The story
KHelle and Neville Kilkenny live here with their daughter Isla, 13, and son Rohan, nine. Helle owns a Scandinavian homeware store, Beech & Birch, in the local village, Gifford. Neville is a set designer and construction manager for events Shepherd’s Cottage was built in the 1940s by a Dutchman. It has three bedrooms and three acres of land, including barns and outbuildings Helle and Neville added a kitchendiner on one side, and the porch and utility room to the front. They also converted the loft, adding dormer windows, to create the master bedroom suite een to leave behind the city and enjoy more space, Helle and Neville were excited to see an advertisement for Shepherd’s Cottage
while they were away on holiday. ‘We were living in a little flat in Edinburgh at the time, and made an appointment to view it as soon as we got back,’ Helle recalls. The cottage was habitable but rundown and dated, and every wall was covered in woodchip. There were just two bedrooms, a living room and a bathroom. The kitchen was in what is now the hallway, with a staircase up to the master bedroom. But none of that put them off. ‘We walked in, saw the view and were smitten,’ says Helle.
The couple were delighted to realise, soon after they moved in, that they could buy a couple of fields in which to keep sheep and have since bought a large adjacent barn, which Neville has turned into his workshop. ‘We came out here seeking more space and we have definitely got that,’ adds Helle. ‘Finding time to enjoy it is the challenge, especially as we both work, but the more we can do locally, the more we can enjoy this gorgeous location.’
Neville is certainly doing his bit to preserve their surroundings – as the project manager of the local community woodland, his role is to help maintain beauty spots in the area. In his spare time he’s a mycologist – a mushroom expert – and the nearby woodlands provide a fertile hunting ground. When not out foraging, Neville works as a set designer and has worked for theatres and events all over the world, including the Edinburgh Festival, for which he is the construction manager. As you’d expect, with a CV like that he has great practical skills and did a lot of the work on the house. ‘He made and fitted the kitchen himself,’ says Helle.
‘We like to do things slowly and prefer a spare aesthetic, and although we love great design, we do not have extravagant tastes and only change or renew things when completely necessary,’ Helle adds, who attributes her design aesthetic to her Danish upbringing. ‘In Denmark people are more aware of their homes and interiors. They spend more on furniture and choose pieces that are made to last. A lot of our things are inherited from my grandparents. There is no wallpaper and little pattern in the cottage. ‘I prefer things to be plain and simple,’ she explains.
‘I have become very conscious of environmental issues, and my shop is stocked with eco-friendly products, such as the sheepskins that are dotted around our home, which are completely organic. Normal sheepskins are highly toxic because of the way they are tanned and cured, but not many people realise this and, worryingly, they are often used for babies. I really enjoy talking to customers about the importance of eco-friendly biodegradable materials and fair trade.’
Helle and Neville choose ceramics that have been handmade, either locally or in Helle’s native Scandinavia. ‘We would rather keep old things that are maybe not in the latest style, than replace with something new. I guess that makes our home a bit dated in some details,’ she says, ‘but we honestly prefer it that way.’
The improvements and extensions that they have added to the house look as if they have always been there. ‘We felt we had a choice of either extending the house in a way that was in keeping with the original style, or doing something radical like adding a glass box. We decided on the former because we feel that the setting is the main attraction of the house, and we did not want to detract attention from that,’ explains Helle. ‘A contrasting, contemporary architectural addition would just compete with it.’
There is a sharp contrast, however, between the kitchen, with its dramatic vaulted ceiling, and the more cottagey proportions of the other rooms. ‘You could put in a mezzanine,’ says Helle, ‘but we just wanted to enjoy the lofty feeling of space. It is well insulated and, thanks to the Aga, never seems cold.’
Upstairs, Neville and Helle converted the loft to create a master bedroom, adding dormer windows to increase the sense of space, but ensuring the house retains its original character.
The results are rustic, but soothing and calming. From the outside, thanks largely to the timber-clad porch, the house looks like a traditional Scottish croft. Step inside, though, and the pale wood and pared-back furnishings create the illusion of a Danish weekend home by a lake.