News

When it comes to interior design, a sophisticated neutral scheme never goes out of fashion.
Avoiding the use of bright colours in your home can help create a light, calm and relaxing
environment which is easy to update. And a neutral scheme is anything but boring; there
are thousands of different shades to choose from, creating the perfect backdrop for bold
ironmongery, adventurous patterns, interesting artwork and natural fabrics.

At our Deanfield Park development in Ickford, our interior designers Lifestyle Interiors have
created a beautiful family home with a neutral palette, full of sophistication and character.
We caught up with their design team to get some top tips on how to create a show-stopping
neutral scheme in your own home.

1. Tone-up
Open-up any paint sample book and you’ll soon appreciate just how many neutral shades
there are available! Choose from classic monochromes and cool greys to warm tones of
beige and brown. Opting for the same light shade for the walls in every room will ensure a
cohesive flow throughout the house and help create a feeling of space. Add warmer accent
colours through upholstery and furniture along with stronger shades of navy, black and
charcoal through cushions, lampshades or prints.

2. The Light Fantastic
It’s important to consider the light in your home when deciding on your neutral colour
scheme. If you're decorating a dark, north-facing room or a room that doesn't get much
natural light, warmer tones work best. If you’re lucky enough to have a light-filled, south-
facing room you can opt for just about any colour, but cooler shades will work really well
against the sun's natural warmth.

3. Layer those textures
The secret to adding interest to a neutral look is to layer different textures in your home
through accessories, furniture and finishes. Natural stone such as granite can be visually
stunning and brass, bronze, natural wood and boucle fabrics all look fantastic with neutral
colour tones. Crisp fresh linens are perfect in summer, whilst plush velvets or a chunky knit
throw help create a cosier look in the autumn and winter.

4. Have fun with accessories
A home isn’t complete without personal accessories and finishing touches, so fill your rooms
with unique pieces, collectables and souvenirs for that individual look. A neutral backdrop
means you can really go to town with ornaments like natural stone or ceramics, feature
printed wallpaper, striking black and white family photos or a stand-out piece of artwork.

5. Make a statement
Statement furniture can really lift a neutral scheme. Go bold with dark wood furniture or
pieces painted in rich navy or deep charcoal. Add a signature mirror, plush dining room
chairs or an oversized sofa for real impact. Upstairs, you might want to keep the master
bedroom a tranquil escape, but go to town in the kids’ bedrooms with a character theme to
suit their passions.

For more interior design tips and inspiration from our professionally designed showhomes,
follow our Instagram @deanfield_homes_ltd.

Deanfield Homes has been given the green light for a new collection of character properties in the picturesque village of East Hagbourne. South Oxfordshire District Council has granted reserved matters planning permission for a new development of 74 homes, all traditional in design, in keeping with the development’s rural location.

Deanfield Green will feature a range of two to five-bedroom high quality private homes with a superior specification, set amongst public open space, a children’s play area and links to pedestrian and cycle routes. The new development will also benefit the local community by providing an extension to the existing village hall car park and the gifting of around two acres of school playing fields to Oxfordshire County Council to secure the use of this space for local people in perpetuity.

East Hagbourne, situated just a mile south of Didcot and 11 miles south of Oxford, is an aspirational place to live featuring period properties, listed buildings and a strong sense of community. The village has a shop, a village hall, a community pavilion, Hagbourne C of E Primary School and St Andrew’s Church, which dates back to the 11^th century. Ideal for commuters, the development offers easy access to the A34 and the region’s motorway networks beyond, whilst Didcot Parkway train station provides direct services into London Paddington in less than 45 minutes.

Peter Blades, Managing Director of Deanfield Homes, comments: “We are delighted to be consolidating our strong track record in Oxfordshire with another high-quality development in a prime village location. East Hagbourne offers purchasers a peaceful rural setting with good local amenities whilst still within easy reach of Oxford and everything this historic city has to offer.

“We are expecting Deanfield Green to be popular with first time buyers, young families and those seeking their next step on the property ladder and would urge anyone interested to register now ahead of the first release of homes which is expected to be in Autumn 2022.

Deanfield Homes is an experienced housebuilder specialising in small to medium developments in rural village locations. It has a completed a number of successful sites across the region and is currently building new homes at its Deanfield Park development in Ickford, Buckinghamshire and Deanfields in Stanton Harcourt in Oxfordshire.

Deanfield Homes has officially launched its showhome at Deanfield Park in Ickford, providing house hunters with interior design inspiration and the opportunity to see first-hand the quality of properties on this delightful development. 

