BUILDING new houses in order to rescue the surrounding gardens may seem an odd concept, but that's roughly how Avenel, a new development at Kilmacolm, has come into being.
The previous owner of this estate, Wallace Forrester, had spent 50 years developing the grounds, which feature a pretty bluebell wood, rhododendron bushes, a private trout stream and mature trees. When he died in 2001, his son-in-law, Gavin Lickey, w
orried that selling the plot to developers might result in the land being crammed with new builds, without much regard for the landscaping. So, in order to ensure that Forrester's legacy could be appreciated for years to come, his family decided to tackle the development of Avenel themselves.
The results of their work are six family homes, all designed by Hugh Petter, an architect with a reputation for a classical approach. Although most of the buildings are still in the final stages of development, look beyond the scaffolding and you might recognise an Arts & Crafts style – a feature of the nearby village of Kilmacolm, where there are architectural treasures such as Windyhill, a house designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
"We recently had a visitor who was looking for our new build and ended up walking right past, simply because Avenel looks so authentic," says Wendy Fleming, the interior designer on this project. "That's because these homes are traditionally built, using blonde sandstone, and feature steep gables and slate roofs."
Achieving this instantly "established" feel presented a challenge for Fleming, as in order to further accentuate the ambience of an older house, her commission was to make the decor as welcoming as possible.
"The brief was to create something that felt like home," she says. "As part of my research, I visited some top-end developments and found their decor to be garish, glam, too co-ordinated and bright – a style that would never fit here."
Instead, they opted for a classic look, which can be viewed at the recently completed Plot One – which, with five bedrooms, is the smallest of the developments.
When entering this traditional build you're immediately struck by the height of the ceilings, as tall as three metres in some rooms. The entry hall trumps all others, though, as it features a double-height, octagonal shaped foyer. Although this could make for an intimidating first impression, any potential coldness is softened by Fleming's choice of a cream and dark grey checkerboard floor ("it's also got tumbled edges, so it looks 'antique-d'," she explains).
The lighting in this space is courtesy of an imposing wrought-iron lamp, made by lighting company Vaughan Ltd, and which, rather ironically, comes in a pre-rusted finish – another touch which dampens down any harsh sense of newness.
When it comes to the furniture in the other rooms, Fleming has hunted down pieces that don't look swamped by the spaciousness, which has only been accentuated by magnolia painted walls. According to this interior designer, many show homes will procure smaller than standard-sized furniture, in order to create the illusion of a large space, but the opposite was true for this property.
Therefore, Fleming went for lots of statement-making dark wood pieces from the Glasgow interior design company, Colonial, who supplied her with the glass-topped coffee table, cream three-seater sofas and tribal-looking soft furnishings, all of which sit in the living room.
Upstairs, the ready-made divans that this local furniture business offered weren't quite right for the master suite.
"We wanted something special, but everything along the right lines was astronomically priced," explains Fleming. "I ended up designing a bed, and Colonial arranged for it to be made up by their craftspeople in Indonesia."
Other pieces that were custom-made for the property include oil paintings by Fleming's sister, Karen Arnot. She was commissioned early on in the development, after it was noticed that the walls looked empty. When Arnot visited to devise a concept for her artworks, the building work had barely started. But a wander round the bluebell wood gave her inspiration – the results include an image of a tree-lined path dappled with sunlight.
Once the pictures were hung and the furniture was in place, it was time to dress the property with vintage mirrors, lamps, storm jars and candlesticks, all of which create a homely vibe.
Although the lived-in result is pretty convincing, visitors mustn't be completely hoodwinked by the old-fashioned feel of this house. It may not be obvious, but there are 14 kilometres of cable threaded underneath those floors, in order to power the Poggenpohl kitchen and various entertainment systems. Plus, according to the designers, you can control the oven, heating and security from miles away – with the help of your mobile phone or laptop. As Fleming explains: "It may look traditional, but when it comes to mod cons, this place will sing and dance for you."
• The first house at Avenel has a guide price of £1,550,000. Other properties range from £1,275,000 to £1,750,000. Visit www.struttandparker.com or tel: 0141-225 3880.
• www.avenelhomes.co.uk
• Wendy Fleming Design (07595 221 473), Karen Arnot (01821 642 218).
