Homes and Gardens
Style Doctor: Painting fine wood surfaces and garden furniture
Q: I have a number of fitted wardrobes and drawers in my bedroom and they are in a dark rosewood shade. I would like to brighten the room up, by painting them. Is there a specialist paint that I should use or is there a company in my area that could do it?
Pat Elliott: ‘Choose a timeless design in white and add colour’
Although the approach of summer tends to turn thoughts to outside spaces, this can be an ideal time to plan and execute larger home-improvement jobs like bathroom revamps.
Gardens: The garden at Gallery, in Angus that doesn’t hedge its bets
IT’S a cold spring day at Gallery, in Angus, and the wind is blowing in from the north-east, bringing with it showers of icy rain. John Simson hurries out with an umbrella, apologising for the weather, concerned the garden won’t be at its best, while head gardener Ron Stevenson peers anxiously at the grey sky.
Ann Burns: ‘Hakonechloa macra looks like a beatnik hairstyle’
I have a fairly large paved area at the back door that faces north-east and gets a minimal amount of sunlight – but being close to the house, it is well used. Last year we started planting up containers, and the past 12 months have been quite successful with colour from both foliage and seasonal flowers. If you need some ideas for container-planting for shade, then you might wish to try some of the following;
Interiors: Never a dull moment at Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s farmhouse video
THE transformation of Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s grade II former farmhouse was never going to be a dull affair, and even he admits there is a lot going on
Interiors: Katie Johnston and Gordon Forrest were smitten at first sight with their Georgian house in East Lothian video
TO borrow a well-known phrase, St Mary’s is the kind of house that ‘has you at hello’. Driving along the main street in the picturesque conservation village of Stenton, East Lothian, it’s clear at first sight that this house is going to be absolutely charming.
Interiors: The contemporary Oban home built by Stewart Orr in the space of just 15 months video
STEWART and Heather Orr live in a fabulous contemporary home with expansive views of mountains and changeable skies reflected in the nearby tarn on a still day. With its generous proportions and wood-clad finish, this property could be in Canada; in fact, this is the outskirts of Oban, and this incredible house was designed and built by Stewart.
Lynn O’Rourke: ‘Is there room for yet another glitter-glue man’
I AM often torn when it comes to interiors. One minute I think a minimalist aesthetic is the life for me, but then I see a beautifully styled home full of cherished possessions and love the way it looks.
Gardens: Prepare to be inspired at this year’s Gardening Scotland event
As spring turns to summer, the weather forecast is watched by all gardeners – but no-one will be following it more closely than the exhibitors in this year’s Gardening Scotland event.
Interiors: Aird Hill, Wester Ross
It took six months to complete Aird Hill, but this tale of love and land in Wester Ross was years in the making
Janet Christie: “I can’t wait until you’re in a wheelchair”
I overhear a conversation between Youngest and her brothers. It’s not hard as they’re standing behind me in the kitchen.
Blooming fantastic at the Chelsea Flower Show
IT is inspired by the deepest tropics – and a disused green house in Fife. But although adventuring in search of rare and exotic plants has been key to one entry at this year’s world-famous Chelsea Flower Show, the last thing its six Edinburgh-based creators want to do is leave members of the public feeling the work is out of reach.
Lynn O’Rourke: ‘The eager plant watering activity has dried up’
I’M not sure our recent burst of planting activity is going to reap the rewards I had hoped for. Will I ever learn not to absentmindedly make promises?
Gardens: Jason Russell and Lucy Head want to keep their garden a surprise
AS YOU arrive at the Loanhead home Lucy Head shares with her partner Jason Russell, their garden, which was highly recommended by Chelsea silver medallist Stella Rankin, owner of Kevock Garden Plants, and described by Lucy as “a plantsman’s garden, a contemporary woodland”, is nowhere to be seen.
Gardening: ‘The dark purple heucheras give structure and calm’
TO BE a good gardener you have to be on the ruthless side, especially in a small space. There just isn’t room for three-week wonders, which is when foliage comes into its own.
Interiors: ‘We are ready again to inject energy and contrast’
THE citrus hues, which were hot colours for a couple of years, have been introduced this year in a slightly more muted form. Still vibrant, nevertheless they pack less of a punch and reflect our growing appreciation of global influences.
Interiors: Ask the style doctor
Q We converted the attic into a sitting/games room for my son as he can’t afford to move out just yet. The room looks masculine and quite stylish with a wall-mounted TV and two modern sofas. I’m now trying to find the all-important small fridge to hold beers that will furnish the room but not look clinical.
D Hudson
Interiors: Jeweller Alison Macleod’s home is an homage to unusual pieces video
THE aroma of fresh baking wafts out the door of Alison Macleod’s third-floor flat in the Southside of Glasgow. The jeweller and silversmith is renowned for her intricate and detailed work, inspired by heirlooms and reclaimed items.
Interiors: With an expansive Edinburgh townhouse to renovate, Louise Koch-Leonard wasn’t afraid to be bold video
LOUISE Koch-Leonard knows a thing or two about the challenges faced when redesigning grand old Edinburgh properties.
Interiors: The Lennons make the most of stunning views with an oak-framed new build video
BRIAN and Isobel Lennon never tire of the view from their home at Pettoch Farm, two minutes from Coylton.