This traditional collection of two, three and four bedroom homes, set on the outskirts of this aspirational village, has been sensitively designed to incorporate green open space, a children’s play area and views over open countryside. 

The professionally-designed Fitzroy is a showcase of the spacious layout and superior finish of homes at Deanfield Park. Typical of the larger family homes on the development, it offers a light and spacious kitchen/dining room, a living room with a feature fireplace and French doors leading to the patio and rear garden. A further reception room can be used as a formal dining room or a TV/family room and the downstairs also benefits from a study and separate utility room. Upstairs, there are four spacious double bedrooms, two of which have ensuite bathrooms, as well as a family bathroom. 

Homes at Deanfield Park feature a superior specification, including quality branded kitchens, bathrooms and appliances, underfloor heating to the ground floor, fitted carpets throughout and built-in wardrobes. All homes have either a garage, car port or off-road parking, with electric vehicle charging points provided for all properties.

Interior designers Lifestyle Interiors styled the four-bedroom detached showhome to create a stylish yet practical family home. A classic neutral colour palette of soft caramel tones is combined with the use of brass, wood and white marble. Tone and depth were added throughout with rich fabrics, striking artwork and accent cushions. The two children’s bedrooms are full of character, with one having a fairy-tale mermaid theme and the other being designed for a music buff, complete with drumkit side tables. 

Annette Gaskell, sales and marketing manager at Deanfield Homes, comments: “We are delighted to open the Fitzroy showhome to the public. We had an incredible response over the launch weekend and have now sold or reserved over 60% of homes on the development.  

“Ickford really is the perfect place to call home, with local facilities within walking distance, including an Outstanding-rated primary school, idyllic countryside on the doorstep and easy access to the M40. It’s little surprise that homes here have been snapped up and we’d urge interested house hunters to visit the marketing suite as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.” 

Currently available at Deanfield Park is a range of two, three and four bedroom homes priced from £390,000. For further information, visit the marketing suite which is open Thursday to Monday 10am until 5pm, go to www.deanfieldhomes.co.uk or call 01844 395 049.

Housebuilder Deanfield Homes has relocated its head office to Kingsmead Business Park in High Wycombe as it looks to scale-up its business over the next few years. 

The new office is now home to 25 employees and provides open-plan, flexible workspace to encourage collaboration across multiple teams. The location of the new headquarters offers easy access to the M40 and M25 and is central to Deanfield Homes’ operating patch which spans Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire. 

The move into the new office comes as the company celebrates its fifth anniversary. Over that time, Deanfield Homes has built a reputation for constructing high quality homes in aspirational village locations. It now aims to grow its business to deliver at least 150 homes per year within the next three years whilst still delivering a quality product and service. It is now actively looking for land opportunities across its target region to fuel its growth plans. 

Peter Blades, founder and managing director, comments: “Moving into new, larger offices is a real milestone for Deanfield Homes and a key step in delivering on our expansion plans over the next few years.  We are still offering our teams the option of hybrid working but wanted to invest in a light and modern office space to enable our team to come together to be collaborative and innovative at this key stage of our growth.”

Deanfield Homes’ current selling developments include sites in the Buckinghamshire villages of Ickford and Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire. It also has forthcoming sites in East Hagbourne, Oxfordshire, Bledlow and Little Kimble in Buckinghamshire and Hermitage in Berkshire.

Homebuyers have been quick to secure their perfect home at ‘Deanfields’, a collection of new homes just released in the Oxfordshire village of Stanton Harcourt. Over 60% of properties have been reserved since Deanfield Homes launched this exceptional development in March. 

‘Deanfields’ is a collection of 40 traditionally-designed homes set on an 11-acre site, surrounded by picturesque countryside. The first properties released include a collection of three, four and five bedroom designs ranging from £525,000 to £895,000. 

Deanfields combines modern, energy-efficient homes with the character you’d expect to find in such a historic village location. All offer spacious and practical living including a living room, kitchen/dining room, utility room, downstairs cloakroom, ensuite main bedroom and garage. Larger properties also include additional living space such as a separate study and TV room. All homes also include underfloor heating to the ground floor and electric vehicle charging points.  

With initial interest so high, Deanfield is urging homebuyers considering a move to Stanton Harcourt to visit the marketing suite as soon as possible.

