+ How Rebirth goes about interior design Page 18
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newly buying into a
built neighbourhood
how shared ownership homes at Peabody’s Arden scheme in Lewisham offer a well-connected life Pages 16-17
Property in Canary Wharf, Docklands, east London buy - rent - invest - interiors - commercial
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£4,563
Minimum deposit on a 25% share of a one-bedroom home at Arden
how Peabody’s Arden scheme in Lewisham offers apartments that can be secured with less than £5k by Jon Massey
A Homes come with fully fitted kitchens and Bosch appliances
Apartments come with underfloor heating and built-in wardrobes
deposit of just over £4,500 could be enough to secure buyers a studio apartment in Lewisham. Housing association Peabody is currently marketing the last shared ownership properties at its Arden scheme in Lewisham. This collection of 53 homes, split into studios, one-beds and two-beds, offers a Zone 2 location with decent links to local transport. The development is close to Elverson Road DLR for direct journeys to Canary Wharf, the City and Stratford and is also within easy reach of Greenwich and Lewisham stations. Connections from the latter two mean rapid journeys into London Bridge or east out to Woolwich and beyond. Shared ownership properties at the scheme start at £91,250 for 25% of a studio with a full market value of £365,000. With a 95% mortgage that equates to a deposit of £4,563. The total monthly cost of the home would be in the region of £1,250, when mortgage repayments, rent on the un-owned portion of the apartment and service charges are taken into account. To be eligible buyers must not own any other properties and must have a household income of less than £90,000. But what do purchasers get for their money at Arden? The apartments themselves feature underfloor heating throughout and fully fitted kitchens with white worktops and zinc-coloured cabinets. Integrated Bosch appliances
Positioned in a phenomenal Zone 2 location, these homes are exceptionally well connected Steven Midgely, Peabody
come as standard. Bathrooms are tiled in sea green with white sanitaryware and main bedrooms feature full-height built-in wardrobes. Residents’ amenities include a co-working space, lounge and a gym as well as a concierge service. Located more or less equidistant from the centres of Lewisham, Deptford and Greenwich, Arden offers easy access to a wealth of shopping, dining, nightlife and cultural facilities. Positioned between Blackheath Hill and Lewisham Road, the area the development sits in has seen extensive regeneration in recent years with new residents and businesses arriving. There’s also extensive open space nearby with Brookmill Park, Greenwich Park and Blackheath Common all offering plenty of scope for outdoor activities. Peabody New Homes’ head of sales and marketing for Arden, Steven Midgely, said: “Designed to embrace the comfort and convenience of London living, homes at Arden are certain to tick a lot of boxes for buyers. “Positioned in a phenomenal Zone 2 location, homes are exceptionally well connected to central London and beyond. “With Deptford, Lewisham, Greenwich and Blackheath just moments away, the local area is buzzing with things to do, places to go, and lots to see. “Even closer to home, the development’s cutting-edge residents’ amenities ensure buyers can enhance their worklife balance without having to leave home. “Following the success of the private sale homes at Arden, we would encourage prospective buyers to register their interest in these shared ownership apartments as soon as possible.” For more information about Arden or reserving a property, call 020 4587 22202 or go to arden-parkside.co.uk Scan this code to find out more about homes at Arden
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Property + Interiors
Facilities at Arden include a lounge and a gym for residents
An artist’s impression of how Arden will look when finished
balance designed for
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how interior design specialist Rebirth applies its aesthetic and practical approach to its residential projects
applying
by Jon Massey
R
efurbishing and updating the interior of a property can have myriad benefits. The process offers owner-occupiers the chance to enjoy and use their home to its full potential while adding value should they wish to sell in the future. For landlords, it’s an opportunity to boost and extend the appeal of their asset to attract more affluent tenants. Interior design specialists Paul Cuschieri and Malcolm Abela Sciberras have expanded their business to London, having established Rebirth’s operation in Malta. Here we look at three of their projects that typify their approach when working for clients in the field.
