THE BSPC PROPERTY GUIDE / FEATURE PROPERTY
Page 13
A traditional family house in Duns with an enchanting garden
Kirklands is a beautiful period property in Easter Street that will delight anyone who is looking for a traditional family home with classically proportioned rooms, original features, lots of space, and a mature garden. Built around 1830, this B-listed late Georgian house has all the above and more, having been sympathetically upgraded by its present owners, Rennie and Rosalyn Gresham, to cater for 21st century lifestyles without compromising all the best features of a past era, which include beautiful stonework, wood panelling and natural wood panelled doors and skirting, large windows with working wooden shutters, and a central cupola that bathes the staircase in natural light. “We bought the house almost twenty years ago and since then have extended both the kitchen and the bathroom,” says Rosalyn. “The bathroom was fully re-fitted two years ago and we have also recently rebuilt an adjoining outbuilding in the rear courtyard and turned it into two separate spaces to create a utility room and potting shed/store.”
Inside, the accommodation includes a very attractive entrance hallway, off which are the formal sitting room and dining room. A door opens into a rear hall, which gives access to a cloakroom, and a family room that is partially open-plan to a very sizable dining kitchen with French doors to the patio and garden. Upstairs are four large double bedrooms, a beautiful re-fitted bathroom, and a home office/single-size fifth bedroom. “One of the things that initially attracted us to this house is the quality of light,” Rosalyn adds. “Where many older houses can be quite dark inside, this one is the exact opposite owing to the size and style of the windows. And when the sun shines, you could be mistaken for thinking the lights had been switched on.” There is something of note in every room. The sitting room, which has large windows to the front and side, has an attractive feature fireplace with a painted marble surround, decorative tiled insert and cast iron open fire; the extended dining kitchen is a delight, with painted units on three sides, dishwasher, slot-in cooker with double oven and built-in overhead extractor, and plenty of space for other appliances such as a fridge freezer.
The dining area, which has a large rectangular roof light, is next to a double set of patio doors that open on to a decked area outside. The bedrooms are large as well as being light and airy – two also have original fireplaces, which although not used at present, could be if desired. The master bedroom overlooks the front and side gardens and has fitted wardrobes in addition to a shelved cupboard and all the rooms are large enough to comfortably accommodate freestanding furniture. Last but by no means least, the refitted contemporary family bathroom has limestone wall and floor tiles, a wide bath with overhead power shower, heated chrome towel rail, and a vanity basin with matching wall cabinet.
Kirklands Easter Street, Duns In Region of £370,000 Details on page 11
The outbuildings are a bonus and both the utility and potting shed have separate secure entrances. The former makes a very useful laundry/boiler room with space/plumbing for a washing machine and tumble dryer, while the latter has a purpose-built dog shower with a tray and thermostatically controlled shower handset. The walled gardens are beautiful, very secluded and private – and completely escape proof for dogs - with lawns, high hedges, fruit trees, illuminated pathways and mature trees and shrubs, a paved patio and courtyard area, and decking (off the dining area in the kitchen) which includes a pergola feature and currently houses a hot tub that may be available by separate negotiation. Together with a detached double garage and pretty wooden summerhouse on a corner of the lawn, this is a garden for all seasons and reasons – and a major selling point in its own right.