Annette Gaskell, sales and marketing manager, comments:

“Stanton Harcourt is a charming village which offers a range of local amenities and is extremely well connected. Deanfield Homes is an award-winning developer with a track record in sensitive development in rural locations across Oxfordshire. We’re delighted to have launched our latest site in Stanton Harcourt and, with more than half of the homes already reserved, we would urge interested buyers to move quickly to avoid missing out.”

Stanton Harcourt has no shortage of beautiful views and local countryside walks. The village has a cricket club, community pub, village shop with post office, a village hall and St Michael’s Church which dates back to the Norman era. The village is also home to Stanton Harcourt C of E Primary School, and further education is available in nearby Eynsham and Witney, both less than six miles away from the development.

Within easy reach of Oxford, Stanton Harcourt is ideal for commuters with easy access to the A40, A34, M40 and M4. The mainline railway station at Long Hanborough, just seven miles away, offers regular and direct services to London Paddington.

The marketing suite at Deanfields is open Fridays & Saturdays 10am – 5pm. For further information and to book an appointment, call 01865 800976 or visit  www.deanfieldhomes.co.uk/deanfields/ 

Regional housebuilder Deanfield Homes is expanding its presence into Berkshire with a collection of character properties in the village of Hermitage. Deanfield already has an impressive track record in sensitive development in rural locations with successful sites across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Deanfield Gardens will feature 16 traditionally-designed homes set amongst green open space, with 10 detached private homes and six properties allocated for affordable housing. Contributions will also be made towards local facilities and services. Construction work is expected to start in the summer

Hermitage is a popular village, located on the edge of the Berkshire Downs within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It boasts a good range of local facilities including shops, a post office, two good pubs, a village hall and a garden centre. Hermitage Primary School serves the village, whilst secondary education includes The Downs School in nearby Compton which is rated Outstanding by OFSTED.

Hermitage is just five miles from Newbury. Ideal for commuters, its location offers quick and easy access onto the M4 and there are direct rail services from Newbury to London Paddington in less than an hour.

Andrew Harvey, land director at Deanfield Homes, comments: “We’re delighted to have acquired our first site in Berkshire. Hermitage is an aspirational village with a good range of facilities and a close-knit community. Our Deanfield Gardens development takes inspiration from the local area to offer traditionally-designed homes with all the benefits of buying new.”

A home in a rural location cries out for a classic country garden, but what if you’re buying a new property and are starting with a blank canvas? Fear not, that classic cottage look doesn’t need decades to perfect. In fact, with some clever design, the right planting and some imagination, it’s easy to create a quintessential country space. Here’s some advice and tips to get you started:

1. Making a Plan

Start by creating a scale drawing of your garden and then allocate different areas depending on how you will use the space. Think about borders, outdoor seating and dining, play areas or even a vegetable patch. Country gardens are relaxed and informal with generous planting, secluded areas and character features. Break up your space with softly winding paths in brick, gravel or grass, natural screening and plant-draped arches and pergolas.

Consider the shape of your garden, taking into consideration any dead or awkward spaces, as well as the view from different rooms in the house. Think about the most appropriate place for different areas, for example a herb garden near the kitchen, wildlife areas away from the house and areas for flower beds with the right amount of sun and shade for your chosen plants.

2. Creating the cottage garden look

Forget about structured planting and carefully manicured borders, the key to a country garden is to fill your borders with an informal and wide range of plants and flowers which provide an array of fragrance and colour.

Keep your planting tightly packed and layer your borders, with taller plants to the rear and lower plants to the front. Plant the same species in groups of three or five to create real impact and soften fences and other boundaries with climbing plants such as wisteria, roses and jasmine.

Opt for natural materials such as reclaimed railway sleepers, willow screens, wicker furniture and wooden planters.

3. Choosing the right plants

Popular cottage garden plants include roses, delphiniums, foxgloves, lupins and lavender. Others that epitomise the cottage garden feel include hollyhocks, phlox, cosmos, peonies and sweet peas. You could also incorporate a wildflower area into your garden or a raised bed of wildflowers if you are short on space.

Consider fruit trees such as pear, cherry and damson, for both beautiful spring blossom and summer produce. Make sure you select plants with a mix of different heights, colours, textures and flowering times. Choose hardy perennials and self-seeding plants such as foxgloves and verbenas to ensure you fill your borders year after year.

4. Incorporating character features

Create interest in your garden with ornaments such as a traditional bench, stone bird bath or sundial. Get imaginative with planting by upcycling wheelbarrows, wooden boxes, terracotta pots or even an old Belfast sink. Consider incorporating partially-hidden features amongst your flowers including small statues and stone finials.

