Prestige property: Stunning in Stockbridge

A full townhouse in Stockbridge is, for many people, the pinnacle of Edinburgh residential property.

Number 8 Carlton Street is a lovely example of New Town style, built by James Milne in 1824, with four floors, an outlook over a cobbled street and a private garden.

It is also packed with period features, including working fireplaces, sash and case windows, ornate plasterwork, a stunning roof cupola and a staircase with delicate ironwork balustrade.

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Under its current owner, it has undergone a full refurbishment which makes the most of its classic proportions and features.

8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh
8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh

Yvonne More has owned the house for six years. She bought it on her return from Hong Kong, where she worked in investment banking.

In her time in Stockbridge, she has changed the configuration of the property, without touching its original layout. She recalls: “The previous owners had small children, so it was very much set up to be child-friendly. I wanted to upgrade to a more sophisticated social house, and make the most of all the rooms.”

She employed Capital-based Molly Mac Interiors and went with the brief of Classic Georgian.

Yvonne believes that the lower ground floor was previously used as accommodation for a nanny, and to house a children’s dining room and TV room.

8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh
8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh

There are actually ten small rooms on this floor alone, and Yvonne has re-ordered it into a sizeable one-bedroom, two-bathroom flat with a lounge and study, which can be closed off from the rest of the house. It still leaves access to a sunny sitting room, a second kitchen and Yvonne’s office, all overlooking the garden. She says: “It is a flexible space which can be joined up with the house or split off as necessary.”

Upstairs, a beautiful entrance hall leads to a ground floor kitchen with double doors to a dining room.

Yvonne explains: “It is a great house for entertaining, with lots of choice of where to put guests. In the dining room I can sit 14, which is lovely with the fire lit. I tend to do the cooking in the basement kitchen, so when I have guests I can use the formal kitchen just for champagne.”

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The first-floor drawing room is a stunning area with another open fire and three huge windows. The only disadvantage, according to Yvonne, is filling the space. “Even with large furniture, the rooms are so big.

8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh
8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh

“Molly Mac Interiors was a great firm to work with and Molly MacLachlan herself has a particular talent for sourcing items that are a perfect fit – such as the chandeliers in the dining room and the drawing room.”

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The first floor also houses the master bedroom, a dressing room and a vast ensuite, while upstairs are three more bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Yvonne has three grown-up children who have left home, but says the house was a boon during the lockdowns, when two of them came back to live with her. “We basically we had a floor each and we could enjoy the luxury of space.”

8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh
8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh

The townhouse’s garden is laid out in a two-tiered style, with an enclosed lawn and a sheltered terrace. It is much appreciated by Hamish, her golden doodle dog.

Yvonne now works in London in asset management, but has no desire to live there. She explains: “I commute for two days every second week, but the rest of the time I work in my office here and it is a lovely way to live. I’m two minutes away from Stockbridge – I never really go beyond as it has everything you need.”

Now that her children have left home for good, it is time to find something a little smaller. “My kids come home for Christmas and rugby matches, so I really would like something in a similar style, but about half the size.

Number 8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh, is priced at offers over £2.4m.

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For more information, contact Knight Frank on 0131-222 9600.

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8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh
8 Carlton Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh

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