A Wokingham student has won the chance to see her interior design vision brought to life at a new housing development in Arborfield.
Andreea Cretu was one of a number of students at The Holt School to enter Taylor Wimpey’s bedroom design competition earlier this year. The housebuilder challenged students to come up with a creative proposal that could be realised in one of the show homes at the nearby Arborfield Heights development.
A-level product design student Andreea’s entry was chosen from a high quality field. Her nine-page design proposal was based around the idea of the bedroom as a ‘creative sanctuary’ within the home. She mixed built-in wooden shelving and alcoves with a nature-based colour palette to create a comfortable and warm environment for a teenager.
Andreaa recently visited the development to meet the team and see where her design will be brought to life in the coming weeks, and also discussed the possibility of work experience with Taylor Wimpey to help further her career aspirations.
She said: “Winning this competition has been such an incredible experience. It was amazing getting to meet the team and understanding more about how my design will be brought to life.
“I’ve been passionate about interior design for a long time, and this experience has made me even more excited to pursue a career in the industry in the future. Getting the chance to explore work experience with Taylor Wimpey is a dream opportunity, and I am very grateful for their support.”
The Taylor Wimpey team will now work to recreate Andreea’s vision in a two bedroom coach house show home over the coming weeks, before inviting her back to Arborfield Heights for a grand unveiling later in the year.
Sarah Pasco, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey West London, is a passionate advocate for bringing more women into the construction industry. An Office for National Statistics report in 2024 found that women made up only 15% of the construction workforce, but Taylor Wimpey is doing what it can to change that.
Sarah said: “It was a real pleasure for our team to meet Andreea and chat through the creative process behind her entry. She has clearly put a lot of thought into it and we were all really impressed with her talent for interior design. We’re excited to see it brought to life.
“Inspiring the next generation is one of our key priorities and this competition was a great way for us to connect with local young people. There are so many varied careers available in housebuilding for women as well as men and I’m delighted that Andreea is keen to get some work experience with us. I hope that we’ve given students at The Holt School some food for thought as they plan their next steps.”
