New homes draw from Arts & Crafts movement

Husband and wife team Neil and Annabel Bishop established Tillingbourne Homes in 2001 and have never looked back, enjoying a series of successful luxury property developments in the Surrey area ever since. Tillingbourne’s vision is to create design-led high-quality family homes with a fine attention to detail. Each property draws inspiration from the Arts & Crafts movement and incorporates this sensitively into the façade and detailings.

In today’s age of developers maximising profit and space even at the high end of the market, the prospect of a family team taking pride in the well-made homes they create is very refreshing and has proved the cornerstone of Tillingbourne’s success. “As a small focussed business team we can concentrate on achieving the highest level of detail, so that with a Tillingbourne property you have a solid beautifully made home which is built to last with enduring quality.”

In establishing themselves in the property field, Neil and Bella were particularly interested by the work of Sir Edwin Lutyens, a renowned architect who carried out a lot of his early work in the local Surrey area. Bella adds: “Lutyens soft, romantic style of design from the Arts & Crafts age seemed to gel with the scenic local surroundings and the style is appreciated by the sophisticated clients that we deal with.”

The Arts & Crafts movement valued artistry and detail in design, and this is an ideal which is certainly upheld in each Tillingbourne Home. Everything from the gates, staircases and architraves are designed in-house, and as such the company has built up a great reputation for quality.

Neil adds: “The brick mullions in each window are a typical period Arts & Crafts property feature. They required a structural calculation and are formed by skilled craftsmen, however we were determined to re-create the detail for our properties”. Further typical features include copper guttering, owl boxes (a typical Lutyens feature) and triple height entrance halls.

Neil and Bella work in tandem on each project, together with a retained small construction team. The couple established Tillingbourne Homes around 7 years ago as it combined their joint interests in property and design, as well as meaning Neil no longer had to travel as much with work at a time when they were stating a family.

Prior to establishing the venture, Neil - a Doctor in civil and mechanical engineering - lectured at Sheffield University and UCL before working as a consultant in fatigue analysis for NASA, McClaren, Ferrari and a range of top companies. Bella studied art and furniture design before working in marketing and as a charity organizer.

Neil takes responsibility for the structural design of the properties with Bella involved in the business, marketing and interior design aspect. The commitment and belief in their own product is such that the couple live in one of their own properties along with their two children Madeleine 15, and Nathaniel 10. The home lies adjacent to, and mirrors the design of, their current Warwick Heights development in Guildford.

Warwick Heights itself is an 8,000 sq ft 6 bedroom property with an impressive Lutyens-inspired triple-gabled façade, an Indian sandstone sun terrace spanning the full width of the property, and a range of luxury features including a 1,400 bottle wine cellar which spirals down from the kitchen.

As with all Tillingbourne Properties, Warwick Heights boasts a range of internal specification to match the attention to detail of its design. Bella explains: “In dressing the homes I have used classic and modern influences to create a glamorous environment that is also practical for family living.

“I sourced furniture from Italy, Portugal and Spain, making several business trips throughout the year to find suitable materials and furnishings for every home. Warwick Heights features Italian and Spanish ceramic tiling throughout and the fireplace in the drawing room is Portugese mafra limestone.”

Further to their current project, Tillingbourne’s recent portfolio of successfully completed developments includes:

Abinger Common – A 5 bedroom Lutyens inspired home set within 5.5 acres of land at the foot of the Surrey Hills. Features include; triple aspect kitchen/breakfast room, detached studio and a triple bay garage barn.

Farnham – Large family home with sweeping rooflines and imposing chimneys.
Gomshall – Inspired by the soft romantic Arts & Crafts style with rolling countryside views and a long sweeping driveway.

For further information on Tillingbourne Homes, log on to Tillingbournehomes.co.uk.

Current project Warwick Heights is priced at £3.75million and is available through Hamptons: email guildfordcountryhouse@hamptons-int.com, and Hill Clements: email info@hillclements.com.