Houzz Tour: A Traditional Scottish Home Gets a Scandi-inspired Makeover
Nestled amid a 19th century terrace in Aberdeen, a formerly neglected house is transformed into a clean, light home
If you want to know how to turn a dark and dated house into a light and airy Scandi retreat, look no further than this terraced house makeover in Aberdeen. With white walls, stripped-back floorboards and a restrained colour palette, this open and fuss-free home has a timeless feel that bears no trace of the neglected and dark property it once was. ‘It was in a bad way, complete with 1970s carpeting and dark wood panelling,’ reveals Andrew Brown of Brown + Brown Architects. Fortunately, the owners, Emily and Andrew Curthoys, a professional couple relocating from Copenhagen, could see the potential, so they asked the architectural team at Brown + Brown to help them realise their dream of a modern yet character-filled home. Andrew describes the finished result as a successful blend of contemporary Scottish design and Scandinavian style.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Emily and Andrew Curthoys
Location Ferryhill, an historic district of Aberdeen
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Architects Andrew and Kate Brown from Brown + Brown Architects
Year renovated 2014
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Emily and Andrew Curthoys
Location Ferryhill, an historic district of Aberdeen
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Architects Andrew and Kate Brown from Brown + Brown Architects
Year renovated 2014
The stately marble fireplace is original, but it had been narrowed with red bricks, which clashed with the elegant grey of the stone. ‘All the fireplaces in the house were chemically cleaned up, and all the paint stripped off to reveal the stone underneath,’ Andrew explains.
The stunning ceiling rose is another original feature, which has been further enhanced by the crisp white ceiling.
Due to Emily and Andrew’s careers, they’ve lived in a wide variety of locations, including London, Copenhagen and Indonesia. Consequently, they’ve accumulated a diverse collection of furniture, with the exact origins often unknown. ‘The clients have always had nice furniture,’ Andrew says. ‘The coffee table and black leather chair are from Denmark. They’ve lived a little bit all over, and they’ve accumulated many nice things.’
The stunning ceiling rose is another original feature, which has been further enhanced by the crisp white ceiling.
Due to Emily and Andrew’s careers, they’ve lived in a wide variety of locations, including London, Copenhagen and Indonesia. Consequently, they’ve accumulated a diverse collection of furniture, with the exact origins often unknown. ‘The clients have always had nice furniture,’ Andrew says. ‘The coffee table and black leather chair are from Denmark. They’ve lived a little bit all over, and they’ve accumulated many nice things.’
The kitchen and dining room switched places during the redesign, with the kitchen being moved to the right of the house, and the dining room to the left. ‘Andrew and Emily wanted a larger dining room and a smaller kitchen,’ Andrew explains. The couple enjoy having guests over, and having a large space for entertaining was important to them.
The Curthoys set up a sleek, modern kitchen, complete with a remote-controlled cooker hood and self-sourced appliances.
Bestlite pendant lights, Ferrious.
The Curthoys set up a sleek, modern kitchen, complete with a remote-controlled cooker hood and self-sourced appliances.
Bestlite pendant lights, Ferrious.
From the kitchen, French windows lead out into the garden, which was completely renovated by garden designers. All the windows in the property needed to be repaired, but couldn’t be replaced due to planning restrictions. ‘The windows were taken out, sanded by hand, repaired and put back in,’ Andrew explains.
A new set of old school cast iron radiators was fitted throughout the house, replacing 1970s panel heaters.
Victoriana cast iron radiators, Paladin Radiators.
A new set of old school cast iron radiators was fitted throughout the house, replacing 1970s panel heaters.
Victoriana cast iron radiators, Paladin Radiators.
The dining room, which used to be the kitchen, has a beautiful original flagstone floor. ‘It was underneath four or five layers of linoleum,’ says Andrew. ‘It took quite a lot of work to strip that back.’ The newly exposed stones were treated with an industrial sealer.
The little door to the right leads to a utility room.
The little door to the right leads to a utility room.
The focal point of the dining room is undoubtedly the massive wooden table, which the couple brought with them from Denmark. ‘It was important that the new house could fit that table,’ Andrew says, which he assumes is made out of limed oak. Andrew adds that the mismatched chairs add an unexpected whimsical touch that actually suits the space quite well.
