Restored country house gets TV spot
Auchterarder property is finalist in BBC’S Home oftheyear
A restored country property in Auchterarder is getting the once-over from home style judges in a gripping TV episode shown on BBC One Scotland this coming Monday.
The Old Manse is home to Kelly and Michel Hillard and their three children.
They are central region finalists in the series Scotland’s Home of the Year (SHOTY).
Yoga studio owner Kelly (42) and IT director Michel (50) share their period family property with a cat and two dogs.
Dating from the mid-19th
Century, The Old Manse is a beautiful, five-bedroom sandstone home.
The building is a former Free church manse dating from 1850, has three bathrooms, a garden and a cinema room.
SHOTY judges Anna Campbell Jones, Banjo Beale and Michael Angus consider the Hillard’s home alongside a properties in Bridge of Allan and another in Dunblane in the third episode of the current series broadcast at 8.30pm on Monday, May 29.
The Auchterarder couple explain that upon viewing it for the first time, Kelly instantly fell in love with the house but Michel was looking for something more modern which didn’t require renovating.
Undeterred by the challenge, Kelly lovingly restored the period property with an interior inspired by British textile designer William Morris.
Kelly explained: “The interior has been heavily influenced by the Perthshire countryside, the wildlife and the woodlands.
“I just couldn’t help being drawn to wallpaper and prints that mirrored the outside. I also wanted to respect the history and age of the building. So it’s really a mix of both new and old worlds.
“One of our favourite parts of our home is the garden, where we spend most of the summer. Even though we live just off a busy High street it’s always peaceful in the garden.
“We’ve spent over 18 months renovating the house, opening up rooms to allow for open plan living, decorating throughout and adding lots of storage.
“I used Instagram to document our renovation for fun and this is where Scotland’s Home of the year team contacted me. I was very flattered.
“It was at the point in our renovation that we needed some moral and meeting the team and knowing we would be on the series really boosted us.”
The rules are only one home can represent the Central region in the grand finale of Scotland’s Home of the Year so by the end of the programme, the judges vote for the worthy winner, scoring them on architectural merit, distinctive design and original style.
The interior has been heavily influenced by the Perthshire countryside Kelly Hillard