A fire pit or chiminea will create a cosy focus point for an outdoor seating or dining area and a water feature is the perfect calming addition to your country garden.

5. Encouraging Wildlife

A rich country garden will be a natural haven for birds, animals and insects, but there are easy ways to help encourage wildlife into your outdoor space.

Aim for nectar and pollen-rich varieties of plants that provide natural food for insects, such as jasmine, lavender, clematis and wisteria, and install a bird box or feeder. If you have the space, a small pond is a fantastic way of attracting frogs, newts and dragonflies. A bird bath is the perfect alternative for smaller gardens. Create natural habitats such as areas of dead and decaying wood where insects and worms can find food and shelter.

Finally avoid using chemicals in your garden. Instead opt for peat-free compost and, if you can, source plants that have been grown in peat-free varieties.

Searching for your first home, your next-step or maybe your forever home? Buying a brand-new property could be the perfect choice.

Here are Deanfield’s top nine reasons to buy new.

1. Blank Canvas

Every new home is a beautiful blank canvas. There’s no need to update tired décor or replace worn-out carpets. No hidden surprises – just move in, unpack and start creating your own unique style.

2. Spoilt For Choice

Buy on a new development and you can have the pick of the plots. Purchasing off-plan means you can select a property in the perfect location and select from the different house types available to ensure all your dream property tick boxes are fulfilled.

3. The Green Option

New build homes are designed and built to the highest standards of energy efficiency, making then more eco-friendly and cheaper to run. The built environment contributes to around 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint so choosing new is the greener choice – now and for future generations.

4. Low Maintenance

Buying new comes with peace of mind. With brand new kitchens and bathrooms, newly installed plumbing and electrics and a fresh coat of paint throughout the house, you’ll be able to spend your spare time doing the things you love, not putting right other people’s DIY disasters!

5. Community Feel

There’s a unique sense of community on a new homes development, with your neighbours all moving in at a similar time. At Deanfield Homes, we build in village locations with a good range of local amenities, so our homeowners also become part of an established wider community.

6. No Chain in Sight

Because you’re buying your home directly from the developer, there is no upward chain when you buy new. And that means your house purchase is much more likely to go through quickly and smoothly.

7. Support for First Time Buyers

Buying new opens up a whole host of additional support in buying your home. The Government’s Help to Buy Scheme, for example (which is available until March 2023), helps first-time buyers by providing an equity loan of up to 20% of the cost of the property, with buyers only having to save a 5% deposit to secure a 75% mortgage.

8. Choose your finishes

If you decide to secure your new property early enough, you can custom design your home as it’s being built – choosing from a selection of walling and floor tiles, carpets and having a say on the extra details like the colour of your kitchen, worktop finishes and door handles.

9. Ten Year Warranty

When you buy new you buy with confidence. All new homes come with the reassurance of an independent ten-year NHBC warranty.

Find out more about Deanfield Homes’ range of new homes available now and coming soon across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

This month sees Deanfield Homes celebrate its fifth anniversary since the acquisition of it’s first development site. We caught up with founder and Managing Director Peter Blades on the company’s journey to date, the future plans for the business and what sets Deanfield apart from the competition.

What led you to set up Deanfield Homes in 2017?

Creating and leading a new housebuilding business was something I had aspired to do for many years. By 2017, I had worked in the housebuilding industry for over 25 years and held senior roles within larger, multi-region housebuilders.

However, the reality was that the more senior I became, the further I moved away from the day-to-day aspects of the job that I really love. The time therefore felt right to break out of the corporate mould and do something different. Once I had made that decision, I was fortunate enough to secure an experienced investor, the Prowting Group, who have helped at every step of the way to ensure the concept of Deanfield Homes became a reality.

What was your original vision for the business?

At the time that Deanfield Homes was founded, I felt there was a gap in the market for a housebuilder which focused on developments of between 20 and 50 homes – sites that were too large for small builders but too small for volume housebuilders. I always had a very clear idea of what a ‘Deanfield location’ would look like – sustainable, desirable, well-established villages across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire.

The reality is that many new SME housebuilders were being created at a similar time with similar concepts, however, we held our own and manged to secure some amazing development sites. Some smaller and some larger than the original vision, but all in desirable and sustainable villages in keeping with the definition of a Deanfield location.

Customer satisfaction was also always going to be a major focus – delivering a great customer experience from start to finish makes good business sense for Deanfield and creates obvious benefits to all our customers.  A real win-win!

