Interiors: Lorraine McGuigan enjoys interior design so much that she’s started her own business, and her Ayrshire home is testament to her talent

Published on Tuesday 24 January 2012 00:00

THE RECESSION has been less than kind to many braving the nation’s volatile property market, but Lorraine McGuigan is the exception to the rule.

She and her family have moved four times in the past seven years, flying in the face of the current financial crisis and selling every property at a profit. If American Ann Maurice is the self-styled House Doctor, then Lorraine is surely the Home Surgeon. The ailing properties she has renovated over the past few years have required far more than a few sticking plasters yet she has systematically diagnosed their ills.

On entering the inviting hallway of her current home, a luxurious five-bedroom family residence, it’s hard to believe that just a year ago it was a lacklustre 1970s bungalow in need of some serious tender loving care.

The bright kitchen diner she has created is the perfect space for family living, while the master bedroom suite housed in a clever upper extension would be at home in any boutique hotel.

“I’ve always found it easy to see the potential in a house,” says Lorraine. “Yes, you’ve got to have imagination, but basically you can make any house into your dream house. It might require a bit more than some paper and paint, but the effort will be worth it.

“Having building work done won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it’s worth it. If a space doesn’t work for you, change it – it’s as simple as that.”

With a background in art and design, Lorraine has styled interiors as a hobby for years, and helped out family and friends with their decor. She is now turning her talent into her full-time job, launching The Interior Styling Company to advise home sellers, property developers and landlords who may find they’re stuck in a style rut.

She adds: “I like to think I can bring out the potential in properties. You’ve got to spend money to make money and I think budgeting to spend one per cent of the property’s value on getting it ready to go on the market is realistic. In most cases you’ll make that money back and your house won’t linger on the market for long.”

Lorraine spied the family’s 1975-built bungalow in Alloway, Ayrshire, in the heart of Robert Burns country, in autumn 2010 and thought it would be perfect for her and husband Steven and their seven-year-old daughter Darcy. They picked up their keys in November that year.

The loft space had been left undeveloped by the elderly couple who had owned the property, and the couple could see potential for extending into the roofspace.

After sketching their vision for the house, they called in an architect to make final drawings and work began in February 2011.

By May the upper extension housing three new rooms was complete, the new kitchen diner had been formed by knocking down a wall between the old kitchen and dining room, and an impressive wooden deck had been added to the back of the house, the perfect gallery from which to enjoy the property’s large south-facing garden.

Lorraine adds: “We have a great team of builders who we’ve worked with on all our houses. They get the job done quickly and they get the job done well. Good tradesmen are worth their weight in gold.”

Decorating took a month and by June last year the job was done. Lorraine chose a predominantly cream palette for the house but her varied choice of tones and accessories creates different moods for different rooms.

All of the downstairs rooms lead off the oak-floored hallway. In the lounge there are two M&S Autograph sofas and a contemporary club chair from Linda Reid, plus one of Lorraine’s most-prized possessions, a reupholstered 1920s chaise longue picked up at the famous Barras market 20 years ago for £100.

Sliding doors at the back of the room lead into the bright kitchen, decked out in high-gloss cream and walnut Cooke & Lewis units, set off with German-designed worktops and sink. A funky cylindrical extractor hood above the induction hob is an unusual addition, while a glamorous mirrored glass table and leather chairs from Linda Reid make the room as suitable for an elegant dinner party as it is for a relaxed family brunch at the breakfast bar.

There is more family space across the hall in the relaxed TV room. A cleverly created feature wall papered with a leather-look wallpaper gives depth, while faux fur and animal print textiles on the comfy sofa add a glitzy edge.

Two guest bedrooms, one with French doors to the garden, and the bright family bathroom complete the ground-floor accommodation. Upstairs, every bit of available space has been maximised – as well as two bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, there is a petite home office built into the eves.

Darcy’s bedroom is a haven of girly pink accessories. A cerise chaise provides a funky focal point and rosy cushions adorn the bed. “Princess” is spelled out on a white Ikea mirror.

Lorraine and Steven’s master suite across the hall is the couple’s favourite room in the house, with its gold palette and damson accents. Lorraine says: “We knew we had the room up here to create a really spacious and relaxing bedroom, we wanted that hotel feel; all crisp white linen and simple clean lines.” She certainly achieved her goal, from the subtly pearlescent wallpaper to the romantic French-style chairs and the oval-shaped tub in the en suite.

With her fourth project complete, Lorraine has itchy feet again and is keen to find her next property patient in need of treatment.

She adds: “We never buy our houses with the intention of selling them on. Above everything else, it’s important for me to create a family home, somewhere comfortable for Steven, Darcy and I. When I’ve finished a house, however, I just can’t help looking around to see what might be available for us to work on next.”

• The extended bungalow is on sale for offers over £425,000. For details, visit www.theinteriorstylingcompany.co.uk or call 07834 187 440.

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