KIDS NEWS Cool kit for juniors

Cubebot robot toy by Areaware, £34, Fy! HANGING BY ARED

Framed paper garden sculpture, £190, My Papercut Forest

My First Skittles by Janod, £42, Kidly

Play time

Scrunch bucket in Old Rose, £10.99, Scrunch

Graeme creature, £84, Donna Wilson If you’ve spent ages creating a playful scheme for your child’s bedroom, fi nishing it off with a plain white lampshade would be criminal. Look instead to fun options like this rainbow paper shade from Habitat. And if you have neither the time nor the energy for decorating? The curved shape and traditional bright colours will eff ortlessly cheer the place up and bring a dash of joy to your little

one’s room. £12. habitat.co.uk

S Q U A R E U P

Need fl exible storage solutions for all your kid’s kit? Try Need fl exible storage solutions for all your kid’s kit? Try the Sona from Tikamoon. It’s a metal bookcase, made the Sona from Tikamoon. It’s a metal bookcase, made up of three modules that can be arranged as required. up of three modules that can be arranged as required. Stack them and fi x them to the wall to stash away books Stack them and fi x them to the wall to stash away books and art supplies, or line them up at a child-friendly and art supplies, or line them up at a child-friendly height to encourage independent play. However you height to encourage independent play. However you arrange them, these industrial cubes will stylishly solve arrange them, these industrial cubes will stylishly solve some of your storage woes. some of your storage woes.

£399. tikamoon.co.uk £399. tikamoon.co.uk

William Morris baby gift set, from £28, That Girl in Green

downpour on the first weekend led to water gushing down the inside of the windows, and some of the radiators weren’t even connected to the main heating system. “It was in a poor condition,” he remembers. “It had to be re-roofed, the heating and electrics needed redoing, and the floors had to be replaced. Once I’d got it wind- and weather-tight I could start thinking about what I actually wanted to do, interiors-wise.”

Whenever Smith begins working on a project, he focuses firstly on arrangement and layout. His own home was no different. “Jimmy always emphasised the impor tance of proportion. There were lots of things I learned in training that have stuck with me, such as how if you’re putting a rug in a room you should make it as big as possible, because if it’s too small it will make the whole room feel enclosed,” he explains. “So I started by using CAD to figure out where the furniture would go. Everything developed quite naturally from there.”

Rather than bury his head in lurid paint charts, the interior designer allowed his impressive art and sculpture collection to guide the tastefully luxurious aesthetic of his home. Paintings by Picasso and Alan Davie, a bronze sculpture by Vincent Butler, and a Garouste & Bonetti table are among the pieces of note. A muted palette of textiles ensures they don’t get lost in

surrounding noise. “Art and sculpture are very important to me; it’s what I feel comfortable surrounded by,” says Smith, himself a keen figurative sculptor. “People always say, ‘Oh, but there should be more colour’, but I work with colour a lot and don’t want to live with it all day. If you’ve got good art, it doesn’t have to exist in a colourful space. I like a neutral canvas, and don’t want a room to be overtaken by any one specific thing.”

In the sitting room, for example, there isn’t one single design element that leaps out as the star of the show. Perhaps that’s because every item within it is a quiet statement piece, the interiors equivalent of an exquisitely designed camel coat, so as a collective they shine together (and there’s ample light from the glass sliding doors and skylight to appreciate every last detail). Smith designed most of the furniture and had it made by Scottish craftspeople: sleek sofas enveloped in an ivory Hermès weave; an angular brass and marble coffee table; a sheepskincovered cocktail chair; a plush geometric armchair upholstered in mohair velvet. A taupe banquette curves around a dining table that rests on a bronze base by Julian Chichester. Behind the

sofa hangs a bold abstract painting by Scottish visual artist Jacob Littlejohn, who created the piece specifically for the room.

“That’s a really strong work of art, but the room can take it because there’s a black marble fireplace opposite that balances it out,” says Smith. “I like that my home feels calm and relaxing, but there’s always something for your eye to be interested in.”

The fireplace was one of the few additions he made, alongside a T-shaped stud partition in the hallway which separates a stylish drinks area on one side from a cloakroom on the other. It’s clad in inky black Nero Marquina marble, contrasting with the glossy white Calacatta stone covering the walls and floor in the internal kitchen further down the hall.

