so he asked the neighbour if it was for sale. Luck was on the Halliwells’ side and the barn’s owner wanted to sell – but even then, things didn’t run smoothly, as Darren explained: “The first deal we made fell through so we carried on looking for something else, but couldn’t find anything of the same standard. We tried not to get emotional but you can’t help it – we had our hearts set on it.”

A second deal was eventually made and this time, the Halliwells successfully bought their dream home. The building had been plastered and the layout was almost complete, but there was no water, electricity or gas supply. Darren also installed up-to-the-minute home technology to ensure the home would stand the test of time.

This feature can be read in CFL issue 127.

Work of Heart

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Secretly tucked away in Holmfirth’s Yorkshire hills, a recently renovated Victorian home has been used as the perfect blank canvas to showcase a stunning, colourful collection of famous and family art pieces.

When Robert and Linda Entwistle first found Mill House it’s fair to say they needed a good eye to envisage it turning into the beautiful three-bedroom family home that now sits seemingly nestled away in the Yorkshire Hills, but which is in reality only a stone’s throw from Holmfirth town centre.

“We sold our previous home very, very quickly in 2001 and were looking for a house. I saw this and said to Linda, ‘I’ve found this house and it’s in an unusual location as part of a mill,’” explains Robert. “And she said, ‘No way. There’s no way I’m moving there.’ I said, ‘Go on, just have a look at it.’ The people who lived here hadn’t touched the house for 25 years; you couldn’t even walk up the path. But Linda came to see it, took one look at it and just said, ‘I love it. I don’t care how much work it needs. We have to have it.’”

The run-down exterior and access path to the house was just the beginning though. “Everything inside was brown and pink,” says Robert. “The living room, the hall, the bathroom… And where the kitchen is now was a ground-floor keeping cellar and it was knee-deep in water and full of newts and frogs.”

The rest of this feature can be read in issue 127 of CFL.