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A touch of luxe

I wanted to put my own stamp on my furniture, that’s when I had the idea of buying little home accessories and breathing new life into mainstream pieces - lovely stuff that adds a bit of personality

Time to bring a little bit of luxe to your home interiors thanks to a new, Alnwick-based business. Born out of a love of upcycling furniture and stylish detailing, April Bowden’s creative vision came to life during the pandemic, and we’re ever-so grateful for it...

LUXE: What can you tell us about your route into the creative world? APRIL: I studied Fashion Communication at Northumbria University - gosh, quite a few years ago now! - I always wanted to get into fashion buying, I worked in Fenwick for a couple of years, and then I left to work in PR and marketing. At the age of 24, I was noticing the rise in social media and decided to take the plunge and set up my own business. Play The Field was launched about seven years ago and offers social media support to small businesses on a local and national level. Within the first month I had seven clients and the business started to flourish.

LUXE: What can you tell us about Home Luxe Co? APRIL: While I was growing my business, Play The Field, I bought my first flat - and like most 20-something-year-olds - the first thing I did was buy IKEA furniture.

I thought to myself, ‘I want to do something a little bit different with my space’. I wanted to put my own stamp on my furniture, that’s when I had the idea of buying little home accessories and breathing new life into mainstream pieces - lovely stuff that adds a bit of personality. For me, my love for fashion quickly transformed into home style, and instead of spending money on clothes for myself, I was investing in decor for my home. I aspired to have a fashion brand when I was younger, and that’s what I went on to do at university, but I quickly realised that I really enjoyed interior design - I loved the different trends, the colours and the accents. I had the idea to create Home Luxe Co just before the first lockdown. It’s all about selling small trinkets to help make a house a home. I bought some stock and it started to sell really well, and we’ve just grown organically from there.

LUXE: Have you always had a creative itch? APRIL: I’ve always been quite a creative person. With Home Luxe Co, I get to put a lot of different hats on. From building the website and developing the branding, to buying the products and looking after the social channels, there’s a lot to manage, but when it’s something you’re passionate about, it doesn’t really feel like work.

LUXE: How has the business grown in recent months? APRIL: I built quite a nice following on Instagram to begin with. Working in social media, I knew how to do that quite quickly and effectively. I started working from my

Interior trends 5 for 2021

FLORAL FANCY >> Bring the outside in with dried flowers. Each season comes with a different variation.

MODERN COUNTRY >> A strong trend for 2021 - mix florals or bold and bright colours that have a contemporary take on a traditional design.

CRAFTY TRINKETS >> Don’t change your staple pieces of furniture if you can get away with it. Instead, invest in good quality knobs and handles to offer something truly unique.

GO NATURAL >> Add natural textures like rattan and jute - pair them with earthy shades like terracotta, sand and beige to create a calming environment.

MIX IT UP >> Get creative with mismatched jugs, vases and planters and fill with greenery to create a unique look to adorn any fireplace, cupboard or kitchen bench. spare room, then moved to the garage. As the business grew - and my neighbours started to think I had a serious shopping addiction - I secured a unit just outside of Alnwick. As we continue to grow, we’ve got plans to move to a 700 sqft unit with capacity to grow and employ. It’s all gone a bit crackers, but it’s great. I’m enjoying it! My mum is my sidekick at the moment. She had a B&B in Alnwick, so when the pandemic hit and business came to a halt for her, I brought her in to help out with orders. Going forward, we will employ people as we continue to grow. It’s a very exciting time and I’m looking forward to sharing our brand and values with others in the local area.

LUXE: Was it important for you to launch your businesses at home in Northumberland? APRIL: I was born and bred in Alnwick, so to be able to offer a service and give something back to the local community is just wonderful. There’s something incredibly special about our mentality here in the North East. It’s unique, that’s for sure. The pandemic has been a real learning curve for us all - reminding us how important it is to support local. I read something a couple of years ago that said, ‘When you buy from a small business, someone does a little happy dance’, and it’s so true. It makes you feel good - it makes you feel like you’re doing something right. We have a lot of really inspiring entrepreneurs in the region and the fact that people are willing to offer advice and work together is fantastic. 5 I think, like many, the lockdown made me a bit more grateful of where I live. I love to get out and about for walks on the beach, or get lost in the countryside on a weekend. Gosh, I feel like an old woman, but I think this time has been really unique in that it has stripped things back to basics and we’re all much more aware of the beauty that surrounds us - particularly up here in beautiful Northumberland. We are also incredibly lucky when it comes to restaurants. My local favourites include The Northumberland Arms in Felton or Sea & Soil in Amble.

