Designer Luke McClelland has renovated an early 19th Century Grade A listed property in Edinburgh’s iconic New Town.
When the client purchased the property, it was evident that years of extensive decoration and modifications had compromised the grand Georgian proportions and intricate detailing of the main living spaces. The new design aims to sympathetically strip back the existing interior to celebrate the remaining historic features. This has been achieved through a careful balance between restoration and modern intervention.
In order to preserve the property’s Grade A Listed status, interventions in the building’s fabric were kept to a minimum. A small toilet was formed by combining two small stores at ground floor level and a new opening, linking the kitchen and utility room, was created to enhance circulation between primary living spaces.
The bespoke oak kitchen, made by local joinery studio Archispek, was designed a piece of furniture in the main kitchen/ dining room. The island centrepiece doubles as the dining table, with a slab of Ceppo Di Gre stone bringing the worktop up to the standard height. Recessed alcoves in the primary dividing wall between the kitchen and living room provide storage. The utility room, located in the old kitchen and containing the majority of appliances and storage, allows the main kitchen to maintain it’s clean sculptural lines.
The flooring has been sympathetically restored throughout. Carpets and vinyl were peeled back, allowing the original pine floorboards to be sanded and oiled to maintain the natural colour and grain. The original natural stone flags, hiding under polished porcelain tiles in the main hallway, were cleaned, buffed and sealed. Perhaps the most striking feature of the property is the original Georgian ‘pencheck’ cantilevered staircase which has been carefully repaired and restored.
A simple material palette was agreed with the client; Ceppo Di Gre stone and oak. The muted interior is intended to compliment, rather than detract from, the existing building. All taps, handles, switches are in brushed stainless steel to compliment the oak and stone.
The photographs depict a subtle and stark interior prior to its full occupation by the new owners. Spaces have been purposefully softened with the introduction of large-scale artworks by Arran Rahiman, and textured furniture and floor coverings.
Designer: Luke McClelland Design - https://www.mcclelland-design.com/ - @mcclelland_design
Construction: Pawlowski Constructions
Kitchen Fabrication: Archispek - https://www.archispek.com/ -
Living Room Artwork: Arran Rahiman - https://www.arranrahimian.com/
