Designers behind Moleta Munro revamp period property for 21st century

JULIET Moleta and Justin Baddon set up their design and lifestyle store Moleta Munro in 2007 after relocating to Edinburgh from London and now champion the coolest of European brands.

The couple live with their sons Lochie, 7, and Charlie, 4, in a Victorian terrace house at 3 North Fort Street. Arranged over three floors and including five bedrooms, two reception rooms, and a large dining-kitchen, the house suits family life.

Justin originally studied textile design before shifting his focus to interiors, while Juliet also works freelance as a design consultant in the fashion industry. The interior of number 3 reflects this shared passion. In the living room, the original black marble mantelpiece showcases an eclectic array of objects, from sculptural Jonathan Adler birds to a Victorian mantle clock that belonged to Justin’s grandfather. “I had a bit of an issue with that at first but I’ve grown to like it,” Juliet admits. “I’m a modernist person, but it works here.”

The oval coffee table looks like a 1960s classic, but it came from Ikea while the understated grey wool Mags sofa is from design company HAY. There are several pieces from HAY, from the geometric Plus 9 throw on the sofa to the Mega Dot quilt thrown over a bed upstairs or the Strap Mirror that hangs above the Duravit basin in the family bathroom.

Modern design classics, like the Fold Floor Light from Established & Sons, are combined with playful pieces, like Donna Wilson’s Ernest Pouffe, in green, and vintage pieces, such as the mid-century Lloyd Loom chair by the window, along with lots of texture, such as the ochre rug, again from HAY.

As Moleta Munro has developed over the years, new products and work by designers has infiltrated the couple’s home.

In the sitting room, the walls and woodwork are painted in a subtle grey hue from Vallti (a paint company based in Edinburgh) with the original floorboards painted white. The recessed area opposite the fireplace is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Downpipe, a dramatic backdrop for the modular Stack Shelf System by Muuto.

The couple kept the backdrop simple in the dining-kitchen with white walls offset by a feature wall in Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath, and added colour with the six suspended E27 Socket Lamps, in purple, by Muuto.

The artworks are diverse, from the pieces in the hallway by local artist Jonathan Gould and the late Gerald Laing to the limited edition Artek print framed in the vast family room. A Futuremap map, by The Future Mapping Company, hangs above the dining table in the kitchen.

This interior is filled with personality – and with a catalogue of pieces, past and present, from Moleta Munro. Even the family bathroom with its freestanding clawfoot bath is given an edge thanks to the Romance side table by Contraforma with its laser cut design.

With the property now on the market, Juliet is considering what the couple’s next venture might be. Building their own holiday house on Skye whet their appetite for another project. “In an ideal world, I’d like to build my own property again, but it’s about finding land,” she says. A renovation feels like a more likely option.”

Offers over £505,000; contact Simpson & Marwick (0131-525 8600, www.edinburghprimeproperty.com).

Moleta Munro (www.moletamunro.com)