Interiors: Eilean Shona House
A PRIVATE Scottish island that has inspired writers and artists is for hire. So what are you waiting for?
Gardens: The grass can always be greener
A GREAT lawn is the centrepiece of any garden, and if the lawn looks good it makes the rest of the garden shine.
Lynn O’Rourke: ‘Bunting should be fluttering in a gentle breeze’
THE PEAR tree in our garden has turned green, almost overnight it seems. It was all blossom blowing furiously about in the biting cold wind for a while, but suddenly it’s fresh and green again, heralding the onset of summer.
Interiors: The Lothians’ perfect house didn’t exist... so they built it themselves video
WHEN Stephanie and Ryan Lothian built their first house together in 2006, they were jumping in at the deep end. Situated in the village of West Linton, the house had more than 2,800 sq/ft of living space and took four years to get planning permission to build.
Interiors: Colour is a real feature in Susan Bremner and Craig Redpath’s Victorian semi in Troon video
WHEN interior designer Susan Bremner and former Scotland rugby player Craig Redpath went looking for a new house five years ago they had a defined list of requirements: four bedrooms – all on the same level – plenty of living space, big rooms, spacious hallways and a garden.
Gardens: The eponymous goatherd might have been lonely, but the alpine plants in Carole and Ian Bainbridge’s Midlothian plot are never short of company from all over the world
ON A hillside in Midlothian, Carole and Ian Bainbridge have built a garden that is the world in miniature. Alpine plants from mountain ranges across the globe thrive in the shadow of the Pentlands.
Janet Christie: Mum’s the Word
I HAVEN’T had parents for more than 25 years so I generally regard myself as an adult, but as far as my aunty and uncle are concerned I’m still about ten.
Interiors: When furnishing their Borders B&B one couple took inspiration from exotic trips to Phuket and Bali
JOHN Tomnay once had the kind of relationship with DIY that found him calling on professional help to hang a picture. These days he wouldn’t think twice about clambering on to a roof or under a floor.
Gardens: No time to devote to your poor old plot? Thirty minutes is all you need
THERE are government recommendations for exercise, but what about gardening? Is there a minimum weekly time commitment that will keep our gardens healthy?
Garden works: Dahlias have come back into fashion
AS the spring garden grows, so do my ambitions to fill it with more colour than ever before.
At home with: Gilly Mathieson
WHEN producer Gilly Mathieson chose to renovate a rundown property, she didn’t do things by halves
Lynn O’Rourke: ‘The success rate has not been great to date’
I AM trying to find the time to finish off (and in many cases start) the list of projects that I convinced myself would be a good idea.
Interiors: Photographs sold Stag Cottage to Liz Hallam after her husband Richard viewed their holiday home alone. Now, the interior reflects the colours and moods of the stunning scenery right outside the door
LIZ Hallam is so in love with rural Scotland that she didn’t even view the holiday home she and husband Richard bought in 2008 because she was sure it would be absolutely perfect.
Interiors: Rebecca and Sean Begley were looking for something to put their own stamp on when they bought this flat in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge area three years ago
DESPITE having great expectations of their first Edinburgh home, Rebecca and Sean Begley’s focus was on finding a blank canvas.
Gardens: Recovering from the storms
After a storm swept through their Rhu garden, near Helensburgh, Mike and Sue Thornley were daunted by the scale of the destruction. But now they are slowly taking steps to repair and replant
Carina Contini: ‘Our bees will help with propagation – and jars of honey’
IN HER ongoing monthly reports, Centotre and the Scottish Café owner Carina Contini updates us on her efforts to create a kitchen garden
Interiors: Built on stilts at the mouth of the Rosaburn River, Arran, the Big Wooden House lives up to its name
JUST walking up the drive to Greyholme - also known as the Big Wooden House - back in 2005 brought memories rushing back to Joni Keen.
“The smell of the shrubbery was so evocative,” she says.
Gardens: From specimen firs to azaleas, the woodland garden of Inchmarlo House is a tranquil treasure trove
INCHMARLO House, a classical 18th century pile embellished with an elegant balustrade parapet, sits in a raised position on the south bank of the River Dee a mile west of Banchory in Aberdeenshire.
Jenny Miollison on gardens: A humble main course is cheered up with a glorious bowl of salad
THE FAMILY diet undergoes a big change about now. We’ve eaten the last of the winter vegetables. It’ll be some months before beans, peas, and courgettes are going to be ready. But what does it matter? These are salad days.
Janet Christie: We’re due to hit the road for a weekend break. I’ve told the kids we’ll leave at 10am, in a bid to be out of the house by noon.
We’re due to hit the road for a weekend break. I’ve told the kids we’ll leave at 10am, in a bid to be out of the house by noon.
Gardening: Lay groundwork for perfect lawn
WITH the summer fast approaching now is the time to get to work creating a perfect lush lawn.
Edinburgh’s secret gardens
They are an oasis of calm in a city which is a Mecca for visitors during the peak summer months. While many of Edinburgh’s popular green spaces can resemble busy thoroughfares at times - especially during the festival season - these smaller and lesser-known gardens are places where you can truly escape to.
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Weather for Edinburgh
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
