From vanilla villa to perky palace
What was once a neutral
WHEN property developer Angela Wood and her partner, IT worker Iain McArthur, bought their detached villa in Bothwell, it had a real ‘vanilla essence’ – but that didn’t last for long.
Angela – who also shares her home with four cats – explains: “We loved this house because of the original features and high ceilings, plus it was close to Bothwell village so it was absolutely ideal for us.
“When we bought it, it had a very neutral colour palette and was in great condition.
“We didn’t need to do any work to it before we moved in which gave us time to get a good feel for the house and decide what we wanted to do decor wise.”
The couple took their time redecorating, making certain that they injected their personalities into each room.
Angela says: “I made some really dramatic decisions and went for a deep red for the walls in our lounge and black for the walls in our TV room.
“It was a huge leap of faith but I think it has worked out really well.”
The couple were delighted with the results and now enjoy spending time in both of the rooms.
“Our lounge is definitely my favourite – it’s very peaceful and with all my family pictures around me,” says Angela.
“I feel very comfortable in there – I could sit for hours and just enjoy the ambience.
“I also love to have candles burning throughout
the house. They give me lots of comfort and warmth.”
The couple extended the rear of the house to create a beautiful sunroom – another favourite location for them.
Angela adds: “We very much enjoy the light that floods in and the outlook to our garden – it’s such a nice room to be in at any time of the year.
“We splashed out on the flooring in there. In fact nothing in this room was overlooked, but we love the results. The table lamps were a great sales buy though!”
Angela likes to take a cushion from one room and use it in the next to maintain a continuous colour flow.
She continues: “If I were to give anyone advice on how to redecorate their home it would be to spend time in each room and get a real good feel for the space.
“I think it’s a good idea to
use neutral flooring throughout to keep the flow and try to blend colours from room to room.”
Angela is a keen artist and many of her paintings adorn her walls.
She explains: “The large faces I painted on canvas are some of my favourites.
“I have a very eclectic style – I love old and new, as well as all things Scottish.
“I really like traditional Scottish wools and tartans which can be seen in almost every room of the house. I have a number of stag heads throughout the house too, with my favourite being the antlers in the dining room.
“A very good friend made the piece using my family’s tartans – it’s a great talking piece.
“Our whisky and champagne collection is also quite the talk between guests too.”
The armchairs in the TV room were bought from the Barras market in Glasgow many years ago.
Angela reveals: “They have been covered and recovered but they still look fabulous!
“I inherited the standard lamp, table lamp and chest of drawers in our lounge from my late aunt who lived in India. I had admired them from a young age.
“I also simply couldn’t live without my lamps, family mèmoires and teddy bear collection.”