See the light at Kirk
Lots of sun and plenty of air make a heavenly home, writes Paul Drury
You don’t have to be Loyd Grossman to detect a hint of the ecclesiastical at this modern detached house. Looking through this keyhole, even an amateur house detective would pick up the clues.
There are cathedral-style windows, highbacked dining table chairs that look like pews and, er, the property’s name.
Kirk House stands on the site of a Free Church which served the village of Newtonmore, Inverness-shire, from 1912 until 2006.
In its place, architect Robbie Kerr designed a handsome home in 2008 that was meant to serve business partners and friends Jenny Graham and Miggi Meier in their retirement. Sadly, the women had moved in only ten months when Miss Meier died suddenly.
Now that Miss Graham is ‘rattling around’ – her own words – in the three-bedroom property Jenny has reluctantly decided to downsize. She said: ‘The thing I like most about the house is the brightness.
‘The cathedral-style windows make the place seem very light and airy. I will be 68 this year and I’ve found as you get older, you need as much light as possible.’
The entrance vestibule leads into an impressive open-plan living space, which embraces the kitchen, dining and sitting area.
Miss Meier was a chef so it’s no surprise the kitchen comes complete with high-end appliances and finishes.
It boasts Corian worktops, integrated Neff appliances including microwave, oven, grill and dishwasher. There is also a centreisland, with breakfast bar and wine cooler plus a walk-in larder and storage cupboard.
The ground floor also has a utility room, providing great storage space for white goods such as the fridge and freezer, and there is also a shower room and separate spa room, with built-in hot tub.
It is this layout which makes the property ideal as a family home or a luxury holiday let in the upper reaches in the Spey Valley, within the Cairngorms National Park.
The downstairs bedroom is beautifully appointed and enhanced by an en suite shower room.
A bespoke staircase with inset LED lighting leads to the upper landing, dominated by the signature circular window above the front door. There is sufficient space to use this area as an office, cleverly overlooking the open living space below. on this level, you will also find two additional en-suite bedrooms.
The gardens are easy to maintain and there is a detached double garage, with remote doors at either end for ease of access.
Two words to sum up Kirk House? Just heavenly.
Offers over £420,000 to Strutt and Parker in Inverness. Tel 01463 719 171