Houzz Tour: Organic Colours and Textures Soften a New-build House
A lack of features was no barrier to creating a warm and welcoming home in this modern property
Faced with rooms devoid of features or focal points, many of us would feel daunted, but Andrew Clark and the team at Clark Design Group employed several design tricks to create the home you see here – cosy and welcoming with plenty of character. “When it comes to warming up a new-build, it’s about the senses – the textures, the colours, the lighting,” project team lead Macy Owen says.
Scroll down to see how layering textiles, timber, and nature-based shades has transformed this home.
Scroll down to see how layering textiles, timber, and nature-based shades has transformed this home.
But while the team have used strong colours, they’ve restricted the palette, which has created cohesion throughout the house and means the colour isn’t overwhelming.
“We’ve gone for nature-based tones – blue, terracotta and green. It’s a nice balance of colours,” Macy says. “Also, with the house being a new-build, there are sleek black switches and taps everywhere and these colours work nicely with them.”
In the kitchen, putty coloured walls and muted greeny-blue cabinets have brought warmth. The team have also chosen a softly flecked quartz for the worktop rather than pure white.
The house doesn’t have a utility room, but the team have fitted plenty of storage into the kitchen. All the appliances, from the fridge-freezer on the far right to the boiler and washer-dryer on the far left, are neatly integrated.
Walls painted in Shaded White, Farrow & Ball.
“We’ve gone for nature-based tones – blue, terracotta and green. It’s a nice balance of colours,” Macy says. “Also, with the house being a new-build, there are sleek black switches and taps everywhere and these colours work nicely with them.”
In the kitchen, putty coloured walls and muted greeny-blue cabinets have brought warmth. The team have also chosen a softly flecked quartz for the worktop rather than pure white.
The house doesn’t have a utility room, but the team have fitted plenty of storage into the kitchen. All the appliances, from the fridge-freezer on the far right to the boiler and washer-dryer on the far left, are neatly integrated.
Walls painted in Shaded White, Farrow & Ball.
The team gave careful thought to all the curtains and blinds in the house. “I feel window treatments are quite underrated,” Macy says. “They can be seen as an additional cost that’s not necessary, but they’re another opportunity to connect with the senses when it comes to diffusing light and bringing in different textures.
“These voile curtains in the kitchen let you create a different atmosphere as well as offering some privacy, ” she says.
“These voile curtains in the kitchen let you create a different atmosphere as well as offering some privacy, ” she says.
Natural wood is another recurring theme, with wooden pieces in all the main rooms and wooden flooring in the kitchen-diner and bathrooms.
Woven textures also feature throughout, bringing depth and a tactile touch. “When you walk in, you really sense the design, not just visually, but in other ways,” Macy says.
Woven textures also feature throughout, bringing depth and a tactile touch. “When you walk in, you really sense the design, not just visually, but in other ways,” Macy says.
A colourful ceiling adds character to the living room, but also plays another role. “We wanted to bring the ceiling down a little to create a cosy feel,” Macy says.
The other trick in this room is the layers of texture, from the fluted wood sideboard to the plush seating fabrics and the rug laid over a thick carpet. “It encourages calming emotions just to have all those textures and soft furnishings, and it also improves the acoustics of the property,” she says.
But along with incorporating the dark ceiling and rich wood and terracotta tones, the team have been careful to enhance the light, so the room isn’t gloomy. The polished timber, light-catching fabrics, glossy coffee table, and shiny pendant lights all contribute, plus, of course, the huge round mirror. “The room has lovely natural light, so it was trying to bring in pieces that emphasise that and open up the space,” Macy says.
In addition, much of the furniture is on thin legs to lift the pieces up and give an airy feel.
Ceiling painted in De Nimes; walls painted in Pavilion Gray, both Farrow & Ball.
The other trick in this room is the layers of texture, from the fluted wood sideboard to the plush seating fabrics and the rug laid over a thick carpet. “It encourages calming emotions just to have all those textures and soft furnishings, and it also improves the acoustics of the property,” she says.
But along with incorporating the dark ceiling and rich wood and terracotta tones, the team have been careful to enhance the light, so the room isn’t gloomy. The polished timber, light-catching fabrics, glossy coffee table, and shiny pendant lights all contribute, plus, of course, the huge round mirror. “The room has lovely natural light, so it was trying to bring in pieces that emphasise that and open up the space,” Macy says.
In addition, much of the furniture is on thin legs to lift the pieces up and give an airy feel.
Ceiling painted in De Nimes; walls painted in Pavilion Gray, both Farrow & Ball.
This is the only living room in the house, so it had to serve several functions. “It’s a nice balance between a cosy family living room and a formal entertaining space,” Macy says. “You can get all the family cuddled up watching TV, but you can also have friends or family round and have space to set down drinks. Or, if you’re reading, you have the window nook. We were trying to get as much purpose as possible out of the one space.”
The chaise longue is a bespoke piece that makes a feature of the bay.
The chaise longue is a bespoke piece that makes a feature of the bay.
The downstairs cloakroom is a small space, so the team have brought in some depth with a warm terracotta colour on the walls and ceiling. “It’s an unexpected colour and adds a bit more interest,” Macy says.
