Designing homes for the affluent young family market is no easy feat. Alice Barrington-Wells talks to Fine and Country Interior Design’s Sarah Ward, who specialises in the design of new homes. 

With 30 years’ experience operating as an interior design firm based in London, Interiors by Sarah Ward has seen and done it all when it comes to complicated builds, cutting edge design and clients who expect perfection. The multiple award-winning firm, which is headed up by Sarah and her daughter Rosie Ward, has been involved with some of London’s most exciting prime residential development projects. 

They recently designed and built a private home from the ground upwards. The property, based in rural Surrey within proximity of London, is the perfect aspirational purchase for a growing family and every inch of its 6800-square footage has been designed with this in mind.

The property is brand new, though it has been designed with an air of classically inspired symmetry, a Georgian-style façade and beautiful architectural details inside, such as cornicing and sash windows. The central bespoke staircase acts as the heart of the home with a galleried landing at the top and a ceramic tiled floor at the bottom, leading through to the open plan living and dining area. 

Family living 

As the project was the designer’s own development, rather than building for a specific client, the team had a lot more freedom to create the ideal family home. 

“I have a fairly large family myself, so I know which key ingredients are necessary for the design of a family home to ensure it flows and brings out the best of family living,” explained Sarah. 

“The design aimed to suit a large family who enjoys entertaining, but still has pockets that they can retreat to if preferred. It really needed to have something for everyone.” 

One of the most unusual features is the sheer scale of the ceiling heights, the doorways, and the skirting boards. Walking through the door, it’s evident that it has been designed to impress and is perfect for home entertaining. 

The market for young families in Surrey is booming, with more choosing to leave the capital every year in pursuit of more space and a healthier environment. Sarah agrees that it is a fun and dynamic market to design for. 

“The families who we often design for tend to want something that isn’t readily available on the market. The latest technology, huge open plan living spaces with bespoke furniture, joinery, lighting and kitchen design are key for these homeowners,” she said. 

Lighting 

A home which has had such attention paid to the interior design will benefit from features such as innovative lighting, intelligent spatial design, attractive interior architecture, and more. Within this home, all the lighting has been uniquely designed for the property with the help of professional lighting design company John Cullen Lighting. 

“We like using professional lighting designers on our projects because we can ensure that our clients receive the best in design and technology, with the newest innovations on the market,” revealed Sarah. 

“Lighting is an extremely important part of the overall design and one which often isn’t used to its full potential. Simple design features can be effective, such as the floor lights in the hallway which shine upwards, framing the sets of double doors into the main living areas and master bedroom suite. It creates a lovely ambience throughout.”

The lights in the house are all scene-set using the same system that controls the underfloor heating and integrated music system using the latest systems and technology. The house has been designed to be ‘tech savvy’ for the aspirational young family market, which is a sector that Sarah and Rosie know extremely well.  

The kitchen is the most impressive area within the house due to the unique open plan mezzanine positioned directly above it. It’s ideal way to have children within earshot but not underfoot. The mezzanine gallery with panoramic views over the immaculately manicured gardens was designed to flow seamlessly between the breakfast area and the kitchen, creating the perfect triangle of functional family space. It’s something that could not have been possible if it wasn’t for the huge ceiling height. 

With superlative attention to detail and interior design to lust over, Woodlands would make the perfect home for a professional family.

Woodlands is currently for sale through Fine & Country Kingswood. Contact +44 (0)1737 361014 to book a viewing. 

To find out more about Fine & Country Interior Design, contact: 

+44 (0)203 490 5855

interiordesign@fineandcountry.com 

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