Capital flat had a brush with fame
It still attracts the same quality of light which allowed one of Scotland’s greatest artists to produce some of his stellar work almost a century ago. this three-bedroom flat in Edinburgh’s Shandwick Place served as the studio for the founder of Scotland’s ‘Colourists’, Samuel Peploe.
His windows in the roof allow light to flood in and the owner hasn’t covered them with a blind, ensuring an early rise for anyone sleeping below in the summer.
But with the Peploe connection all around you, what’s wrong with a regular 4am rise?
For many years, Shandwick Place was a location to avoid because of disruption caused by construction of the city’s tram line.
However, with the work complete, this ‘waiting room’ for Princes Street must surely rank as one of the capital’s most coveted addresses for young professionals.
the views from the top-floor flat stretch to the Queensferry Crossing rising from the Firth of Forth. there’s the castle, too, and the Pentland Hills beyond.
Supermarkets, bars, restaurants and theatres are on your doorstep and you are just a tram ride from Murrayfield Stadium or the airport.
But with a flat as smart as this, why would you want to go anywhere? the sharp new look is the result of a Herculean effort by 25-year-old Christopher Grieve.
He said: ‘I did the majority of the work myself, before getting in the specialist trades at the end.
‘I re-arranged the layout so that the kitchen and living area is to the front – on the main road – and the bedrooms mainly at the back.
‘I have to admit, my friends and I did not have a clue who Samuel Peploe was. But my mum and her friends got excited when they heard the connection.’
Peploe’s ‘Still Life with Coffee Pot’ made almost £1million six years ago making him the most expensive Scottish artist sold at auction.
And the painter’s former studio still fascinates Mr Grieve. He said: ‘the light that floods in is incredible.’
But for now, it is his own colour scheme that Mr Grieve hopes will win 21st century admirers.
‘I’m going to downsize a bit,’ he said. ‘I’ll be sad to see the flat go but it’s probably too big for me.’
Big enough to house an art exhibition, perhaps?
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