Loud and proud is surprise hit at show home

A renowned property developer has fired the imagination of house hunters with its unorthodox show flat.

Award-winning Treetops ignored the normal convention that advises show homes should be bland and kitted out entirely in inoffensive cream or beige.

Instead the Edinburgh-based firm commissioned designers to create a riot of colour, floral patterns and unusual furniture designs at its latest development in Telford Road, Craigleith.

The first flat proved such a hit with house hunters the firm has now commissioned a second, equally outrageous show apartment with even more daring use of loud colours and patterns.

Kenneth Dyer, joint managing director of Treetops, admits he was initially surprised by the popularity of the home, but insists feedback from home viewers has turned convention on its head.

He believes a more experimental generation of house hunters, raised on a diet of TV makeover shows, are fed up of seeing formulaic properties which do not stand out and show little imagination.

He added: “When I saw the first show flat, frankly I was very taken aback. I have been in the property game for a long time and it is pretty widely accepted that show flats should be understated, tasteful and in very plain colours.

“The idea behind that is that it does not make it too difficult for people who are viewing to imagine how they would personalise it with their own touches to create their own ideal home.

“Our show flat couldn’t be further away from that. My initial worry was that it was so out of the ordinary it would put off potential buyers. If people can’t see themselves living somewhere then they won’t buy, it’s as simple as that.

“For example, homeowners who are trying to sell their houses are typically advised to tone down the décor and keep everything bland. But I think maybe the public have now had their fill of beige and cream.

“Certainly the visitors we have had say they are delighted to see something that is a bit out of the ordinary. Far from putting them off, our viewers have said it has really fired their imagination and started them thinking about some of the bold things they would really like to try themselves.

“It might not be everybody’s taste, but there can be little doubt it is stimulating and it has definitely got style and character.

“It works because the designers have done a fantastic job of ensuring it all hangs together. As well as being visually striking and unusual it is still a very contemporary look. They have walked a very fine line and pulled it off.”

Both show flats were put together by a team at Edinburgh-based Jeffreys Interiors. The new show apartment’s hallway is a visual treat - decorated with wallpaper patterned with lime green climbing vines. Light is maximised thanks to a glass brick wall and a huge 2x1m mirror mounted on a black backboard.

The lime theme continues through to the living/dining area, where green is prominent – along with pink and purple – in the Designer’s Guild fabric chairs, cushions and curtains. The leather rollback dining chairs are also lime.

The master bedroom also has a wall decorated with green snakeskin effect wallpaper – a stunning backdrop for the lurid pink headboard. Accessories are in lime green, pink and silver, while the carpet is black.

The second bedroom is also carpeted in black, while the black velvet headboard is set against a section of wall decorated yellow. Other sections are decorated with wallpaper in a black, beige and silver pinstripe. Along side the ultra modern black lamps and leather recliner is a French Regency style black “Bombe” style sideboard with elaborate silver detailing.

Kenneth added: “As developers, we pride ourselves on being very individualistic in terms of the locations we choose and the way we approach our projects from the customer point of view

“Despite my initial misgivings our decision to take such an unusual approach to our show flats is proving really successful and the gamble has really paid off.”

Axis is a development of 28 two and three bedroom apartments, two penthouse properties and nine, three-storey townhouses. The site, at Telford Road includes secure, underground car parking and factored communal areas.

Early signs suggest that the quality of build combined with the unusual show flats has proved a huge success, with substantial numbers of apartments sold already, even thought the development is not due for completion until July 2007.

Prices at Axis start from £195,000 for a 2-bedroom apartment, with townhouses at fixed prices starting from £375,000 and penthouses for offers over £475,000. For further information visit, axisbytreetops.co.uk.