NAUTICAL CHARM Building a home and yoga

BEDROOM Shiplap panelling is a nod to the house’s coastal setting. Uist Coast watercolour and gouache painting, price on request, Ron Lawson. Rug Vista’s striped dhurrie, £145, has this look

EN SUITE Laura chose sea-coloured metro tiles for the shower. Metro tiles, £25sq m, Topps Tiles. The Dockside wall light from Original BTC, £309 each, is an alternative option

last word

‘We can all totally switch off and enjoy being close to nature and

timber-framed Scandia-Hus home. ‘While we were waiting for planning to go through, we crossed paths with Murray Johnstone, a neighbour who’d built a couple of houses close to our plot,’ says Laura. ‘Although I’d completed a self-build course in London, I realised that I’d need Murray’s expertise to project-manage and this partnership worked extremely well. Murray’s recommended carpenter, Russell Crimes, was fantastic, as were his suggestions for other trades.’ When it came to choosing materials, the couple were keen to use natural options where possible. ‘We felt cedar cladding would look wonderful and would also weather well,’ says Laura. ‘For the inside of the house we decided to go for a combination of slate, brick and tongue-and-groove panelling to inject the rustic, lived-in and welcoming feel we wanted.’

Laura and Paul selected a pale palette to show off these natural elements. ‘In terms of the interiors, we wanted the walls to be painted in muted tones of white,’ says Laura. ‘I then introduced