Interiors: Prospect House

"It seemed such a welcoming place, with friendly people," she says.

The family who lived there did so until 2002. Around this time, Jane and her husband Bryce, who had renovated a listed building in a nearby conservation village, were looking for something bigger for themselves and their son Alexander (then six years old).

The appeal of the house, built of whinstone with granite quoins and window surrounds, and boasting a charming porch with an elegant arched window, isn't difficult to grasp. A sense of it having been a much-loved family home resonated in the building's walls. However, age had taken its toll. "The survey might have put other people off," says Jane.

The couple's renovation experience stood them in good stead, as did Bryce's job as a professional decorator.

Structurally the building was sound, although some roof timbers had to be renewed and slates replaced.

"We sourced slates from an old barn about a hundred miles away," says Jane.

The windows were another major job: half had aluminium frames, while the remaining sash-and-case designs were in poor condition. "Our joiner handmade new sash-and-case windows that look just like the originals," says Jane.

Having moved in immediately, the family lived with tradesmen for some time, although the size of the house gave them scope for escape. The house was rewired (replacing old cable wiring) and even the original bell system was refurbished so, Jane jokes, she can ring for a G&T.

Plumbing was also overhauled, and the central heating upgraded with a condensing boiler.

It took four years for the couple to get everything how they wanted."We tackled bigger jobs in stages," says Jane.

Old carpets were removed and walls painted white before any rash decisions could be made.

"It's one of Bryce's tips to 'white out' a space, then sit back and decide on colours," Jane confirms. Later they used historically sensitive Farrow & Ball shades to complement the building's age and the light entering each room.

Although they love having guests to stay, the couple didn't need seven bedrooms and devoted one to a luxurious new first-floor bathroom.

"Previously the house just had a room with a bath and sink, opposite a separate toilet," says Jane, referring to a first-floor space that's now a shower room. Their priority for the new bathroom was a large Jacuzzi bath, encased in timber panelling made by the couple's joiner to complement the panelling on the door of an original linen press in the corner (ideal for storing towels). The joiner used the same panelling for a handy storage seat he built below the window.

Sealed, marble-effect flooring from Karndean was used in the bathroom. And with four labradors to consider, the couple also opted for durable Karndean in the kitchen/dining area.

A section of wall (covering a third of the room's width between the kitchen and dining area) was removed to make this area entirely open plan. The timber beam above was deemed structurally inadequate, and a reinforced steel girder was inserted.

Jane and Bryce consulted with Ian Cameron-Smith of local firm Woodstock Interiors to create the kitchen, the epicentre of family life.

"I drew some ideas and Ian came up with the design," says Jane.

However, Bryce is the real cooking enthusiast. He prioritised a Lacanche range cooker, which took eight weeks to arrive from France.

"We had microwave meals while we waited," says Jane.

A faux chimney breast enhances the cooker's position, its mellow cream colour tying in with painted timber units. The Belfast sink set between the granite worktops also complements the country vibe.

The couple preferred not to have wall-mounted cupboards, and a freestanding timber unit provides additional storage while delineating the kitchen from the dining area, where the pine dresser was an impulse buy whilst on holiday in the Borders. "We worried later about how to get it home," says Jane.

Chunky, Italian-made sofas lend a classic look to the living room, where framed landscapes include work by local artist Jim Sutherland. Original floorboards were already exposed in this room, although the couple resanded them for a fresher finish.

Floorboards within the entrance hallway were however quite patchy, mixing five different kinds of wood.

"This space was dark," says Jane, a situation she remedied by painting the staircase white and laying crisp chequerboard Italian floor tiles.

Jane chose a roller blind for the master bedroom so as not to block out much natural light, and the success of this measure prompted her to do the same throughout the house. Furniture for the master bedroom came from Strippers in Dumfries (specialists in stripping paint and varnish).

The two attic bedrooms were floored, but the couple replaced the ceilings. Now a teenager, Alexander loves the semi-independence afforded by these rooms.

Little needed to be done in the beautiful front garden, which the previous owners had landscaped and planted with shrubs.

"It's easy to maintain and the large lawn is great for tennis, or marquees," says Jane. In the back garden fir trees were removed to create a new lawn and hard standing for cars.

There's a real treasure out here in the form of an original coach house (where horses were once changed for the area's stagecoach express), now a charming garden room below an attic gallery where Jane loves to paint. Velux windows and a cosy stove provide abundant light and warmth.

"It's a space with great potential, either on its own, or as an extension to the house," says Jane.

With five horses, it's the need for more land that is prompting the sale of the house Jane thought they would always call home.

"If we could pick it up and take it with us, we would," she says.

Offers over 395,000 for Prospect House, Newton Stewart. Contact CKD Galbraith, tel: 01556 505346, www.ckdgalbraith. co.uk

This article was first published in The Scotsman, Saturday July 3, 2010