Homes and Interiors issue 66-August 2009

Outside THE BOX

Renovating a dilapidated ,70s' experiment with a wacky layout and a drab exterior has taken five years of lateral thinking and design ingenuity- and a whole lot of love

Text By Nichola Hunter

Details:

WHAT: A three-storey cantilevered property
WHERE: Edinburgh's Barnton District
TIMESCALE: An ongoing renovation over a period of five years

IT WAS NEVER GOING TO BE AN ORDINARY HOUSE.
But that was part of what Becki Linley and Brian Goonan fell for when they bought this cantilevered, three-storey property in Edinburgh's Barnton District. Cutting-edge when it was built in the mid 1970's, it was sorely neglected and in need of renovation by the time it appeared on the market in 2004. Becki and Brian, who run Edinburgh-based Complete Solutions and Trendenza, might have been used to bringing their client's design projects in on time and on budget, but when they bought this place their hearts definitely ruled their head's. Part of the problem was knowing where to begin. At street level there was a double garage and gym. A large bedroom, cloakroom, WC and Hall sat on the first floor, with a Kitchen, Lounge, two further Bedrooms and a Bathroom on the top floor. The exterior was dominated by red-aluminium-framed doors and windows, red brick and an abundance of wood cladding. Internally wasn't anymore appealing, with an avocado bathroom suite and a 1070's-style split-level Kitchen and Lounge.

''Even when they took there combined background in building and Interior Design into account, our friends were horrified when they saw the house for the first time'' recalls Becki with a laugh. Before getting stuck into any building work, the couple decided that a little celebration was in order:' Before we did anything, we had a huge 70's themed party with around 40 friends one Saturday night'', says Becki. ''The house did get completely trashed but the guests helped fill the skips on the Sunday and the Builders started on the Monday.'' There would be no more fun and games for a while; the planned renovation was a mammoth undertaking and involved stripping the property right back to its bare bones- indeed, all that is left of the house they bought is the front door.

SIGNATURE STYLE:
'' The furniture and the fabrics create a soothing yet opulent room, while the balcony gives it an ''Out of Africa in the Big City feel''. The Living has a colonial feel, with furnishings from Soto and RV Astley. The zebra cushions are by Nono, who also upholstered the rattan chair (''A star buy when we were out one weekend'')

The exterior was hidden by scaffolding for nine months while the timber cladding was removed (much if it turned out to be rotten) and every window and frame was replaced. After consulting several Architects, each of whom produced weirder and wilder configurations for the layout, Becki and Brian finally settled on a plan that would maximise the property's potential and work with their busy but sociable lifestyle. The plan was ambitious but ultimately achievable-thanks to the pair making use of their skills, contacts and experience in the business. The Kitchen was the trickiest problem to solve, and Becki's desire for a spacious room in which to cook, eat and entertain took a long time to come to fruition. 'I hated the fact that the Kitchen was on the top floor and that it was split level combination with the Lounge'' she says. ''I wanted a large Kitchen and putting it on the first floor in what had previously been a bedroom was the most obvious solution. We extended the balcony at the front and the back as well.

''We didn't want a Kitchen with a modular design-Having the units at different heights softens the look''. The cream high gloss Kitchen came from Magnet, with Nero black granite worktops from Edinburgh Granite and Marble. The Red Kartell light was an impulse buy from Selfridges. The square fruit wood Table was commissioned from Belly Nelly

''Upstairs, the space we gained from removing the platform between the Kitchen and Lounge enabled us to close the Lounge off and create a shower room fro the Guest Bedroom. ''It took a long time to get the Building Warrant- The planners didn't really understand the house as it was such a strange configuration, and we were moving a lot of drainage too. As a result because it took so long the Kitchen has been in four different locations. It moved from what's now a bedroom into the Lower Hall, The Cloakroom WC and finally to its current position.'' Despite being fully occupied by their client's renovations during the day and working with their tradesmen at evenings and weekends, the couple still chose to live on site for most of the project. '' Brian likes to be very hands on, so we set up camp with three electric heaters and blankets over the door frames because there wasn't any doors. Things got rather difficult when we removed the floorboards! It was horrible but, looking back, it was part of the journey''.

The master Bedroom has pony-skin wall coverings from Elitis, Furniture by Shapes and Lamps from John Lewis. The giant headboard was made by Marchmont Gallery with inset panels covered in Lagoon stingray fabric from Fabricus

The house is still evolving today but at least the layout has been finalised today. The large Kitchen Dining is now permanently based on the first floor, along with a stylish Cloakroom WC, and a spacious Hall which leads to a patio area at the rear of the property. At Ground level, the double garage remains but the Gym is now a Laundry Room. The second floor accommodates a Lounge, Guest Bedroom with Ensuite, two further Bedrooms, a main Bathroom, a Master Bathroom and a luxurious Master Bedroom and a Dressing Room.

The Guest Bedroom walls are covered by Tektura's Vintage Range, while the lighting is by Heathfield and Co. The Wc on the first floor has fittings from Bath store, while the Linear masculine en-suite has ceramics by Casel Grande and a bathroom suite by Rak-See image

While everything might now be in its proper place, the Interior Designer in Becki can't resist the odd tweak. ''I feel this house is unresolved-and it probably always will be. New products are always appearing and giving me ideas. A change in a wall covering can really add a new slant-but, to Brian's annoyance, it never really stops at one wall''...

'' I feel the Guest Room en-suite is already a bit dated-it was the first shower room we did, and ceramics have changed so much in four years. I'm also an avid interior shopper and love to find out what is available- I'd be foolish to restrict myself to items that I stock. Its better to have a look, get inspired and then you really know what you want rather than trying to push a vision. '' Equally, I'm not too proud to be a customer. Just as anyone else, would we have engaged specialist services for some of the curtains and accessories- George at Sun rite Blinds has been my superstar. He sourced and designed the Blinds in the Kitchen. Diana at Tektura was a life saver when the decorator cut some rolls short.''

After all that hard work, what do they think of the end result? ''It has been a challenge and we'd maybe change a few things, '' says Becki. ''But our skills have allowed us to really take this building apart, right to the skeleton, and build it back up with love, thought and futuristic intent to create something that is both an entertainment hub, and more importantly a home. The house has been very much a joint effort, just as our businesses are, and this has been the key to everything we have accomplished. '' Would we do it again? Probably. But not just yet. Brian, though, may have other ideas...''.