Walls and ceiling painted in Red Earth, Farrow & Ball.
Walls and ceiling painted in Red Earth, Farrow & Ball.
There are three bedrooms on the first floor, with this one containing a sofa-bed so it can double up as an office. Pale grey-green walls and a beautiful stormy sky wallpaper on the ceiling have transformed what was once a white-walled boxroom.
“It’s surprising how such a small thing [as wallpaper on the ceiling] can transform a space, and it gives the room a really nice mood,” Macy says. “It feels like quite a creative space where you could get your thoughts together.”
Fornasetti Nuvolette wallpaper, Cole & Son. Walls painted in Mizzle, Farrow & Ball.
“It’s surprising how such a small thing [as wallpaper on the ceiling] can transform a space, and it gives the room a really nice mood,” Macy says. “It feels like quite a creative space where you could get your thoughts together.”
Fornasetti Nuvolette wallpaper, Cole & Son. Walls painted in Mizzle, Farrow & Ball.
The silvery grey carpet complements the wallpaper above, while rich wood furniture and layered textiles again bring in character and cosiness.
More wallpaper features in another of the bedrooms on this floor, adding fun and colour, but in a muted way. The wooden bed with rattan headboard continues the natural texture theme.
Madame Ziggle wallpaper in Blue and Orange, Ottoline. Walls painted in Light Blue, Farrow & Ball.
Madame Ziggle wallpaper in Blue and Orange, Ottoline. Walls painted in Light Blue, Farrow & Ball.
The wardrobe also features rattan in the form of elegantly shaped panels. “As you enter the room, that wardrobe is right in front of you and we wanted to make sure it felt light, so it’s not too in your face as you walk in,” Macy says.
In the third bedroom on the first floor, a custom-made, oversized headboard and divan bed base bring in soft mossy tones.
The bedside tables are deliberately low. “With the size, colour and texture of the headboard making it such a statement, we’ve gone for lower bedsides to work with it instead of distracting from it,” Macy says.
Walls painted in Shaded White, Farrow & Ball.
The bedside tables are deliberately low. “With the size, colour and texture of the headboard making it such a statement, we’ve gone for lower bedsides to work with it instead of distracting from it,” Macy says.
Walls painted in Shaded White, Farrow & Ball.
Opposite the bed are full-height mirrored wardrobes offering plenty of storage and boosting the light. There’s also an en suite bathroom carved out of the room (not pictured).
The small landing on the second floor has no windows, so Macy has positioned a mirror in here to amplify any light from the adjoining rooms. To the left is a dressing room (not shown).
To the right of the landing is an en suite bedroom. The linen headboard is another bespoke piece that lifts the design. “The neutral linen is bordered by tan leather, which picks up on the bedside wood,” Macy says.
“We’ve used a lot of neutral colours in here, but by having them in different textures, it adds a bit more interest, so it’s calming but still interesting,” she says.
Walls painted in Light Blue, Farrow & Ball.
“We’ve used a lot of neutral colours in here, but by having them in different textures, it adds a bit more interest, so it’s calming but still interesting,” she says.
Walls painted in Light Blue, Farrow & Ball.
The steeply sloping ceiling made this room tricky to furnish. “You walk in and think it’s a large space, but, practically, you have to think, you can’t put the bed here, you can’t hit your head, so we’ve tried to work with it,” Macy says.
“You can sit down at the dressing table, then there’s the low tub seat in the eaves, so the space flows well with the ceiling as you’re moving about the room,” she says. “The storage and chair bring a bit of purpose to that low space.”
“You can sit down at the dressing table, then there’s the low tub seat in the eaves, so the space flows well with the ceiling as you’re moving about the room,” she says. “The storage and chair bring a bit of purpose to that low space.”
The wood chest of drawers and bedside tables have a carved geometric relief, which is again a nice way to bring in texture and catch the light.
A rug on the plush carpet adds to the cosy layers.
A rug on the plush carpet adds to the cosy layers.
The team have gone for large-format, marble-style porcelain tiles in the en suite shower room to bring an element of luxury.
From top to toe, the house is now cosy and welcoming while still flowing beautifully – and provides an inspiring example of how to elegantly warm up a plain home.
Tell us…
What do you like about the new design for this modern home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
From top to toe, the house is now cosy and welcoming while still flowing beautifully – and provides an inspiring example of how to elegantly warm up a plain home.
Tell us…
What do you like about the new design for this modern home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Who lives here? A family of four
Location Hertfordshire
Property A three-storey, new-build house
Size Four bedrooms (one used as a study) and two bathrooms
Lead designer Andrew Clark of Clark Design Group
Project team leader Macy Owen
Project year 2024
Photos by Chris Wharton
When a home is a complete blank canvas, as this white-painted new-build was, bringing in warmth and interest without cluttering the rooms is a fine balance. Earthy colours, soft textures and bespoke pieces were key to the design here.
“We added in lots of colour to bring it to life, as you maybe don’t have the character you would with an older property,” Macy says. “We’ve also added a few bespoke pieces to emphasise the nice parts of the property and make it feel custom-built.”