Fairy tale cottage sprinkled with a dash of boho chic
As soon as we saw this property, we knew it was the one for us. At the time though we weren’t actually house-hunting for ourselves – we were looking for a flat for our daughter going to university. My husband and I were going to buy the flat as an investment but when we found this house, we jumped at the chance. It ticked all the boxes and we couldn’t believe it when we got it! We now rent out part of it as a holiday let.
We chose there because of the schools available for our four children. However, once they finished school we really wanted to relocate to Bridge of Allan. The village has such a lovely feel to it. Although it is quite small, it has a cosmopolitan vibe because there are so many nice bars, restaurants and cafes. We’re really lucky with the views of Stirling Castle and Wallace Monument. Plus, if we want to venture to a bigger city, we can just jump on the train to Glasgow or Edinburgh.
When we first bought the house, there wasn’t a huge amount we wanted to do with it, but it has evolved over time.
For us, it was more about adding cosmetic touches. For example, we’ve not completed any major renovations except building a wall and adding sliding stable doors. Before we added our own personal touches, the walls and furnishings were beige and very neutral but we wanted colour.
At first, we used the big room as our dining room but later moved everything around.
We decided the dining room should be at the front of the house and closer to the kitchen. I’d describe my style as modern boho and shabby chic. Nothing is perfect and I love a bargain. The décor is a mix of TK Maxx and Homesense, mixed with Laura Ashley and Made.com. That’s where we got our dining room table from. I’m also a clean freak and like everything to be tidy and in its place. However, don’t look in any cupboards – everything has been thrown in!
I’m spontaneous when it comes to buying things. I tend to just buy something if I like it and worry where to put it later. For example, I have a thing for flamingos and I love to add them all over the house!
My favourite room in the house is the kitchen. It is open-plan –and we live in there all the time as it is really cosy in the evenings. There’s even a wee corner sofa where we sit and watch the telly. When the family come over, we find ourselves congregating in that room too.
My best buy was our pink velvet sofa. It was such a bargain.
We got it from Homesense and it was priced at £300, but there was a tag through the top of a cushion that created a small hole. I asked for a discount and they gave us 10% and when they were carrying it out to the van, my husband noticed one of the gold ornate feet had completely bent forward. So we flagged the problem and they gave us another £100 off and then another 10% off – amazing!