The wider view

By Fiona Reid
Published on 27/05/2012 15:06

IN 2001, when Alasdair and Karen Thomas started looking for a steading within commuting distance of Aberdeen, the couple were open-minded about whether they would take on a project or buy a steading that had already been converted. They spent a year looking at both options before coming across Balblair Steading at Midmar in Aberdeenshire. Situated just 16 miles from Aberdeen, the then derelict steading was a project just waiting to happen.

IN 2001, when Alasdair and Karen Thomas started looking for a steading within commuting distance of Aberdeen, the couple were open-minded about whether they would take on a project or buy a steading that had already been converted. They spent a year looking at both options before coming across Balblair Steading at Midmar in Aberdeenshire. Situated just 16 miles from Aberdeen, the then derelict steading was a project just waiting to happen.

The location was the main selling point. “It’s very commutable to Aberdeen, and there was the potential for equestrian facilities in the adjacent field,” says Alasdair, as the property sits within 4.25 acres of land, including a 3.5 acre paddock with a smaller paddock to the east. “In the traditional farmhouse and steading arrangement, the steading tends to be positioned behind the farmhouse, whereas here it is to the side of the farmhouse, so both buildings have views down the valley towards Aberdeen,” he explains. “We’re effectively in the foothills of the Cairngorms, with views in all directions.”

That year spent viewing other steading conversions proved inspirational when it came to deciding how best to approach this project. “Obviously, steadings by their nature were never designed for humans to live in and are actually quite narrow,” Alasdair says. “One of the main things I took from looking at other steadings was to avoid having a corridor with lots of rooms off it.”

Instead, each of the rooms at Balblair – other than the utility room, wet room and one of the two bedrooms on the ground floor, which are accessed from a hallway – extend the full depth of the building. The spaces flow into each other, and this layout is particularly striking in the open-plan study, sitting room and dining room, which together form the east wing of the U-shaped steading. The sitting area is double height and open to the eaves, creating an incredible sense of volume.

The gallery landing above this space connects the master bedroom and en suite, which bookend the first-floor level – given over, in its entirety, to the master suite. Both the study on the ground level and the master bedroom above feature a wall of glazing.

As Balblair was their first project, Alasdair, who works in the oil and gas industry, and Karen, who works in local education, turned to the Inverurie-based practice of Ian Duncan Architects. While the couple knew what they wanted in terms of the accommodation, it took several revisions of layout before they achieved the right balance of living space, views and light. “We wanted to maximise the light, but also the benefit of that light,” Alasdair explains.

Karen and Alasdair were also guided by the existing building. “When we first came to look at the steading, there was a very old, rough staircase leading to what had been the hayloft,” Alasdair says. Climbing up to this level, they realised that the double-height space would be stunning if recreated. “We basically replicated that, so the layout is almost as it was 100 years ago, but with the galleried landing.”

The couple spent the first six to nine months working through the drawings with the architect and gaining planning approval before work began on site in 2002. The build took a year, during which time Karen and Alasdair rented a cottage nearby, enabling them to keep a close eye on progress. The builders, NVC Construction, also project managed the conversion, while Alasdair sourced all the materials and internal fittings, from the timber floors and the ledge and braced internal doors to the high specification Scandinavian windows. “Although I wasn’t building the house, I felt I was participating in the process,” he says.

The steading was stripped back to its granite shell before being reroofed and rebuilt internally. “When the roof was finished, and the building was wind and watertight, that was a big milestone,” says Alasdair. Although the overall feeling of this interior is contemporary, this aesthetic has been achieved with a blend of modern and traditional elements, and with a focus on organic finishes.

The use of solid timber, particularly in the staircase and the exposed roof beams, as well as the handmade oak kitchen cabinetry, gives this house a timeless feel. There are contemporary touches from the underfloor heating to the Scandinavian Rais woodburning stove, which creates a focal point within the open-plan space.

The kitchen cabinets are complemented by terracotta floor tiles, which Alasdair imported from Spain. (“They’re all individually hand cast and unique,” he says.) The couple installed an Aga and a Rangemaster cooker. In winter, the Aga is on 24 hours a day and, along with the stove, provides most of the heating for the house, while in summer they simply switch to the Rangemaster.

Every element in this house was carefully considered in terms of style and functionality. And Balblair Steading isn’t simply about a great steading conversion: there’s also the equestrian angle when factoring in the paddocks and the stables, which were created from a bothy in the grounds. This property is about a lifestyle choice.

All along, the couple had an inkling they might one day develop the remaining west wing of the steading to create additional accommodation, and this section was also roofed and floored, but in the end they didn’t need the space. Likewise, the bothy has further potential.

“We toyed with developing this into some form of dwelling or office space,” Alasdair says. Between the bothy and the west wing, there is scope for the next owners to put their own stamp on the house.

Now, Karen and Alasdair are ready for another project. It might be a renovation or a new build, but this conversion has sown the seeds. “We wanted to feel that we’d made this building what it is, and that in years to come it would retain its character,” Alasdair reflects. Balblair Steading has clearly been designed and built to last.

Offers over £485,000; contact Strutt & Parker (01330 826 824,

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