But for every pebble-smooth surface there are cosy rugs and carpets which add understated warmth. The grey and white Greek-key patterned carpet in the master bedroom was designed by Smith and woven to order by Wilton Carpets; a signature move of the designer, who recently did the same for the Peat Inn in Fife. “I’ve always designed carpets and had them made – it’s an opportunity to put a design on the floor that nobody else has, and it’s a reasonably inexpensive thing to do,” he says. “That bedroom is tall, so I wanted something to ground it, and overscaled geometrics always appeal to me.”

Lots of people reserve art for communal spaces so as to dazzle their guests, but not Smith, whose bedrooms house some of his most treasured works. A landscape and two ink drawings by Alberto Morrocco grace the textured linen walls in the master bedroom, while the guest bedroom contains an object that once belonged to someone rather famous.

“I bought a sculpture of a standing man from the online auction house 1stDibs and I didn’t realise until the dealer later sent me information that it had come from Andy Warhol’s private collection,” he laughs. “After he died, a lot of his stuff went up for sale. I didn’t ever find out who it’s by, though.”

It’s pieces like this that will travel with Smith from home to home. Recently, he sold this place to move to a bigger house along the road with more outdoor space for his beloved spaniels, Louis and Jack, to run around in. “I’m in the very early stages of planning; it’s completely run-down. It will be slightly different to this house, but many of the pieces within it will be the same. A house is bricks and mortar, but it’s what’s in it, and who you share it with, that make it a home,” he smiles. “You should always be surrounded by the things that are important to you.”

C l a s s i c u n d e r s t a t e d d e s i g n , b u i l t i n .

iguring out what your client wants, understanding their tastes and knowing how far they’d like to be pushed out of their comfort zone is an art that any successful interior designer has to master. It’s tough enough to do when you can spend time together, leafing through samples and paint charts and discussing ever y detail of a project. But what if the client is on the other side of the Atlantic during a pandemic and hasn’t even set foot in the property they’ve commissioned you to refurbish?

That was the challenge facing Carley Kyle of Edinburgh’s Jeffreys Interiors as 2020 drew to a close. She got a call from a former client who lives in the city’s west end to say the flat above his was up for sale and his parents in America were considering buying it. Would she be interested in checking it out with a view to knocking it into shape?

“I went and took a look,” recalls the designer. “It was a firstfloor apartment in a classic townhouse that had been divided up over the years. It had a lot of positives, but the layout wasn’t right for modern living, and even though the interiors had barely been touched and everything was original, it didn’t seem to have a lot of the character you’d expect in a property of this period.”

She recorded a video tour of the two bedrooms, bathroom, living room and very small kitchen and sent it, along with a few suggestions of how it could be improved, to America.

The clients, Cynthia Croatti and Alan Patrick, had been travelling to Edinburgh a lot in recent years to see their son and daughter-in-law and their two grandchildren, and the idea of having their own place in the city appealed. They’ve done quite a lot of building projects in the States (they have homes in

[Opposite] Jim Thompson wallpaper and a Vaughan light fitting inject moody glamour to the master bedroom. The woodwork is painted in Zoffany’s subtle Olivine. [Previous pages, left] The en-suite has waterproof wallpaper by Wall & Deco and a bath by Albion Bath Co. The green onyx-effect tiles are by Mandarin Stone. The wallpaper in the foreground is a Zoffany design. [Middle] Brass detailing on the stove by La Cornue is echoed by the handy fold-out tap for filling pans. [Right] A Christopher Farr fabric was used to upholster the headboard, while the cushions are by Elitis and Jim Thompson. The rug is from Turnberry Rug Works

Boston, Florida and Cape Cod), so the idea of working remotely on a large-scale refurbishment didn’t faze them. They knew the building and the street, and here was Carley Kyle saying she could make it look wonderful…

“They took a leap of faith and bought it,” smiles Kyle. “They didn’t see the house in the flesh until travel restrictions were lifted, by which point we were six months in and about halfway through the renovation. The second time they saw it was at Christmas when it was complete. But they were on the ball and great to work with, and we conferred all the way through. ‘Do what you think is best – we trust you,’ they kept saying.”

