last week i was invited along for an exclusive preview tour around london’s newest living quarter, east village: the first legacy neighbourhood to result from the london 2012 olympic games.

regular readers of this blog last summer will know how much of an olympic-fanatic i was, so naturally i jumped at the chance to see how the former athletes’ village has been transformed into contemporary private rental homes. east village offers renters the chance to live in a prestigious new address on the doorstep of queen elizabeth olympic park, and in what is now one of the best-connected parts of london, thanks to the local transport upgrades as part of the olympic regeneration. the new homes are set within a landscaped area the size of st james’ park featuring new parklands, trees, public areas and open space. all the homes have access to shared courtyards, while townhouses have their own private terraces, and most apartments have at least one balcony, with some even featuring winter gardens in a partially-enclosed glazed area. there are new home options to suit everyone, from 1 and 2-bedroom apartments for young professionals and couples, to 3 and 4-bedroom apartments and townhouses for sharers and families.

i was given a tour of the soon-to-open show apartments, which give prospective residents the chance to view the quality of the new homes and find out more about the new standard of service, design and furnishings that get living london offers for the rental market. chief executive derek gorman says “get living london offers a new way of renting – no fees, no ‘middlemen’, just modern,  spacious new homes with stylish furniture and a range of flexible long-term tenancies.”

the new homes have been designed to provide open plan living space with an abundance of natural light and all will feature as standard fitted wardrobes in all bedrooms, wooden flooring in all living areas, fitted curtains and blinds, underfloor heating and modern kitchens with fully-integrated appliances. let me tell you, i was very tempted to move in on the spot – they truly are gorgeous!

furnished by acclaimed designer wayne hemingway and his daughter tilly – under the hemingwaydesign brand –  the homes are offered either unfurnished or furnished at no extra cost, helping to set new standards of furnishing for the private rental market. under hemingway’s guidance, the furnished show homes feature pieces by some of britain’s leading designers such as matthew hilton, iconic british brand g plan (with whom hemingway has recently collaborated) and products from hemingway’s own design range.

01. habitat 02. habitat 03. habitat 04. made.com 05. habitat 06. habitat 07. habitat

the 1-bed apartment i saw was largely furnished with decorative accessories from the latest habitat collection (which i love, and blogged earlier in the year), while the decor in the 2-bed apartment was perhaps my favourite, furnished with items from hemingwaydesign’s recent collaboration with g plan (available from john lewis) and peppered with lots of bright colour pop accents from another favourite of mine, orla kiely.

01. john lewis 02. surface view 03. john lewis 04. john lewis 05. john lewis 06. heal’s 07. g plan vintage

the 3-bed apartment was furnished in minimal yet chic style with key pieces from matthew hilton’s collection for case furniture, including the solid oak valentine bed and bridge dining table and chairs – it’s pretty incredible to think that you can rent your home fully furnished with key design pieces such as these, don’t you think?

 01. john lewis 02. habitat 03. case furniture 04. case furniture 05. skandium 06. case furniture 07. bodie & fou

so friends, which interior design style would you opt for if you were moving into east village?

londoners can find out more about the new homes at www.getlivinglondon.com or 020 3701 7900. later this month the get living london management office will open at east village, allowing people to find out more about the new neighbourhood and new homes.