Interior Designer Daughter Styles Parents’ New Home

When Angie and Clive England moved from a rented apartment to a brand new home at Bovis Homes’ Ribbans Park in Ipswich, daughter Porscha used her professional skills to add colour and personality throughout the house.

The couple decided they wanted a home with more space, a garden, and some character, somewhere they could personalise and make their own. The couple hadn’t planned on buying a new build but decided to take a look at Ribbans Park development in Ipswich as the development and the location offered great amenities and a secluded feel. They quickly fell in love with ‘The Faversham’ house type home as a perfect blank canvas to create their dream home. As a bonus, Porscha already lives at the development!

Angie explained: “We were renting a duplex apartment on the Waterside in Ipswich. With five grown-up children between us our circumstances were constantly changing so we had needed to remain fluid but decided the time was right to buy. We had been looking for about three months and had seen about a dozen properties but none of them were quite what we were looking for. We visited Ribbans Park and viewed ‘The Faversham’ and loved the layout and the large windows which allow in lots of light and gave lovely views over the bowling green.”

The England’s bought off-plan and were able to start personalising their new home straightaway, choosing their own tiles and kitchen, and adding extras like towel rails and plug points. They also returned to the site several times to see home it progressed.

Angie continued: “We watched our home grow, literally, it was so interesting to see what goes into the structure of the house. The site foreman and sales team were really helpful and answered all our questions. When our house was ready, it felt wonderful to walk into a brand new home and know we had a such a well-built blank canvas to personalise and make our own.

“‘The Faversham’ is a lovely home and when Clive and I moved in the interior décor was very neutral and provided the ideal blank canvas for us work with. We love to travel, nature and the outdoors so that is what Porscha used as the inspiration.”

Angie wanted a sense of tranquillity but with splashes of drama and luxury and so mother and daughter tapped into the idea of creating the vibe of a chic boutique hotel in a wilderness destination: “We worked with Porscha to find a style that reflected us as people and the boutique hotel in a wilderness idea guided us to create a lush, polished, global aesthetic which represents both of our personalities.

“We used Porscha’s fantastic suggestions and we then added in our own special touches and ideas. We wanted to maintain the lovely light and airy feeling throughout the house by choosing the right colours and tones for the walls. Porscha suggested choosing whites with warmer grey tones to help balance the rooms. Getting the shade of white correct can totally transform a room. We also used bold statement colours that can be found in nature such as deep greens, burnt oranges and vibrant berry tones to add excitement to the colour palette but without steering too far from the overall organic and natural style.”

Clive and Angie wanted each of the light and spacious rooms in their home to have an individual identity but still carry a common theme throughout to create a continuity of design: “We picked up on details like the gold accents or the wardrobe doors in the guest room reflecting wallpaper in the lounge, using ‘cement’ style furniture in the master bedroom and lounge so that each room complemented the others. We all enjoyed doing it so much.”

Clive’s DIY skills came in handy too as he explains: “I really enjoyed bringing together lots of different skills and achieving things I didn’t know I could do. Porscha was brilliant at the process of designing the elements we customised like the wooden headboard wall feature which I worked on, the dining table and the moss wall for the bathroom which Angie created. These bespoke touches bring in that sense of luxury but also make our home feel truly personal. We enjoyed bringing Porscha’s design ideas to life and all three of us worked together. I left choosing the accessories for the rooms to Angie. They can make all the difference!”

Angie added: “We are particularly proud of the photo wall in the living area as this was created using photos we have taken from our travels around the world. It really makes it mean so much more. To reflect that, one of the star purchases was the huge cowhide rug that features in the dining area, which we purchased second hand as it is more ethical and environmentally friendly, we found it locally which was an added bonus. We use a local glass company to source the ensuite mirror. You could also use charity or vintage shops as a lovely way to source items, add a splash of character and give back to the local community.

“We were very lucky that my daughter is an interior designer as giving a brand new home a personal touch can feel daunting. She was able to help us come up with a plan rather than randomly doing things here and there. Porscha also recommended we draw inspiration from our lives rather than following trends. Be inspired by your favourite outfit, your favourite holiday destination or even your favourite bar/restaurant as it is more authentic and achieves a more timeless and personal feel to your home.

“We decorated our home at Ribbans Park for ourselves. Not everybody will appreciate your sense of interior style, but you are the only person who has to live with it, so whatever you enjoy, go for it! Even very small changes can have a big impact, such as changing the handles on the kitchen units. Do not be afraid to think outside the box and try different things. Trust yourself!”

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