ACCESS ALL AREAS A radical redesign has transformed a two-bedroom flat into a stylish contemporary family home
A radical redesign has created a stylish, workable home for a young family in this Victorian apartment in Edinburgh
When Devon and Jeff bought their Victorian apartment in 2012, they knew right away that they wanted to make some changes, but it took them five years to pluck up the courage to get started. ‘As soon as we moved in, we re-did the bathroom and carried out some cosmetic renovations, but aside from that, we lived in it quite nicely for the first five years,’ Devon recalls. Then, in 2017, with baby Gabriel on the way, the couple took the plunge and enlisted the help of Calum Duncan Architects to bring the flat in line with 21st-century living as well as give them the space they desired.
‘We had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to do,’ Devon recalls. ‘For example, we knew we wanted an open-plan living space and an ensuite bathroom, but to get that, we would have to change the layout of the entire flat. That’s where Calum really came into play; he offered a practical and clever design that would utilise the space we had in the most effective way possible.’ The original layout consisted of a sitting room and a long, narrow bedroom at the front of the property, a spacious hallway with a bathroom and WC in the middle, and at the back was the kitchen and a second bedroom. ‘Calum suggested we merge the bedroom, sitting room and one of the hall cupboards at the front, bringing them together to create a modern kitchen/living/dining space, and have both bedrooms at the back of the property,’ explains Devon. The bathroom remained where it was and the old kitchen became the main bedroom, borrowing space from another hall cupboard to create an ensuite.
‘If I’d been left to my own devices, I would have removed all the cupboards in the hall,’ says Devon. ‘Thankfully, Calum pointed out how impractical that was, asking where we would put our ladders, ironing board and buggy. So we had a re-think.’ While two of the cupboards in the hall had been re-purposed, it was still ‘the hallway of many doors’ with little personality. So, with a bit of clever thinking, a wall of bookcases was built in the corridor to create a library feel,
KITCHEN
Double-height cupboards take advantage of the tall ceilings, while the large window and open-plan layout allow plentiful natural light to flood in. The original pine flooring has been stained for added character, which, along with the Reginox Belfast sink from Victorian Plumbing, echoes the property’s history
HALLWAY
Once a disused corridor, this area has been transformed with bespoke shelving units and desk, built by Guy Scott at Broad Workshop. The rug by Lorena Canals at Scandiborn and Roscoe ottoman from Made add to the warm, library-like feel. The bathroom is in its original location, but is now hidden behind a bookcase door
which also included a small, useful desk space. ‘I came up with idea of installing a hidden door that accesses the bathroom in the hallway, and I’m really pleased with how it turned out,’ smiles Devon.
As the ensuite is in the middle of the flat, there’s little natural light. ‘Calum came up with the perfect solution – a sliding door that sections off the WC making it private, while the bath area is left open to the bedroom and the light from the windows,’ Devon explains.
‘As first-timers, and with a project this complicated, we didn’t really know what we were doing. We were very lucky to have Calum, our architect, and Karl from Mott Joinery, who was our main contractor, to keep us on track and offer advice. There was a lot of balancing between form and function and sometimes function won out, especially when it came to the kitchen worktops. My first choice was white marble but then we thought about how we cook and eat. We’re vegetarians who eat a lot of turmeric-based curries – so white and porous is not a good combination! So we decided to go for concrete; it’s cool and durable, and it’s a bit unexpected in a Victorian flat,’ says Devon.
Eager to reference the property’s roots but not create a pastiche, the couple decided on a bespoke kitchen that would also maximise the proportions of the room. ‘Guy at Broad Workshop had already made the bookcases in the hallway and we were confident he could do what we wanted in the kitchen,’ says Devon. ‘To keep costs down, we bought Wickes carcasses and Guy built the kitchen around them.’
Devon was keen to include a blend of colours in the kitchen and did plenty of experimenting. ‘In the end, we used Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue on the base cabinets and Wevet on the wall units. All the walls had been replastered and I wanted to take advantage of the smooth, fresh surface by keeping them light, so they were painted in Farrow & Ball’s Blackened, while the island was painted in Black Blue to add contrast.’
The flat is still evolving but the everyday workings of the renovation have ticked all the boxes. ‘The flow of the flat is so much better than it was before and we seem to have more space as every inch is utilised.’