Wavensmere Homes Unveils New Show Home at £175m Nightingale Quarter in Derby City Centre

Wavensmere Homes has unveiled a new show apartment at its £175m Nightingale Quarter Scheme in Derby city centre. Targeted at first-time buyers, the professionally designed show home showcases the quality and design of the former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary redevelopment.

To coincide with the show home launch, Darwin House, which contains 70 homes, has welcomed its first residents. During the past three years, over 80% of Nightingale Quarter’s 925 homes have been matched with buyers. Five phases of the project are currently under construction by Wavensmere Homes, enabling 486 of the homes to be completed this year. The 18.5-acre site is one of the UK’s most significant city centre regeneration projects and includes the restoration of landmark buildings and monuments from the 130-year-old former hospital.

The new one-bedroom show apartment has been designed by Birmingham-based Edward Thomas Interiors to give prospective buyers an idea of the lifestyle they can enjoy by choosing a home in the final phases of the scheme. The energy-efficient homes have a high EPC rating, with one- and two-bedroom apartments currently priced from £185,000.

James Dickens, Managing Director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “The community aspect of living at Nightingale Quarter is very evident, now that close to 350 houses and apartments are occupied. The location and onsite facilities are such a major selling point. We have made a significant investment in public realm and residents’ amenities, as well as restoring historic monuments.

“It is remarkable to think we only have the final 20% of the scheme left available. As all houses here are now sold, the new one-bedroom show home will help to bring our plans to life. In addition, we have virtual reality headsets, interactive touchscreens, and 360-degree walkthroughs, to fully illustrate the detail of the latter phases. We are looking forward to taking people around the new show home and welcoming many more new residents to Nightingale Quarter later this year.” 

Steve Hird, Director of Edward Thomas Interiors, said: “The Darwin apartment is a chic, one-bedroom home designed for a young, house-proud, individual, or perhaps a professional who requires a weekday bolthole in Derby city centre.

“The interiors are styled to inspire and are united with a contemporary monochrome design, incorporating mix metallics alongside rust and gold accents for warmth. Texture and dimension are added through the boucle sofa in the living room, a fabric that remains on trend for this year; metro bathroom tiles; velvet dining chairs; and raised abstract artwork on the bedroom wall. As part of the brief was to create a bright and airy aesthetic, we opted for sheer voile window dressings to allow daylight to flood the living spaces.

“Pieces that we commissioned specially for The Darwin include the canvas artwork in the living room, which depicts a wild wilderness, and the wall-mounted curved headboard above the king bed. Following the principles of biophilic design, much of the furniture follows natural shapes and curves, while house plants and greenery are incorporated throughout.”

Wavensmere Homes reports that development opportunities in regional cities like Derby are a great alternative to London and the South East, due to projects being much more deliverable. Derby saw the sixth highest house price inflation during 2022 – ahead of all London boroughs – with prices rising by 15.8%. This was due in part to the £4bn investment into the East Midlands city over recent years, combined with the growing number of high earners working for major businesses based locally, such as Rolls Royce, JCB and Toyota. The quality of life, connectivity, and house price affordability are highly attractive to those relocating to further their careers.

Birmingham-headquartered Wavensmere Homes has further projects located within Derby and around 3,500 new homes either under construction or in planning situated across the UK.

Our marketing suite and show homes at Nightingale Quarter are open from 10am – 5pm Monday through to Saturday, accessed off 128 London Road, Derby DE1 2QQ.

For further information, or to book an in-person, or virtual appointment, call 01332 321 255, or email info@wavensmere.co.uk