On Tuesday 2nd May, a group of Year 10 students from The Gilberd School enjoyed a tour of the show homes at Countryside’s Chesterwell development in Colchester, as part of an interior design project for their Textiles GCSE. The tour was preceded by a presentation at the school by interior designer Jon Pilling, who was invited by Countryside to give the students an insight into the interior design industry.
Jon, who has designed many show homes for Countryside, spoke to the students about his role as a Design Director at the interior design firm, Interiors by Abode and how the design process works. The presentation was a fantastic opportunity for the students to see examples of some of the projects Jon has worked on, and ask him any questions about careers within the industry.
At the show home, the students were met by Jamie Woodrow, Associate Director at Countryside, who led the tour of the show home. After the tour, Jamie set the students a design brief to produce a mood board for a room in a show home, as he would an interior designer. The mood boards will later be judged by Countryside and Interiors by Abode, and the winning student awarded a prize by Countryside.
Jamie Woodrow, Associate Director at Countryside’s New Homes and Communities Eastern Region comments: “We are delighted that we were able to arrange this interior design presentation and project for The Gilberd School’s GCSE Textiles students. Jon is an experienced designer who we regularly work with, so he was the perfect person to speak to the students about careers in interior design. We hope that the visit to our Chesterwell show homes left them feeling inspired, and we can’t wait to see their finished mood boards!”
Helen Ward, Textiles Teacher at The Gilberd School, adds: “We are really grateful to Countryside for organising the show home tour and presentation. The students have been given an in-depth insight into the design process, and will now be able to put the theory into practice with their fun interior design project set for them by Countryside. This was an excellent opportunity for them to meet experts in creative fields including marketing and design, which will really help them with their further education choices.”
Chesterwell is Colchester’s newest community only minutes away from the town centre and train station. Countryside at Chesterwell offers a mix of two, three and four bedroom houses and two bedroom apartments, which are proving to be in high demand. Boasting a traditional design, with features including subtle stone detailing and brick quoining, balanced with a modern internal specification, these homes are ideal for any discerning buyer.
There will be a proposed new primary and secondary school at the Chesterwell development, called Trinity College. The Gilberd School is one of the three schools who successfully bid to run the new school collectively.
Prices at Chesterwell start from £207,000 for a two-bedroom apartment. Two-bedroom houses are available from £260,000. Selected properties are available to purchase through the popular Help to Buy scheme. For more information or to register your interest, please visit www.countryside-properties.com or contact the sales team at [email protected].