Interiors: A Georgian property by Edinburgh's New Town

Robin Jack wasn't taking any chances when he spotted a For Sale sign in an enviable part of Edinburgh back in 2006. "Properties in this area don't come on to the market often and I knew this one would be snapped up if I didn't act quickly," he says. The Georgian house, on Gayfield Square on the eastern edge of the New Town, is close to the buzz of Broughton Street and all the centre's draws. Within two days Robin had secured the large ground-floor apartment.

A pretty front garden means the house is set comfortably back from the square, while a little back patio absorbs the afternoon sun. "It's like having a country home in the middle of the city," Robin says. The feeling is enhanced by a private front entrance (upstairs properties have discreet access at the back).

When Robin bought the property he owned several apartments to let – today he concentrates on a guesthouse and another self-catering apartment in the city – and had been looking for a property that required a complete overhaul. "I don't like buying someone else's taste," he says.

However, he had to admit this space didn't need drastic action. The previous owner designed kitchens for a living and did a great job here with traditional styling and quality workmanship. "The kitchen suits the house," Robin says. Certainly, the sociability of an island positioned before the dining area would work well for guests. The designer's signature note, corner cupboards, proved an asset for storage and she also left her top-of-the-range cooker behind. Robin did paint over the kitchen's deep blue walls, which made the buttermilk coloured units feel cold.

Slate floor tiles, also inherited from the previous owner, spread to the kitchen from the central hallway, where a timber chair that belonged to Robin's grandfather takes centre stage. Upholstered in tartan, the chair sits below a series of canvas prints by BoxArt, from Present on St Mary's Street. The juxtaposition of the traditional piece of furniture with the contemporary feel embodied by the images of a deer – a modern take on tradition – defines Robin's interior tastes. A white plaster of paris deer head reinterprets a traditional Scottish theme. In the same space a black Bourgie table lamp from Kartell lends a modern twist to a Baroque design.

This room, with its Georgian windows, is all graceful proportions, although a few coats of light paint were required to eradicate its blood red walls and ceiling; the new shade was carried over an old pine fire surround, giving it an instant facelift.

Period chairs bought on eBay have been upholstered in a contemporary Romo fabric, while decadent black velvet curtains lend the room drama; practically all the soft furnishings were made by Audrey Quinn of Designer Drapes at Musselburgh. Robin customised the pendant light, adding black shades from John Lewis to a basic candelabra fitting he decorated with teardrop crystal droplets bought in Ibiza.

He pushed the boat out to buy a stylish Barcelona chair online. Wall-mounted art bought at a Bangkok market, painted by a local artist, introduces a little colour to an otherwise monochrome theme. "It's a triptych, which made it easier to carry home," Robin laughs.

One of the biggest jobs he tackled, and the most recent, was the refit of the back bedroom's en-suite shower room. This was, says Robin, a hideous space, its shower raised 12 inches off the ground, which meant stepping up and into it.

"When everything was ripped out we could see there was no good reason for this," says Robin. "It was just lazy plumbing and nothing that a little rearrangement of pipe work couldn't fix."

He considered turning the space into a wet room, but a low-profile shower tray and discreet glass screen from Victoria Plumb offered a less risky, equally stylish option. Subtly textured, leather-effect tiles from Collinson Ceramics lend the little en suite a luxurious finish, as does a built-in, space-enhancing mirrored cupboard. Both this mirror and the one on the shower wall are fitted with de-mister pads.

In the back bedroom itself Robin retained built-in storage created by the previous owner, and used deep cherry-red curtains for a cosy ambience.

The main bathroom has been freshened up with paint and wallpaper, while the front bedroom offered Robin another chance to indulge his love of an overhaul. He ripped out what looked like kitchen units from this bedroom's back wall and asked his joiner to build new cupboards with traditionally styled doors in keeping with the house. "So guests still have the benefit of all this storage," he says.

These walls were painted in a warm neutral and Robin had fun with the decor. The chandelier was found languishing on a chair at the back of a junk shop on Leith Walk. "It was in great condition and worked perfectly but was absolutely filthy," recalls Robin, who took it apart bit by bit to wash it down.

He bought the two flamboyant lamps, with birds fluttering around their bases, in TK Maxx. "They border on kitsch but if everything else is pared down then something outrageous can look really good," Robin says. To this end he has kept the surroundings simple, with the symmetry of the lamps echoed by white bedside tables and elegant mirrors.

And given that he loves one-off pieces that really stand out, Robin's purchase of those lamps is akin to his acquisition of the property itself. Lucky old guests.

Visit www.luxuryedinburghapartments.com or tel: [phone].

• This article was first published in The Scotsman Magazine on 06 February 2010