‘We Transformed A Bland Interior With Colour'

When Ella and Rory Fletcher moved into this townhouse with its big, bright, high-ceilinged rooms, they saw a chance to let loose with some bold ideas

The Fletchers have no regrets about selling their three bedroom cottage on a noisy bus route near Heathrow and moving to a peaceful street in the Morningside area of Edinburgh. ‘We met at Edinburgh University in 2004, and had always dreamed of moving back. We were fed up of working crazy hours and it made sense to move before our daughter Daisy started school, so we hatched a plan to rent there for six months first. However, Rory found a job in Edinburgh straight away so we quickly sold our house in Kew and started house hunting.

‘After viewing several homes we couldn’t really afford as we hadn’t got to grips with the Scottish “offers over” system, we fell for this place, with its original window panelling and Edinburgh press alcove cupboards with shallow shelves that are typical of houses here. The decor was bland, but every room was a really good size and felt bigger because of the high ceilings and big windows. Another bonus was the two spare bedrooms on the top floor that would be perfect for visiting family.