Desi Morgan loves her country home for its individuality and because her family are staying put

“We bought this house because of its location, surrounded by beautiful countryside, yet we can walk to a nearby village and Edinburgh is a short train ride away,” Desi says.

“The house also has a very flexible layout, it is fantastic for entertaining, fantastic for family life, we can open it up or shut ourselves away in front of the fire.”

The Morgans were drawn to the property because of its individuality. Unique touches include unusual window shapes and solid oak doorways. The icing on the cake, however, was the high, vaulted ceiling in the living room, to which Desi added solid oak beams to dramatic effect.

Buying directly from the developer meant Desi had the opportunity to choose kitchen and bathroom fittings herself. “The kitchen is perfect for us and I particularly enjoy the Aga.” Flooring was another important choice that Desi was pleased to have free rein with. “However, the interior was so freshly decorated, it was almost too crisp, I would have preferred it to be a bit more rustic,” she adds. She has slowly been personalising her home ever since, choosing soft, landscape colours and displaying an ever-evolving collection of inherited, found and rescued pieces of eclectic furniture and accessories.

The rambling layout makes an excellent backdrop for the family’s collection of paintings. Although contemporary Scottish artists currently take pride of place, Desi has cleverly mixed in a lot of Dutch and Polish paintings, as well as several of her children’s works. Favourite pieces have served as a starting point for many of the rooms. In the master bedroom, for example, a beautiful portrait of their daughter gave Desi the perfect hint for the heather-painted wall behind the bed. The comfortable headboard was then made up in a complementary fabric by a local upholsterer.

Desi describes her style as continental, with a global edge. The living room, with its coffee table from Hong Kong and a hanging lantern, certainly has a touch of the Orient about it. This eclectic fusion style is inspired by her background: Desi was brought up in Holland. After she married her Scottish husband, his work took them to Austria, Poland and Hong Kong. She has amassed an extensive collection of crockery, glassware and furniture from all these places, as well as from subsequent family holidays in Italy, France and Turkey. She is not afraid to mix and match: items picked up in a street market in Hong Kong sit happily beside inherited Dutch folk art. “I love finding stuff in all sorts of unlikely places and am often amazed how well things blend in once I get them back home. I always use local independent shops at home or abroad, anywhere off the beaten track. It is a great way of giving your home a unique feel.”

In the kitchen, maple cabinetry – by the Newcastle Furniture Company – and limestone tiles keep the room light and bright. Walls are painted in Farrow and Ball’s Slipper Satin. “We used a plain glass splash back and we think there is a touch of green in the glass and it now looks as if the glass is a very pretty eau-de-nil. We could not have planned that,” says Desi.

The collection of Dutch houses reminds Desi of her home and childhood. The chairs are decorated with souvenirs from Holland and travels abroad.

Solid oak flooring has been used throughout the house, while Desi bought the cowhide rug in the living room while she was in France, years ago, long before they became fashionable here. The piano here is inherited and much used. The living room opens to a dining area, where another inherited piece, the burr walnut dining suite, is used for special occasions.

In the master bedroom, the white sofa was rescued from a friend. “White is fine in a bedroom, it would not wear so well in the living room,” Desi says. The pretty heather wall is painted in the Paint & Paper Library’s Lady Chars Lilac, while cushions from Habitat add a delightful finishing touch. Meanwhile, in her daughter’s room, wooden letters spell out the word ‘dream’. “The painted furniture is typically Dutch and belonged to me as a child,” Desi explains. The quilt is vintage Laura Ashley.

Desi’s style is practical as well as beautiful. She can see potential in even the most unprepossessing junk shop find. “I believe in preserving things,” she says.

Now that the family is settled and her children are growing up fast, Desi has been able to focus on setting up a successful business selling pretty, practical wooden wagons. “They are the norm for families at home and when I came to live here in the UK, I was quite puzzled seeing families struggling on woodland walks or beaches with toddlers, dogs, buggies and picnics. Children love them; they are great for getting out and about with the paraphernalia that family life requires, and they fold up neatly in the back of the car. They also make beautiful wheelbarrows.”

Gardening is Desi’s most recent passion. “Having moved so many times, it was impossible for me to keep a garden going, if you know that you are going to move on in 18 months or so, it is difficult to keep the motivation up. Now I love it, I really enjoy the changing seasons and the opportunity of creating another room outside.” k

Woodie Wagon (www.woodiewagon.co.uk)