Into the light!
Stone white walls, neutral fabrics and carefully chosen vintage finds have made this East Lothian cottage feel brighter and more spacious
This pretty cottage has a bright and breezy interior
On sunny days, when she’s sitting in the garden of her cottage looking out over the Firth of Forth, Monica
Gibb considers the mixed fortunes that brought her to this idyllic location.
The three-bedroom house sits in the pretty village of Aberlady, near Edinburgh, within easy distance of her family and the shop she runs in the capital. It’s a beautiful place to live, but the property only became hers after her ex-husband, David, died last year and she inherited it. ‘We’d been separated for a long time but remained good friends,’ says Monica. ‘While I lived in a flat, David bought the cottage. We once owned four gift shops called The Bay Tree Company in Edinburgh. Even when we reduced the number of shops to just one, we still worked together.’
The house was built in 1684 and although it’s been extended and altered over the decades, many of the original period features remain. However, when Monica moved in, it was dark and quite traditional in style. ‘David’s taste was very masculine. He had old leather chairs and brown furniture – the house was cosy,’ she remembers. ‘I wanted to lighten it, as I find light and space freeing. I don’t like clutter.’
Monica had renovated properties before, so knew exactly what she wanted to do with the cottage. ‘I’ve made mistakes in the past, but learned from them and was able to use that experience,’ she says. ‘My home is very important to me and it’s incredibly satisfying when friends walk in and say that they feel immediately calmer. A home should be somewhere you feel nurtured.’
Her first task was to share David’s furniture between their two adult children and three grandchildren, and sell the rest. It was a difficult time. Monica then aimed for utter simplicity. ‘I believe less is more, so I ripped out the fireplace in the living room, leaving the wall completely
flush,’ she says. ‘There’s just a hearth and wood-burning stove now. I sanded all the floorboards, painted them white and then used a varnish for a waxed effect.’
The rest of the room has also been painted in complementary neutrals – with Farrow & Ball Pointing on the walls and Clunch for the woodwork.
‘It’s a combination I’ve used before and works well,’ Monica explains. ‘Continuity is very effective in a small space.’ She also swapped curtains for blinds. ‘I wanted space and light, and felt curtains would rob me of both.’
The kitchen is like a second sitting room. ‘The old-fashioned arrangement of a scullery – the sink and dishwasher are hidden and there’s a walk-in larder that conceals the fridge freezer – works well,’ she says. ‘David lived here for 12 years and he bought it from a 90-year-old lady, who had lived here all her life. It worked for them, and
I liked it so decided not to change it.’
While selecting the furniture and accessories, Monica used some of the thrifty shortcuts she’s discovered over the years. ‘I’ve combined Ikea furniture and a few junk shop finds with luxury bedding,’ she says. ‘It’s helped me to create a wonderful fresh interior, with a vintage Scandinavian twist.’