Victorian Villa - Original Thinking

Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to create the home they had always longed for, the owners of this handsome Scottish property used their initiative when it came to honouring its 19th-century design.

- Elizabeth Hutton With Arabella St John Parker

While there are always exceptions, as a rule houses do not remain exactly as they were originally built or decorated. Trends and tastes change and owners come and go, each bringing with them their design ideas and expectations. The determination to make one’s mark, however, can lead to beautiful original features being permanently lost, and “improvements” often turn out to be anything but.

IN SAFE HANDS

It is a story that chimes with Gillian and Mike Stewart, owners of this Victorian home set in the Fife countryside. By the time they found the property, the original staircase and cornicing had long been ripped out and the hall floor replaced with cork tiles. With their hearts set on creating their dream home, the couple decided to buy the house and to turn their hands to renovation and redecoration. Fortunately, to them that meant restoring the building’s integrity and honouring its heritage.

TAKING THE FIRST STEP