LUXE: What’s in the pipeline for 2021? APRIL: We’re about to sign a contract to double our space in Alnwick - which is great as it allows us to continue developing and growing. We’re also looking at designing our own product range, which is super exciting. Oh, and we’re joining Wayfair - so you’ll be able to find some of our products on there. I’m delighted about that - it just gives us that little bit more exposure in the marketplace.

LUXE: And finally, what are you three luxe things in life? APRIL: My fiancé Danny, who encourages me to develop the business but reigns me in if I get too carried away with it; living in the North East - escaping to the coast and countryside has really been a saviour in recent months; and a good strong coffee, although however much I crave a cup, I never finish one.

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HOT PROPERTY

Our Luxe interior design guru, Kerry Lockwood, turns a tired Northumberland cottage into a contemporary country retreat

THE LOWDOWN >> Set in Hartford Road East in Bedlington, this an unlisted property which was built in the 1880s and used as a coach house offering stables and lodgings for carriages passing through. Later in life, the owners included a livestock trader who reared various small animals behind the property and kept stables for a range of horses for private use. Following this, the property lay empty for several years after the passing of the owner until planning permission was finally granted to Sendrig Construction Ltd in 2016.

The rear area, which previously housed the stables, was redeveloped to a new estate on behalf of Bernicia Homes, with the cottage being the last piece of the jigsaw following completion of the estate.

THE TRANSFORMATION >> Sendrig Construction renovated the cottage into a three-bedroom property with an extension on the rear and bi-fold doors to create a beautiful open-plan living space. They enlisted the help of Kerry Lockwood to design the interior and bring the space to life in order to prepare the cottage for sale. Kerry’s vision was to stay in-keeping with the traditional style of the cottage, whilst injecting a modern twist to create a beautiful but practical family living space. Kerry has gone for a traditional, shaker-style kitchen with modern touches to bring the space up-to-date, including brass fittings and a luxe, quartz worktop. To ensure the downstairs flows effortlessly from room to room, the same flooring has been laid throughout - a dark, engineered oak to add warmth to the large, open space. Beautiful, wooden shutters have been installed in the living room to tie in with the contemporary style, whilst maintaining with the property’s traditional, country charm from the outside. A log burning stove has also been fitted, complete with a slate hearth and oak mantle from Woodland Stove Centre, Rothbury. Fitted wardrobes from West End Cabinets have been added to the bedrooms, adding plenty of essential storage space for a growing family. One of the biggest challenges came with the bathroom transformation because of the size and design, hidden under the eaves. Traditional and contemporary style has once again been mastered with metro tiles on the walls and a large charcoal floor tile. The master bedroom boasts a modern ensuite with a Jack and Jill bathroom to the other two bedrooms.

THE RESULT >> Furniture and soft furnishings give the cottage an instant lift - creating a warm and welcoming space. The open-plan aspect gives the cottage a beautiful, all-encompassing feel as you walk in, but remains quaint and cosy. The bi-fold doors and additional Velux roof windows allow for natural daylight to flood through the house. A neutral scheme has been incorporated throughout the house, with pops of colour to inject a bit of fun into the space - including a dark green corner sofa from Wayfair in the lounge and a deep navy island unit in the kitchen. In order to maintain the unique character in such a property when it has been newly-renovated, it’s important to feed a bit of character back into the space. Kerry added lots of interesting textures in the form of rugs, plants and raw materials like the wooden shelves in the kitchen, rattan barstools and a jute runner. She also introduced some older furniture like the vintage bureau. The bedrooms offer up a neutral, calming space - the perfect place to retreat and unwind. Bedrooms are a great space to accessorise with the seasons - adding in a splash of colour in the form of throws, cushions and dressing table accessories such as books, vases and perfume bottles. The cottage is now available to buy through Sanderson Young.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER >> Kerry Lockwood is based in Northumberland and provides an interior design, interior styling and staging service across the North East. Kerry is obsessed with home decor. No corner is left untouched - it’s all about the detail. She will help you to create spaces that feel cosy, cool and lived in, while adding unique, personal touches to help create a home that you will never want to leave. Her style is all about moving away from comfort zones and pushing the boundaries to take your space to the next level.

You can find out more at: kerrylockwoodindetail.co.uk

Luxury 4 and 5 bedroom detached homes just outside of Ponteland Prices from £565,000

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