I
London Living
“This property is a mid-century London apartment,” said Paul. “With us, it’s all about discussing briefs, budget, timelines, style and the needs of our client.
Rebirth’s kitchen in this London apartment features simple units and integrated appliances to minimise clutter
the
“In this particular project we were tasked with creating a home away from home for our client, but with the possibility of it being rented out. This two-bedroom home was dated, worn and tacky, so we had to bring it up to modern standards. “Efficiency and energy conservation were also very important, so we installed double glazing and changed the central heating system to one that uses less fuel. We also made sure the property was in line with all relevant regulations for rental homes. “Once all these things were set, we went into the design of the space. We recommended going for a minimalist, eclectic feel that’s common to many of our projects. The reason is that we layer the space, creating points of interest.” This approach allowed Rebirth to take existing statement pieces from the property and build them into their scheme. Malcolm said: “It gives the place more character, with different features making it feel a bit homelike. Our approach also enables us to include any pieces of furniture a client may want to keep and that can be
Scan this code to find out more about Rebirth’s services
Interiors from the project come fully dressed and mix new and vintage furniture
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Property + Interiors How Rebirth can refurbish parts of a property to give a lift to a whole home - P20
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Malcolm Abela Sciberras and Paul Cuschierri of interior design firm Rebirth restored if necessary before being incorporated into the design. For example, here the dining table and the chairs, a desk and a wall unit were brought back into the final design accordingly so the living area still has those elements.” Much of the interior on the three-month project, however, was newly installed, with Rebirth also dressing the apartment ready for rental. “Having worked with the client during the whole process, obviously it becomes easier for us to select items that make the apartment feel like somewhere they would be comfortable living,” said Malcolm. Paul added: “The architectural elements of the space did not convey bombast – they are a bit minimalist and we wanted to respect this and the era the apartment was built in. We were also inspired by the feeling that the place gave us. “Our design aims to be timeless so it will age well and it’s also very neat. The kitchen units hide the new boiler system very well and the appliances are beautifully integrated, making the space feel less cluttered. That’s important because rental properties need to appeal to as many people as possible. We use layering to make our interiors feel as though they’ve been there since the beginning, rather than having designs which look too clinical that people can’t relate to. “The principal bedroom, for example, features darker colours with a masculine feel, but softer furniture with more feminine elements to broaden its appeal. We wanted to make it so that when moving from room to room, each would be aligned to the overall feel of the place.” Go to rebirth-design.com for more information
The lounge
Timeless Style
>> Functionality and versatility were the two watchwords for Rebirth when it came to the scheme for this three-bedroom apartment in the company’s native Malta. Cupboards and doors to conceal functional elements are everywhere in this property hiding an oak-panelled cloakroom, for example. “The palette is white, white, white, so we wanted to break that down with warm materials, such as bronze or brass accents,” said Paul. “It has a certain formality but it’s still comfortable. “One of the things we do when it comes to trends – and at the moment, minimalism is on trend – is to adapt them. This kitchen needed to be open-plan and to blend with the aesthetics we’ve got whites and neutral colours. “But in order to break that up, we also have some glass-fronted cabinets to create interest. Then we have the engineered oak flooring which we’ve introduced throughout most of the apartment. “Then against the white we have included accents via different textures. For example, we were given a healthy budget for the main bathroom so we clad the walls in marble with different shades of white and grey. “That’s broken up by the vanity unit with its textured front and the bespoke marble sink on top as well as the brass handles and accessories and a timber-rimmed mirror. We’re always looking to create balance.”