Panton pendant light, available from Nest.co.uk.
Explore 10 ways to mix and match your dining room style
Panton pendant light, available from Nest.co.uk.
Explore 10 ways to mix and match your dining room style
The alcoves and fireplace were originally walled up in here, so the wall was torn down, revealing the beautiful features behind it. ‘The couple were really keen to get access,’ Andrew says, so they didn’t mind ripping up the walls and flooring to unearth any hidden features.
Two Eames DAW armchairs flank the fireplace and provide a cosy napping spot for the couple’s pair of cuddly cats.
Two Eames DAW armchairs flank the fireplace and provide a cosy napping spot for the couple’s pair of cuddly cats.
The stairs were also completely sanded down. ‘It took a couple of weeks,’ Andrew says, ‘because we had to remove decades and decades of varnish.’ They were then treated with the same Danish oil as the floorboards. The metal baluster was also cleaned up to bring out its beauty.
A singular bright yellow painting stands out among the otherwise plain white interior of the hallway. ‘The clients have a really nice art collection and the house is filled with paintings,’ Andrew explains. The artworks, by various artists, and were picked up during the course of the couple’s extensive travels.
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A singular bright yellow painting stands out among the otherwise plain white interior of the hallway. ‘The clients have a really nice art collection and the house is filled with paintings,’ Andrew explains. The artworks, by various artists, and were picked up during the course of the couple’s extensive travels.
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Achieving the crisp white look of the walls was a main component of the design. ‘Everything was replastered throughout the whole house,’ Andrew says. ‘It was quite a big part of the job.’
A cloakroom under the stairs continues the white theme, but this wasn’t always the case. Andrew explains that it was covered in ‘1970s wood panelling’, which was completely stripped out.
Walls painted in Brilliant White, Dulux.
A cloakroom under the stairs continues the white theme, but this wasn’t always the case. Andrew explains that it was covered in ‘1970s wood panelling’, which was completely stripped out.
Walls painted in Brilliant White, Dulux.
Upstairs, the master bedroom is crisp and simple. Andrew explains that all the furniture in this room is antique, and was either passed down to the couple by relatives or picked up from various antiques shops during their travels.
The bright bay window was another original feature, and was simply sanded and cleaned to match the crisp white interior of the bedroom.
Andrew explains that the fireplace took the most time to renovate. Multiple layers of paint had to be carefully stripped off before the stone underneath could be revealed. The fireplace, along with all the others in the house, is completely functional.
A little storage cupboard on the right of the fireplace provides additional room for small personal belongings.
Andrew explains that the fireplace took the most time to renovate. Multiple layers of paint had to be carefully stripped off before the stone underneath could be revealed. The fireplace, along with all the others in the house, is completely functional.
A little storage cupboard on the right of the fireplace provides additional room for small personal belongings.
‘The bathroom was an avocado suite,’ Andrew says, ‘and everything was in the wrong place.’ The skylight is the only original feature – everything else is new. ‘It’s quite unusual to have a massive roof light in an historic building,’ says Andrew, so the owners were naturally quite eager to take maximum advantage of the light flooding the room.
Bathroom suite and fixtures, Duravit. Proyeccion Ceniza tiles, Saloni.
Bathroom suite and fixtures, Duravit. Proyeccion Ceniza tiles, Saloni.
A simple antique chair, which the owners brought with them from their travels, adds a relaxed touch to the bathroom.
Before they were sanded down, the stairs were covered in carpet and varnish.
The cluttered kitchen used to stand on the left side of the house before it was moved to the right.
TELL US…
What do you think of this Scottish home? Share your thoughts and ideas in the Comments below.
What do you think of this Scottish home? Share your thoughts and ideas in the Comments below.
The 1970s floral carpet that graced this room was allowed to go, though. It was stripped back to reveal the original floorboards, which were treated with white Danish oil to lighten them up.
The property, which was built in the late 19th century, had many other lovely period features just waiting to be uncovered. ‘None of the original features were really evident,’ Andrew explains. They were hidden under layers of linoleum, plaster, varnish and paint. In order to preserve some of the features, such as the skirting boards, cornices and dado rails, Andrew and Kate hired an architectural expert to come in with a 3D laser scanner to scan particular features, so moulds could be made and the features restored.