This is advertiser content for Clarendon Homes.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Have you ever walked into a home that just had a great feel about it but you couldn't quite put your finger on why that was?
Quite possibly you'll find that much of that feeling comes down to good design. A home that is designed well is one that makes the best use of the space available, with plenty of natural light and a floorplan that allows easy flow between the indoors and outdoors. It's functional as well as a joy to live in.
Good design really comes into its own in particular when you are designing smaller living spaces.
The latest new range from Clarendon Homes demonstrates what can be achieved when the design team is passionate about putting good design at the heart of every one of its homes - especially when it's a more compact offering.
With the rise in the number of smaller and narrower blocks being offered in greenfield residential developments, Clarendon reviewed its range and identified a gap for more homes designed specifically for smaller lot sizes but that would still provide the style, quality and liveability its homes are known for.
The result is the Essential Collection featuring more than 30 different designs. Representing the most affordable range Clarendon has ever released, the homes start at $232,150 compared to the usual price of its homes of around $350,000. Many of them are suitable for a block just 10m wide.
The challenge to create the range was embraced by the design team led by Clarendon's Design Manager Ryan Barnett.
"Our vision was always to give our customers the same sense and feel of architecture and design as the homes in our other ranges but to just pare it back so it was suitable for this particular market," he said.
"People can take good design for granted - but when you live in a house that's got a good floorplan and is well designed it just feels nice to live in.
"And a well-designed smaller home can feel and function as well as a larger home. That's what we've tried to achieve with this range, a perfect balance between a well-designed floorplan and also meeting the size and price bracket it's designed to give."
Mr Barnett said that paramount in designing the new collection was bringing the same luxury of space and room to move that's been a key feature of all Clarendon's homes.
"Particularly with the designs we created for this range we were very conscious of still creating that lovely feeling of openness," he said.
"As blocks get smaller you need to try to use design to make a home feel as generous and open as possible. You'll see most of the homes in this range feature open plan living areas that move seamlessly into covered al fresco as standard.
"It extends the living space. Our research really tells us that because we have such a great climate here in the Newcastle region people want to spend as much of their time as possible living outside."
Ensuring the homes have plenty of natural light was another part of the smart design strategy.
"Natural light is a huge contributor to the way a space feels so we've made sure all of these designs bring plenty of natural lighting to all the living spaces," Mr Barnett said.
"One of the things we've done with our two storey homes, for example, is making sure that on the first floor the stairs lead into a leisure space with well-placed windows. It means the stairs turn into a light well that lets that extra natural light flow downstairs.
"Plus having that living space at the top of the stairs gives the sense of openness on the upper level - you're not just entering a dark hallway with rooms coming off."
While working to keep the price as affordable as possible, one of the elements the Clarendon team didn't want to remove was the ability for its customers to customise their home to suit them.
The Essential Collection package includes a pack with a range of options that can be added depending on what features in a home are most important to you. So if you'd like more outdoor living space, a butler's pantry, an extra toilet, or maybe a rumpus room you can opt to add them to the standard design.
"Our research told us that our customers still wanted flexibility and the packs allow that customisation for where the buyer sees value and when their budget allows," Mr Barnett said.
"In this market our customers could be younger buyers who are at borrowing capacity and just want to get their foot in the door of their first home, or it could potentially be downsizers who want a new home but could have more in their budget.
"The packs mean they can add on the the things they want, to take the house to the level of amenities they would like. It means they can get the perfect home for their life."
This is advertiser content for Clarendon Homes.
