Georgian glory
This historic gem has polished up beautifully, writes Jenny Shields
RATHER curiously called The Cottage, this elegant home in the Ayrshire conservation village of Symington is actually a Georgian mansion. But it’s also an example of how a very old house can be meticulously refurbished and presented to the world as a modern home within an old – but very beautiful – shell.
The owners of this listed home embarked on a massive project to revitalise the property.
No expense was spared in improving, upgrading and redesigning the house to make it what it is today.
Cleverly, they enhanced the original layout, dispensing with any poky, dark spaces to create a home suffused with light.
On the ground floor is a breathtaking entrance hall, complete with sweeping stone staircase and plaster cornice work.
The formal dining and drawing rooms each have a large open fireplace. For more informal occasions there is a lovely garden room which overlooks the front of the property. The master stroke of the whole restoration was creating a vast kitchen/dining/living room which runs almost the entire length of the back of the house.
This contemporary space with its sleek units, elegantly curved island and built-in American diner-style seating is a bit of a jaw-dropper.
A study, utility room, boiler room and cloakroom complete the ground floor.
Upstairs, the principal bedroom suite takes up half the first floor with a huge, front-to-back bedroom, large dressing room with plenty of fitted cupboards and a luxurious bathroom. There are two more bedrooms – one is en suite. There is also a family bathroom on this level and another two bedrooms, as well as a cloakroom on the second floor.
The whole property, with the exception of some lively wallpaper, is decorated in a neutral palette which shows off the original features to their best advantage. There are high ceilings, deep skirtings, sash and case windows, elegant cornices and panelling, as well as that glorious staircase.
Offers over £750,000 to Donald Ross Residential, Ayr.