I also wanted Deanfield to be a trusted business that delivers on its promises, whether that be to a customer, a subcontractor a landowner or a land agent. One of the reasons that we secured our very first site in a competitive market was because the landowner and the agents knew of our team from a transaction over a decade earlier.  We delivered on our promises then and they trusted we would deliver on our promises again, which of course we did and continue to do.

What have been the key achievements over the last five years?

Securing our very first site in such a prime location was obviously a significant milestone and launched the business in the right way. From there, we have built a brand that is now gaining recognition for quality design and customer satisfaction.

We have achieved significant growth over the last five years, despite the challenges of Brexit and a global pandemic. We have launched eight developments, built a great team of nearly 30 people and are now investing in a move to larger premises for the next stage of our journey.

Above all, I think it’s our culture that I’m most proud of and what I believe really sets us apart. We take genuine pride in the homes we build and take care in the locations in which we operate. Ultimately, the whole team get a real buzz from our customer engagement and the legacy of the developments we are creating.

What are your future aspirations and goals for Deanfield?

We aim to be consistently delivering at least 150 homes per year within the next three years whilst still focusing on aspirational locations and delivering a quality product and service. We have continued strong financial backing from the Prowting Group and our banking partners and will be an active player in the regional land market as we build a strong pipeline of sites to fuel that growth.

What do you see as the critical factors for success?

Maintaining our culture and continuing to build a great team who are committed, energetic and want to help shape the business as we grow.

Continued strong relationships with our investors and banking partners will be key, as will maintaining strong housing association and subcontractor partnerships, treating our supply chain well and providing them with the security of long-term repeat business.

From a land perspective it will be about staying true to our strategy of building the right product in the right location. If we continue to achieve this, the quality of our homes and the desirable location of our sites will ensure there is always a market for our developments.

The planning environment does remain a real concern. A lack of resource within local government is leading to significant delays in planning decisions. This, combined with often onerous pre-commencement conditions, can have a huge impact on all housebuilders but particularly the SME sector, where acquiring and holding sites for a considerable period of time while planning issues are being resolved can create a funding constraint.

How do you see the way we live in our homes influencing future design?

A more flexible approach to working is undoubtedly giving people more freedom to choose where they live. In the South-East, we have seen a huge increase in demand for semi-rural locations with good transport links to Oxford and London.

Our homes have always been designed with distinct living spaces, which we have found more popular than open plan living, and this is likely to continue as more people work from home.

Sustainability is high on everyone’s agenda and, at Deanfield, we strive to be ahead of building regulations when it comes reducing carbon emissions in our homes. We are focused on improving energy efficiency, providing EV charging points and exploring opportunities for renewable energy solutions wherever possible.

Sustainable development is about leaving a lasting legacy and building homes for many generations to come – and that’s what we’re all about at Deanfield.

With Spring just around the corner, we caught up with design experts Lifestyle Interiors to discover the top interior trends for the upcoming season and how you can incorporate them into your own home.

Bringing the outside in

As we all work towards a greener tomorrow, it has become increasingly popular to reflect this within our home environment. Spring will see the blossoming of stunning flowers and greenery, so bring the outside in. Surrounding yourself with nature and incorporating botanicals into your design scheme can do wonders for your mental health and wellbeing.

DIY and upcycling

Sustainability is on everybody’s mind and people are becoming more creative with the resources that they have at home. DIY and upcycling is definitely in, whether it be DIY room décor or reusing and upcycling old and outdated furniture. There is also a move towards using natural and organic materials to create an ethically furnished home.

Working from home

Hybrid working is here to stay and those lucky enough to have the space are now upgrading their ‘desk in the corner’ to a dedicated home office. Comfort, style and efficiency are key for a home working space so invest in essential furniture pieces to help with functionality and productivity. Wide long tabletops, ergonomic chairs and natural lighting can create the basis of a healthy yet stylish work environment – then your Zoom-worthy décor style is up to you!

Colour of the year

This new season is crying out for natural yet bold colours; Veri Peri is Pantone’s colour of the year for 2022 and consists of a striking violet shade with blue hues and red undertones. There is a growing trend to move away from previously popular greys and monochrome and embrace warmer colours. Vibrant shades can help brighten up the new season as we leave the cold and dark winter behind us.

For more interior design tips and regular inspiration from our professionally-designed showhomes follow us on Instagram @deanfield_homes_ltd