It helped that Alan and Cindy had supplied a strong brief for “something very traditional, very Scottish, earthy and cosy”, and told her they loved an Edinburgh townhouse Jeffreys Interiors had recently designed.

In spite of all this, her starting point was not interior design but rather appointing an architect and hashing out floorplans. This is a listed building, so planning permission was needed to make changes such as adding a wall to create a utility room – essential if the kitchen was be moved to the front to form one big semi-open dining and living space. The main bedroom was given an en-suite, and there’s now a cloakroom too. “We had to fight our case but we got there in the end.”

Next up was rewiring the electrics, installing a new central heating system and restoring the period details. “The existing cornicing and ceiling roses were really basic,” says Kyle. “We upgraded them and put in the kind of architectural detail you’d expect to find.”

The Edinburgh cabinetmaking firm of Peden & Pringle was commissioned to make the kitchen, the built-in wardrobes, the big bookcase in the living area and the walk-in cupboard in the hall. The latter sits behind a secret door and is what you

see directly in front of you as you enter the flat. A large chunk of the overall budget went into the kitchen and the cabinetry, acknowledges the designer. “It was a serious investment. But there’s a lot of it, and it’s a big kitchen with 4m-high ceilings, and a huge bookcase. We find in the majority of townhouses like this that we have to do bespoke cabinetry,” she adds. “Because of the scale of the rooms, nothing ready-made will fit.”

There was pressure to come up with something “beautiful” for the kitchen since the room is open to the rest of the living area. Kyle and Peden & Pringle endeavoured to make the design feel less obviously ‘kitcheny’, suspending glamorous CTO pendants above the island, and inserting reeded-glass doors into the units to stop them feeling too blocky. The cabinetry has been spray-painted for an ultra-smooth finish, their doors opening to reveal solid oak interiors. One very special cupboard and drawer in the utility is devoted to Alan and Cindy’s dog, who always travels with them. “The dog’s bowl just sits on the floor in my house, so I know how useful that drawer is!” she smiles.

It’s just one example of the dazzling, intricate detail, much of it unseen, that elevates this project to such a high level. Cindy and Alan loved all the quirky little touches and were tickled by Kyle’s ideas. “I love leopard print and so I try to bring a tiny bit of it into every project,” she says. “We always design for the clients and in any style, of course, but Alan and Cindy thought my love of

[Left] A special space was created for the owners’ dog in the utility room, complete with bowl drawer. [Above] Porta Romana lights, a modern roll-top by Albion Bath Co and marble floor tiles by Ca’ Pietra give the main bathroom a timeless quality

leopard print was really funny and were very encouraging. You can see it on the headboard and the cushion trim in the guest bedroom, but I also lined one of the drawers in the bookcase with it as a surprise for them. It’s nice to add a tiny bit of yourself even if no one will ever see it.”

The palette of dark greys and sage greens captures the earthy, cosy vibe the owners wanted. It’s almost more difficult to pull off a muted scheme than a really bright and colourful one, Kyle believes. “You have to find a way to make it interesting. The trick is to use lots of different shades, because it would be too dark and dull if it was all the same. You can also create a feeling of warmth by layering colours.”

The couple finally saw their new home in December, a year after buying it. The Jeffreys team had put up a Christmas tree for their arrival and decorated the flat with lights and presents. “We were anticipating a fine end product,” says Alan. “Even so, we were a little nervous climbing the stairs for the first time. But that dissipated immediately on walking through the front door and seeing the quality of the design and the work that had been put into the project. It just felt right in terms of style, scope, finish, design and decor. We like stylish and cosy, liveable and practical, and this place certainly meets that. It just flows and gives off a relaxed and sophisticated ambience.”

“We were thrilled,” adds Cindy. “It was perfect.”

Transatlantic trips to Edinburgh to see the family now are even more of a pleasure. “Having travelled a lot globally for many years, it’s so nice to know you are sleeping in your own bed,” say the couple. “We’re able to stay longer and enjoy the city more. We have our regular places to go, like the gym and the market. It feels like home.”

