Keeping things casual

Through her airy Edinburgh home, dealer Suzanne Morrice proves that antiques are anything but stu y

It was the enormous living room – affectionately known as the ballroom – that drew Suzanne Morrice to this apartment in a Georgian country house on the edge of Edinburgh in 2004. ‘ I bought the "at from someone I loved ge# ing to know during the purchase: Patricia, or Paddy for short. The living room was once a small ballroom before the house was divided into apartments and, when Paddy owned this "at, she would throw her home open for musical events and have bands playing as the acoustics were so good,’ Suzanne recalls.

She was excited by the prospect of using the room as an entertaining space, and the house’s location, a street away from a fabulous beach, made the "at irresistible. ‘ It was a mix of yellow and orange decor, which was fun, but I wanted to start again,’ she says. ‘ I painted most of the rooms white to start with and, as I got to know the way the light falls, I added colour – sometimes subtle, sometimes bolder. Some of my choices have been quite unexpected actually.’ Now, jewel colours pop from the so$ furnishings and exotic pieces of furniture speak of overseas travel. The overall feel is soothing, owing to the mainly neutral palette.

The only structural change that Suzanne needed to make was to

reduce the size of the living room, in order to add a fourth bedroom. ‘ When I moved in I had two children, but soon afterwards my third child was born. At one point, we were rapidly running out of space,’ she laughs. ‘ The drawing room looked better, I felt, with two windows rather than three, as it’s more symmetrical. When it was the original size it just seemed very echoey and almost too spacious. I laid a carpet in here, determined to make it as cosy as I could, but elsewhere I have left floorboards bare,’ she says.

Comfort and ease of living are priorities for Suzanne. ‘ I wanted sofas that dogs and children could jump on,’ she says, ‘so I’ve chosen vibrant, mismatched colours and fabrics.’ Suzanne owns an antiques shop, and furniture and artworks move freely between her business and her home. ‘ I never switch o$ really. Even when I’m on holiday, I take my van and if I see a piece I like, I buy it and chuck it in,’ she laughs.

Suzanne enjoys pieces of furniture that have a bit of history – a few chips and marks here and there are welcome to her and she would much rather buy something that had character than something immaculate. One of her favourite hauls from a house sale was a collection of still life paintings by an art student that dated from the 1950s. Because the artist had never become famous, the paintings were of little

value ! nancially, but Suzanne fell in love with the so" , earthy colours.

She set up her shop – Friday Street Antiques & Curiosities – in 2006, intending to specialise in French country furniture. ‘ I expected my stock to be relatively expensive, but that ethos has completely changed,’ Suzanne explains. ‘ The shop has evolved to be much more quirky and unpredictable. I found that I didn’t want to be too precious. My clients love the fact that, whenever they come in, there’s always something di #erent and for all budgets.’

The business is affectionately named a "er an antiques market in Su #olk, where Suzanne went to boarding school, called Friday Street. ‘ I loved going to this market; it had a barter system, making it a great place to get to know people. I wanted to recreate that feeling of community and exchange,’ she says.

Suzanne’s parents were in the forces, so they moved around a lot. ‘ I can remember my mum having to set up house over and over again, on a budget. She made the most of what she had and relied on junk shop ! nds to pre$ y up her eternally temporary abodes.’ Suzanne has clearly inherited this knack from her mother and has always loved browsing for old furniture and clothes in charity shops, ‘even before vintage was a thing’, so antiques dealing is second nature to her. ‘ I worked in advertising before I had Poppy and did enjoy it, but I prefer this. I love the camaraderie that I have with my regular clients and other dealers, many of whom I’ve been working with for years. I can’t imagine doing anything else now,’ she says.

FROM TOP The pretty Georgian house is in the seaside town of Portobello in Scotland and is divided into apartments; Suzanne bought the antique framed butterflies at an auction for £10. The horses are antique Staffordshire; Suzanne with her dog, Izzy. RIGHT Suzanne bought the grandfather clock at an auction for £20, while the kilim runner was found on eBay.

The PropertySuzanne’s flat is located in a Georgian country house, built in 1740, that was divided up in the 1920s. Suzanne’s apartment is a spacious upper villa with four bedrooms.

The Owner Suzanne Morrice – owner of Friday Street Antiques & Curiosities, a shop in the seaside town of Portobello, on the edge of Edinburgh – lives here with her 10-year-old daughter Poppy and her two dogs – Izzy, a spaniel collie cross and Bella, a whippet poodle cross.

FROM TOP Suzanne bought the Ercol sofa 20 years ago for £20, while the elephant canvas was found locally; the dresser top is from York House Antiques. Suzanne is very fond of the French teapot, bought from Samuel Burns & Co. RIGHT Suzanne found the Brasso sign on the back of a picture that she bought for £10. She believes it’s now worth £250. The kettle is Picquot Ware.

ABOVE Suzanne bought her bed on eBay. The biblical picture was found in a local charity shop. The throw on the bed is from an antiques shop. BELOW The lamp belonged to Suzanne’s mother and the chest of drawers was a junk shop find.