Houzz Tour: A Renovated Scottish Cottage With a Scandi Vibe
A formerly dark and dilapidated cottage is brightened up with clean lines, midcentury furniture and acres of white
When architects take on their own homes, the end result is almost guaranteed to be a carefully executed expression of their own style. Such is the case with the home of Andrew and Kate Brown, the duo behind Brown + Brown Architects. When the couple bought a 150-year-old Scottish cottage just over two years ago, their main priorities were to bring light into the dark rooms, and to make the place more suitable for 21st century inhabitants. The cottage didn’t even have a proper kitchen or a suitable bathroom, and the whole downstairs layout had to be changed to accommodate the home’s new owners.
‘It was a really impractical house,’ says Andrew, but he and Kate ‘were looking for a project’ and they certainly got one. In the end, the entire renovation took about 10 months, with some key elements of the home, such as the original Esse oven and the wood-burning stove, retained, while the rest of the cottage was given a decidedly airy Scandi makeover.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Andrew and Kate Brown of Brown + Brown Architects and their baby
Location Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Decade built 1860s
Year renovated 2012
Size 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
‘It was a really impractical house,’ says Andrew, but he and Kate ‘were looking for a project’ and they certainly got one. In the end, the entire renovation took about 10 months, with some key elements of the home, such as the original Esse oven and the wood-burning stove, retained, while the rest of the cottage was given a decidedly airy Scandi makeover.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Andrew and Kate Brown of Brown + Brown Architects and their baby
Location Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Decade built 1860s
Year renovated 2012
Size 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
The study’s birch plywood door is custom-made to stretch up to the ceiling. ‘We didn’t want a frame above the door,’ Andrew says, so when the door is open, the hallway and study become one seamless space.
The study is the couple’s main office, and channels a calm, Scandinavian vibe with the help of plenty of white paint and clean lines. ‘There was definitely a Scandinavian influence at play in the design of this home,’ says Andrew. The shelving was all made by the Browns.
The spruce cladding, which is continued throughout the entire downstairs area apart from in the kitchen, visually streamlines the rooms and hallways, while the floors, which are timber coated in several layers of white paint, open up the spaces even more.
Floor painted in Diamond Hard floor paint, Ronseal. Eames RAR Rocking chairs, eBay.
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The spruce cladding, which is continued throughout the entire downstairs area apart from in the kitchen, visually streamlines the rooms and hallways, while the floors, which are timber coated in several layers of white paint, open up the spaces even more.
Floor painted in Diamond Hard floor paint, Ronseal. Eames RAR Rocking chairs, eBay.
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Although the tiles in the kitchen area may initially look like metro tiles, they’re actually just flat, matt white rectangular tiles. ‘We were looking for a plain white tile with no relief on it,’ Andrew explains, citing the couple’s desire to maintain a flat surface for a streamlined effect.
Tiles, Topps Tiles.
Tiles, Topps Tiles.
The dining chairs are 1960s Dalescraft teak chairs, which the Browns tracked down on eBay. The paintings above the dining table, which add touches of colour to the white space, were picked up by Andrew from different galleries.
Dining table, John Lewis.
Dining table, John Lewis.
‘We were going to change the stove, but it works quite well,’ Andrew says of the original Esse oven that came with the cottage. So the couple decided to build the rest of the kitchen around it. ‘The cabinets were made by a cabinet-maker,’ he adds, while the doors, worktops and appliances are from Ikea.
Andrew and Kate left the original slab of slate in front of the oven, which adds a striking dash of black to the white scheme. The mirrored door on the right, just before the living room, leads to the bathroom, a utility room and the back door.
The white spruce cladding visually leads the eye from the kitchen and dining areas into the open-plan living room, and lends the rooms a spacious, bright feel.
The sliding doors are completely new, installed by the duo in order to bring more light into the otherwise dark living room and offer access to the little deck outside.
