Back together AGAIN

After years spent travelling, Janice and Gordon Solo seized the chance to turn a subdivided Victorian villa into their forever home

- CHARLOTTE LUXFORD

KITCHEN/LIVING AREA

Dark smoked-oak joinery is balanced with a polished concrete floor, while muted blue panelling adds texture and warmth to the living area.

Kitchen, price on request, Archispek. Voronoi III pendant lights, £170 each, Tala. Bolero bistro stools, £172 for four, Nisbets

DESIGN TIP 'We wanted to use sustainable, salvaged and natural materials, so we chose local suppliers and contractors'

SITTING ROOM

Many of the period details were either retained or artfully restored, including the cornicing, ceiling rose, and timber panelling.

Reconditioned radiator, Glasgow Architectural Salvage. Source a similar vintage leather Chesterfield at Old Boot. Chatsworth chandelier, from £695, Graham and Green, would create a similar look. Carmella brass over arched lamp, £150, Made, would work here. Firefly wall light, £110, Pooky

HOME TRUTHS

THE PROPERTY Victorian villa

LOCATION East Dunbartonshire, Scotland

ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-living area, dining room, study, utility room, five bedrooms (one en suite), two bathrooms

PURCHASED 2018

PREVIOUS PROPERTY 'We rented a ground-floor flat next door,' says Janice.

Every once in a while, a truly unique opportunity will present itself that's simply too good to miss. For ceramicist and architect Janice and Gordon Solo, it was a Victorian merchant's house ripe for renovation in a leafy conservation area just outside Glasgow. The couple jumped at the chance to unify the 19th-century villa, which had been split into two flats. 'We loved the quiet beauty of its proportions, as well as the large, mature, secluded garden, explains Janice.