Inside Our Woodside Gardens Show Homes
Back in July, Jake and I made our way up to Advance Northumberland to pitch for Ascent Homes’ latest show homes at Woodside Gardens. We tend to work predominantly on commercial projects at Studio 93 so stepping into the world of residential interiors felt very exciting. Every space has a purpose, and that purpose naturally shapes the feeling we want to encapsulate, so with the show homes we really wanted to inspire a sense of calm and positivity - a place where you’d genuinely want to linger. From the start we were drawn to muted colours and complementary tones, balanced with some playful accents and carefully selected details to bring the space to life.
The brief called for the design of two homes:
The Ivy, a two bedroom property, which we positioned for first-time buyers.
The Acer, a three-bedroom home, which would suit a range of buyers but we designed it with a young family in mind.
When developing the concept and capturing the feeling we wanted to create, it was clear we wanted the interiors to feel welcoming and uplifting. We envisioned the homes feeling like sanctuaries, places to recharge and find ease amid the pace of everyday life. The goal for each room was to set a tone: inviting and energising in shared spaces, serene and restorative in private ones. our ultimate goal was to design spaces that people could walk into and immediately picture themselves living in.
For The Ivy, we leaned into a slightly more playful palette with a soft pink kitchen, brighter tones in the Living Room and Master Bedroom, and cheerful accents throughout that reflect the excitement of a couple’s first home.
The Acer has a bit more of a grown-up feel, with brassy details, wall panelling and richer tones that create warmth and depth. Designing the children’s room in The Acer was a particular highlight for us as a team, blending fun and practicality while keeping it cohesive with the rest of the home.
In both houses, the communal spaces, especially the kitchens were designed to be social hubs, while the bedrooms and bathrooms feature layered textures and complementary colour schemes. We wanted prospective buyers to be able to imagine hosting friends, chatting over a coffee or even just enjoying a slow morning in the luxury of the bedrooms. We also incorporated some bolder elements, encouraging new buyers to be brave in adding character to their new build - something that can feel a bit daunting with a completely blank canvas. The Ground Floor washrooms felt like somewhere we could have fun with colour drenching and some playful styling, which we think really paid off.
Although it can be a challenge, we try to make sustainable choices wherever we can, and one way we did this was by using COAT paints. They’re the first Climate Positive and B Corp certified paint company and their beautiful range of colours, paired with their clever peel-and-stick swatches, made it so easy to find the perfect tone for each room based on its orientation and the atmosphere we wanted to create.
From the beginning we also knew we wanted to bring in some local artwork to make the spaces feel more connected to their surroundings. When I came across Kate Philps, I instantly knew her work was the perfect fit. Her stunning landscapes capture familiar Northumberland scenes, offering those who walk through the homes a little reminder of the beauty right on their doorstep. Plus, her pieces worked seamlessly with the tones and mood we’d created in each room, trying everything together beautifully.
Working with Ascent Homes team was a genuine pleasure, from that first pitch meeting through to coordinating on site in the lead-up to opening. Seeing our moodboards evolve from initial concepts to unboxing furniture, styling on site, and finally revealing the finished spaces to our client was a truly rewarding journey and a strong reminder of why we love what we do.
We’re so proud of how these show homes turned out and even more excited about the ideas this project has sparked for future collaborations. If you’re a developer looking for a show home with personality, warmth and a real sense of story, we’d love to hear from you.
Take a deeper look at our Developer section here: https://studio-93.co.uk/developments
