Interiors: Dun na mara, Benderloch, near Oban

Back in 2002, Suzanne and Mark McPhillips made the kind of decision most of us only dream of, swapping Edinburgh and careers in architecture for a large Edwardian house by the sea.

"We first saw Dun na mara in 1998, during one of many trips to Argyll," says Suzanne.

It was love at first sight. Friends introduced the couple to the owners, who hinted that the house at Benderloch, north of Oban, might soon be on the market. In the event Suzanne and Mark waited four years, during which time the house, its beautiful architecture and setting - with gardens spilling onto a private beach and no main road to interrupt views to Mull - never left their minds.

When the For Sale sign finally went up, the couple had to decide how to make their investment work.

"We realised we could create a guesthouse without compromising the building's character," says Suzanne.

Indeed, the couple would be restoring something of the property's original function, as it was first built in 1911 as a holiday home for Glaswegian shipping magnate Andrew Weir, who liked to arrive here from the city by yacht.

In fact, the original house was only two-thirds of its current size, as the third gable was added during the 1940s as a meticulous reproduction of the existing style. Half-timbered gables and the irregular line of the eaves show the influence of the Arts & Crafts movement on the property's architect (who remains unidentified), as do internal details such as fireplaces and carved heart motifs on the staircase. Such architectural nuggets, as well as distinctive drum-shaped dormer windows and large square bays, were a huge draw for this pair. And because the house had only changed hands a few times, these features were well preserved. Andrew Weir passed the house to his daughter, who sold to the family from whom Suzanne and Mark bought.

The couple drew plans for subtle modifications that would equip the house, which then had ten bedrooms and a couple of bathrooms, to operate as a B&B.

Their reinterpretation of space allowed smaller bedrooms to become bathrooms, so all seven bedrooms now have en suites. The house required complete re-wiring and re-plumbing (including the installation of a pressurised system that makes the showers pretty powerful) and the couple moved into a small cottage behind the main building while work got underway.

"We were focused, and got through the renovations in three months," says Suzanne.

Alterations meant areas of cornicing had to be repaired, and a local plasterer used existing sections to cast matching pieces, creating a seamless finish.

The decor hadn't been touched in 25 years, and the couple replaced patterned wallpapers with fresh white paint, enhancing one of Dun na mara's great assets.

"The house faces southwest, so it is constantly bathed in light," says Suzanne; "The original design was well considered, with the dining room, sitting room and drawing room overlooking the sea."

The white interior lends a contemporary feel, as do stylish fittings by Italian manufacturer Catalano for the bathrooms. It was always the couple's intention to create the feel of a city apartment in the country and the simplicity of the Arts & Crafts style lent itself well to this transformation. However, the requirements of a modern-day B&B sometimes overrode vestiges of the past.

"There was no way we could constantly stoke up the solid fuel Rayburn cooker in the old kitchen," says Suzanne. In its place practical streamlined units were installed.

Fireplaces provided unique decorative touches, each having differently coloured original tiles. Painting the Arts & Crafts fireplace in the dining room white allowed its deep red tiles to stand out, and this shade is echoed throughout the room, for example in the chenille fabric mounted against timber panelling at the bay window. The latter affords the warmth of curtains without detracting from light entering the room, where original floorboards were discovered in good condition beneath carpeting.

In the front hallway, dark green tiles create a rich feel against waxed timber panelling, while one bedroom has lime green cushions to tie in with the fireplace tiles. Many of the bedrooms, furnished with contemporary beds and white linens, enjoy sea views, or mountain vistas, and include tactile details such as soft blankets and ceramic bowls filled with pebbles from the beach.

It's no coincidence that the interior also features elements of oriental style. Before moving to Edinburgh, Suzanne and Mark lived and worked in Hong Kong, and during that time they travelled to China, Tibet and Nepal. Their experiences honed their appreciation of minimalist style, evident in the clean-lined simplicity of rooms at Dun na mara, where the couple's collected objects and art from around the world are on show. In the hallway, three clocks show the time in Oban, Hong Kong and New York, while a Thai Buddha occupies the fireplace in the sitting room, where a model boat on the sideboard is a reminder of the property's past.

With renovations complete the couple moved into their private accommodation, within the section added in the 1940s. Design classics such as the Corbusier chaise longue and Mies van der Rohe chairs are teamed with a black leather sofa in their front drawing room, where a large piece of art by Sarah Carrington captures a coastal scene.

With the cottage freed up, the couple set about transforming it into a self-catering bolthole for two, with its own secluded garden.

Dun na mara sits amidst 20 acres, including established gardens, the site of an Iron Age fort, and a walled garden with potential for development.

The couple opened their doors to guests in January 2003, pacing themselves in this traditionally quieter period, but were soon accustomed to the physical demands of running a guesthouse seven days a week. In later years they would take winter breaks, seeking the shortest flight to the warmest destination possible, which led them to Malta. "We fell for the island and its architecture," says Suzanne.

This adventurous couple are now planning a renovation there, but Suzanne admits it will be a wrench to leave these idyllic Scottish shores.

Offers over 895,000 for Dun na mara, Benderloch. Contact Savills, tel: [phone], www.savills.co.uk For B&B enquiries, tel: [phone], www.dunnamara.com

This article was first published in The Scotsman on Saturday, 21 August, 2010

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