The main bathroom Above, a minimal take on Shaker-style panels and engineered oak flooring to tie things together Below, wood used to divide a room
>> Malcolm added: “Our use of colour and texture depends on the design of the project. “Here we’ve used brass as it’s the right amount of contrast. Chrome and silver are on a different spectrum to brass and bronze – they are colder and white is already rather cold so we can balance that with warmer shades. “We’ve done similar things in some of the other rooms where the furniture is white but broken up with oak drawers.” >> Paul said: “Light and lighting are also exceptionally important in our designs. We always make sure there is lighting at various levels with wall lights, ceiling lights and inset lights to make sure the space works during the day and at night. “In this apartment there is a single bedroom that we designed for the owners’ daughter. “We created a working area as well as a sleeping area, using a visual barrier to divide the space
The principal bedroom
Scan this code to see more of the rooms in this property online
without stopping the natural light from the window from coming into the space. “It’s a playful area so we were able to bring more colour in here than in other parts of the apartment to add a bit more character. “We also wanted something a bit grand for the principal bedroom and we continued the oak with panelling up the walls to do that. “This is linked to an en suite via a glass door to let the light through – here we’re also introducing darker, more masculine tones against the feminine elements in the main room. “We have a marble sink that mirrors the one in the main bathroom, but this time in a dark grey with a matching floor. The idea is again to create a balance.”
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Property + Interiors
5
Years since Paul Cuschieri and Malcolm Abela Sciberras founded Rebirth in Malta
Left and above, the kitchen at the refurbished property
Scan this code to see more images from this project
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illumination over the splash back. It’s a dynamic space that isn’t too much.”
In Dialogue
>> The final property we’re featuring from Rebirth is a two-room project. While the company often tackles whole properties, it also takes on the refurbishment of specific spaces to add value to homes. “This was a kitchen and living room in a duplex penthouse at a residential block in Malta,” said Paul. “In the kitchen we’ve combined traditional Maltese styles with Scandinavian influences. “For example, with the units we’re using warm timber tones in a modern approach to Shaker style and creating combinations which are anything but minimalistic, but still aren’t overwhelming. “There’s a modern-looking island unit and a plain matte look for the work surfaces with a marble mosaic for the splash back. “We’ve included different dimensions of white with elegant coving and green to bring the outdoors indoors to complement the traditional tiles. “Once again, we’ve made sure there’s plenty of lighting with track lights, pendants and
>> Rebirth’s strategy, inspired by the vibrant ceramics on the floor was not to shy away from visual complexity, but rather to frame and contain it within interior elements. In the kitchen, that meant a wall unit housing a wine fridge, shelving and more plus plenty of display space in the living room. “The lounge is much more subtle – still not minimalist – but softer,” said Malcolm. “We’ve gone for white curtains, but we’ve also included plants to make it feel like a garden. “Once more, we’re blending – the kitchen is perhaps more masculine while the living room is a more feminine space. To mix that up we have the black fireplace in the lounge, while the kitchen has the round dining chairs and the floral pattern on the floor. “There are elements of bold Scan this code to find out more about Rebirth’s services The finished and dressed living area
Once more we’re blending – the kitchen is perhaps more masculine while the living room is a more feminine space Malcolm Abela Sciberras, Rebirth
black in both spaces and that helps to make sure that the transition from one room to the other really works.” >> Rebirth offers a full suite of interior services in London including individual room design and whole-home options. The firm can handle full renovations including engineering tasks, right through to dressing properties ready for occupancy. Specialising in refurbishments – hence the company’s name – the company offers everything from conceptual design to detailed drawings and renders, decor and furniture selection and project management. While Malcolm’s background is in design, Paul is an architect by training, with the pair teaming up five years ago to go into business together. Full details of all the properties featured and Rebirths services can be found online. Go to rebirth-design.com for more information or to contact them about a project
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020 4587 1966 A R D E N - PA R K S I D E . C O . U K Images are digital illustrations and indicative only. *2-bed apartment available from £122,500 for a 25% share of full market value ££490,000 Source: REalyse, December 2023 within area code SE10. Monthly cost includes rent, estimated mortgage repayments and service charge. Assumptions made: Deposit 10%, Mortgage Interest Rate 6%, Mortgage period 30 years, Tax rate 26%, % of net income to be spent on housing 45%.