‘SUNSHINE VIBES SET THE TONE’

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SECOND CHANCE

‘We opted for Ikea units with a view to changing them later. However, after the stress of the last year, we’ve decided that they’re here to stay!’ After a stop-start year, Kate Spiers transformed her flat from an empty shell into an airy home inspired by the building itself

Iwasn’t looking to move at all at first,’ says Kate. ‘We’d been in our old flat for six years and I loved the process of slowly doing it up together. But I wanted a new project as I had some downtime with work, and I noticed this property flicking through Rightmove one day. The flat, a three-bedroom shell, was just down the road from us. I saw it and thought, “I can do something with this”. I went to view it and put an offer in, which got accepted straight away.

Change of plan

Our initial idea was to renovate the flat and then put it on the market or rent it out. I was on a work trip in New York when the sale concluded, so my husband went to pick up the keys. He’d never seen it before, as there’s a clause in Scottish law where you’re not allowed back into the property once you’ve put in an offer. He called me in America saying he couldn’t get the key to work – it turned out that he was trying to get into the flat next door! When he finally got in, he absolutely loved it and came up with the idea of renovating it for us. I wasn’t sure, but once we started thinking about colour schemes and decor possibilities I jumped on board. The extra bedroom definitely helped seal the deal.

First steps

The sale went through in April 2019 and we made an initial start to the project, ripping out carpets and plastering the walls over the summer. I went away to film in the autumn, so it wasn’t until late 2019 that we got started properly on the renovation. When the pandemic hit, there was still so much to do, but the builders had to put down their tools and we all sat it out for a few months. I probably

FRESH START

‘The welcoming hallway, with its fantastic high ceiling, is a great space for displaying artwork’

‘ WE DESIGNED OUR SPARE ROOM FOR GUESTS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO STAY IN IT YET’

in this kind of work closed down during the pandemic. We didn’t have a properly thought-through back-up plan, however, so we went with the cheapest Ikea kitchen we could find, with a mind to redo it later. But, having lived with it for a few months, we’ve grown to like it and are happy to stick with it.

Decor ideas

Our old place had a light, white kitchen, but I wanted something with a bit more colour in the new flat. The beautiful blue tiles from Mandarin Stone for the splashback really make the space and add a dash of fun. I planned the design first using Photoshop, then our tiler made it a reality. When it comes to styling and decor, I like interiors to complement the era of a building. Our flat has airy, high ceilings and gorgeous period details, such as cornicing and ceiling roses, so we’ve built on this. We gave everything a fresh coat of paint and added faux original features and column radiators to make it feel even more characterful.

Bathroom rethink

I’d describe my style as having a southern Californian feel, with lots of light woods, rattan and lush greenery. It might not be what you expect in a Glasgow tenement, but the look works brilliantly with the high ceilings and light rooms. Renovating the bathroom, I think, is my greatest accomplishment by far. I’d been dreaming of a wet room-style shower separate to the bath, but I didn’t want to give up having a tub as well. However, I’d never seen this layout done in a tenement