Created to combine a passion of craftsmanship with bespoke projects and high end cabinetry. Cabinet makers with a focus on quality construction

it was a wonderful home, modern practices and materials mean that you can achieve much more now than when it was built in the 1950s.”

The owners wanted to create more of a connection to the incredible setting and for the layout to be more functional and efficient. Studio LBA set about reconfiguring the space to suit. “Although the house invited the landscape in through large window openings, there was still a sense of separation,” says the architect who, during this project, set up his own practice, Jones Robbins Architects, concluding on behalf of Studio LBA.

“The main house was renovated to form snug winter living areas with study zones and bedrooms. From there, when you enter the west extension, you are instantly transported into a very modern glazed section of the building that opens to the landscape.”

Rachel Richmond was just as conscious of the need to find a way to unify the house with the extension. “I was working with existing pieces too,” she says, “in the sense that not only was the original building being updated, but my clients were bringing things from their previous home – I was designing around treasures they already owned, along with new furniture, art and accessories that we picked out to complement the modified surroundings. The challenge for me was how to make it feel organic and cohesive.”

By marrying old and new in the interior design scheme, she has successfully blended the historic and modern aspects of the home. Capitalising on her clients’ love for texture and bold overlapping of periods, she has managed to make the interiors feel as though they have evolved over time. There’s nothing contrived or forced about her arrangements. “The trick is to build looks around key pieces, so additions don’t seem disjointed or messy,” she explains. “Don’t try to shoehorn pieces in. There’s always a bit of trial and error too.”

For architect Gareth Jones, the kitchen is the linchpin that holds today’s homes together. “Here, the kitchen and the family dining and sitting rooms have been relocated and are now associated with daytime living. We’ve arranged them so they take full advantage of the south- and west-facing natural light, with views out via the floor-to-ceiling glazing and doors. We’ve also made connections between the kitchen and the walled kitchen garden in the west of the grounds.”

The simple palette allows the interiors to breathe, reflecting the tranquillity of the natural setting outside. Richmond has tapped into a mid-centur y modern aesthetic in the living area using timeless pieces, such as the Fast chair by Vibieffe, to demonstrate style and functionality can co-exist here. Flooring by Strathearn Stone & Timber has been laid throughout, giving the space a fluidity that allows the various zones to come together as one. The lighting is an integral part of the look

[Previous page] The floor-to-ceiling glazing by Fineline Aluminium connects indoors and out. [Above] A woodburner adds to the warmth provided by the bespoke wooden panelling. [Right] Catalog Interiors supplied the striking pendant light that anchors the open-plan space. A Heal’s dining table and Ethnicraft dining chairs subtly complement the Scandi aesthetic – they are suitably stylish but don’t overpower the main attraction, namely the views to the calming surrounding woodlands

and feel too, with statement pendants and task lights providing personality and practicality. Natural wooden furniture (the dining table is by Heal’s and the Bok chairs are by Ethnicraft) work in harmony with the timber panelling, benches, shelving and interventions created by Jones. Here, the architect had to be inventive, creating wall space for the art-loving owners that wouldn’t detract from the windows.

A bespoke kitchen by Edinburgh-based specialists Joseph French brings the open-plan space together; the design by John Angus feels like a collection of freestanding pieces of furniture that complement the interior aesthetic, rather than a traditional ‘fitted kitchen’. The lines between the various zones are further blurred with open shelving that give artworks and objets space to breathe. A trio of Foscarini’s Aplomb pendants in bold brick-red hang over the island like a sculptural art installation, and moody grey ceramic tiles underfoot (Prism Fog from Collinson’s Ceramics) offer a low-key yet sumptuous grounding for the whole scheme.

The bathrooms are equally chic, w ith the same casual elegance as the rest of this beautiful home. Richmond opted for a simple palette of light, earthy colours and natural wood to ensure they wouldn’t date. A bespoke vanity by Joseph French, sanitaryware by Lusso Stone and quirky flooring (Monochrome Decor porcelain by Mandarin Stone) keep these restful spaces gently stylish.

“You always need to listen to the unique character and setting of each project,” believes Jones. “I wouldn’t say that these are restrictions, but they do provide parameters to tune into and respond to. Here, it was about reinstating a sense of splendour.”