Embracing a tower with a view to a thrill

Towering turret with its very own bay watch

Kilbowie House came on the market in 2014 as a development project.

We went to view it but decided it was too big a project for us to undertake. The mansion then converted to form eight, separate apartments and we were keen to buy one.

Its location on the water’s edge was the main appeal.

We also loved the character of the existing building, with its timberpanelled entrance hall and other original features. We bought it in 2017 and, with the work by the developer already done, we just had to furnish it. As we both qualified as architects, we were able to carry out the interior design ourselves.

We wanted a style that was contemporary, but which respected the building’s original features.

Until 2018, we lived in Greystones in Oban, a large Victorian mansion we ran as a boutique bed and breakfast.

We had renovated Greystones five years earlier, and decided to follow a similar design style at The Turret, mixing traditional features with contemporary furniture and art.

We chose a neutral colour palette of soft greys throughout, to create a calm environment, with an accent colour of muted green in the living room. It beautifully echoes the colours of the hillside on the isle of Kerrera, just

Who:

Architectural

designers Suzanne and

Mark McPhillips,

both 59

What:

The Turret is a two-bedroom apartment within the characterful Kilbowie House, a converted Victorian mansion, built in 1888

Where:

On the outskirts of the beautiful bay town of Oban, with captivating

views to the Inner Hebridean islands of Kerrera and Mull

across the water. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball Cornforth White.

We didn’t have the luxury of an unlimited budget.

We have another property – a bungalow we renovated and are living in at Kilmelford – and we also hope to build a house next year at a site we bought at Arduaine. So we selected furniture judiciously, but without compromising on quality.

The furnishings also had to be robust and low maintenance because we let The Turret to guests.

We spent a lot of effort sourcing the artworks (original and reproduction), some from local artists including Alice Strange and Jolomo.

We have a wall-mounted shipping chart of the area of sea we can see from The Turret, and a metal wall sculpture of swimming fish.

The cabinet in the living room, from Swoon Editions, were handmade in Indonesia from mango wood. The coffee table and TV bench are a Scandinavian design in teak, from Tikamoon. Wardrobes are from Made. com. The master bedroom has a window seat we covered in grey fabric, and finished it off with a fuchsia-pink velvet cushion. The bathrooms are in Travertine stone, while the kitchen has contemporary white gloss units and a timber worktop. Flooring in the living room and kitchen is oak, with neutralcoloured carpets in the bedrooms.

With the exception of the elements supplied by the developer, the interior design turned out as we planned.

We’d advise anyone about to go through a similar process to spend time planning in advance, and to come up with ideas and images they love, regardless of your budget, then find close but affordable alternatives.

Our favourite parts of The Turret are the master bedroom, which has a boutique hotel feel, and the living room with its panoramic views.

We have spotted otters, dolphins and eagles from the window. It’s heaven on earth.