They decided to place the stove in front of the doors so they could enjoy views of the fire and the landscape beyond at the same time. ‘It’s quite a Scandinavian thing to do,’ Andrew explains.
The moss green rug has been with the couple since their student days. ‘The rocking chair is an old Ikea design from a decade ago,’ Andrew says. He and Kate tracked it down online, and then discovered a company based in Lithuania called eSlipcovers that specialises in reupholstering Ikea furniture, so now it has new, pastel blue cushion covers.
Sheepskin, Skyeskyns. Floor lamp, Ikea.
They decided to place the stove in front of the doors so they could enjoy views of the fire and the landscape beyond at the same time. ‘It’s quite a Scandinavian thing to do,’ Andrew explains.
The moss green rug has been with the couple since their student days. ‘The rocking chair is an old Ikea design from a decade ago,’ Andrew says. He and Kate tracked it down online, and then discovered a company based in Lithuania called eSlipcovers that specialises in reupholstering Ikea furniture, so now it has new, pastel blue cushion covers.
Sheepskin, Skyeskyns. Floor lamp, Ikea.
The sofa, armchair and ottoman all belong to the same set, but the Browns outfitted them with separate, midcentury-style teak legs. The little 1950s record cabinet on the right side of the sofa was purchased at an antiques fair in Aberdeen.
Sofa; armchair; ottoman, all Sofa.com.
Sofa; armchair; ottoman, all Sofa.com.
‘The bathroom was the most horrible space,’ Andrew recalls. ‘In a lot of these little cottages, bathrooms were added later,’ which is why they can end up looking like a hasty afterthought. This bathroom didn’t have a shower, and the entire roof had to be replaced.
‘We wanted it to be nice and clean without being too minimal,’ he says, which is why they added the patterned concrete tiles and plywood details for a bit of colour and warmth. ‘The plywood was treated with polyurethane varnish to make it waterproof,’ Andrew explains.
Bath, Better Bathrooms. Tiles, Topps Tiles.
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‘We wanted it to be nice and clean without being too minimal,’ he says, which is why they added the patterned concrete tiles and plywood details for a bit of colour and warmth. ‘The plywood was treated with polyurethane varnish to make it waterproof,’ Andrew explains.
Bath, Better Bathrooms. Tiles, Topps Tiles.
See surprising ways to add vibrance with tiles
The tiling runs through into the utility space in order to emphasise its division from the rest of the home.
Basin, Bathstore.
Basin, Bathstore.
Upstairs, Andrew and Kate didn’t really have to change much apart from replastering the walls and replacing some of the roof, which was leaking. ‘We added a roof light above the staircase,’ Andrew says. The carpeting came with the cottage, as did the sturdy wooden doors, including their iron handles.
The master bedroom is decorated in a minimalist style, with neutral colours and soft textures. Andrew and Kate had shelves built into the sides of the headboard ‘so that nothing touches the ground’. The room also features a built-in wardrobe (not pictured) and a modest dressing table built into the bay window.
Bed, Ikea. Bed linen, TK Maxx.
Bed, Ikea. Bed linen, TK Maxx.
The nursery’s style matches the rest of the home, with soft, muted neutrals creating a restful space. The grey cot complements the white chests of drawers, while the butterfly wall stickers add a touch of colour. The old chair belonged to Kate’s great-grandmother.
Cot, Mothercare. Rug, Laura Ashley. Wall stickers; chests of drawers, all Ikea.
Cot, Mothercare. Rug, Laura Ashley. Wall stickers; chests of drawers, all Ikea.
TELL US…
What do you think of this Scandi-inspired cottage? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
What do you think of this Scandi-inspired cottage? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
‘We added the large mirror to make the house feel bigger,’ says Andrew, ‘We didn’t want that to be a dead space.’ They also replastered the walls and painted them in fresh white. On the left-hand side of the entrance is the couple’s study (reflected in the mirror), from where they run their architectural practice.
Pendant light, John Lewis. Walls painted in All White, Farrow & Ball.