The perfect passion pad in Manchester

Residents of Vie, in Manchester, could hardly believe their eyes at the sight of a half-starkers ‘Rovers Return’ landlady, Liz Macdonald, shivering on a balcony during a recent shoot for ITV’s Coronation Street.

The Corrie character, played by actress Beverley Callard, has been in the throes of an illicit affair with brewery drayman, Derek. Unbeknownst to Derek’s poor wife he has been using her brother’s plush apartment – Redrow’s own Vie show apartment, no less - to conduct his secret rendezvous with saucy Liz.

One scene saw Derek’s wife visit the apartment whilst the pair were canoodling and a caught-out Liz scarper on to the balcony, wearing only her underwear!

The almost sold-out scheme alongside the rivers Medlock and Irwell in Castlefield is home to a collection of stunning apartments, and has attracted much attention. Now the sleek waterside development can boast it has been home to one of the country’s most talked about love trysts too!

Landlady Liz appears to have seen the error of her ways and returned to the arms of her heartbroken fiancé Vernon – for the moment at least. But for home owners looking for good old-fashioned romance or love, preferably of the legitimate kind, Redrow asked its interior designers for some tips on how people could turn their own property into the perfect passion pad.

Dawn Kitchener, managing director of Connections in Design, suggests:
“Good interior design makes all the difference when setting the mood for passion, but there are plenty of colour schemes to choose from.

“For example, a white bedroom, with white bed linen accompanied with soft lighting, delicately highlights the contours of form.

“Red is a colour that’s always associated with passion but can be a little obvious and works best when combined with other deep shades.

“Purples, moody blues, turquoise and chocolate browns, creams and gold, as well as black, are all seductive colours which can be used to create a sexy sophisticated room. Indigo blue with subtle ivory, textured shiny silks and velvets can also be experimented with to create a space which both looks and feels luxuriously romantic.”

Sensuous aromas can help create the right ambiance within the home, using scented candles, perfumed oils or pot-pourri to arouse an aura, while mood lighting using coloured filters can also create the right setting.

The overall design scheme can be contemporary, traditional or classic, though using a four poster bed can work well – with smoked glass mirrors on walls to add details of interest.

“Finally, don’t forget the background music,” says Dawn. “Barry White is always a good choice!”

Proof that Vie has aroused the passion of home buyers, just one apartment remains for sale on the eleventh floor of the Vie ‘tower’, at £240,000. The property boasts an open plan living / dining area and kitchen, two double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, en-suite and a balcony overlooking the River Irwell.

Redrow also has a number of other developments in Manchester and the surrounding areas, all designed to incite the passions of home buyers. These include eco-friendly homes at Stamford Brook, in Altrincham and stone-built conversions at Arcon Village, in Horwich within a Grade II listed setting.

For more information, visit Redrow.co.uk.