When 1 Victoria Terrace in Inverness was on Scotland’s Home of the Year, back in 2021, the judges loved its anaglypta wallpaper and sweeping staircase.
They were also impressed by the exterior of the C-listed building, which is thought to have been designed by Alexander Ross, who also created the city’s cathedral. In fact, in the programme, they described the home as ‘handsome’.
It ended up being the winner of the Highlands heat and, now, it can be yours, as the four bedroom and three reception room property has come on the market with Galbraith at offers over £600,000.
We asked Simon Patton, who owns the property with his wife, Gaëlle Patton, to tell us more.
Why are you moving on?
We are moving to France as Gaëlle is French and we both wish to retire there after the last 23 happy years in Scotland. We are looking for a different culture and way of life and warmer, drier weather so we can spend a lot more time outside in the garden. To be able to entertain outside regularly will be a joy and we just can’t do it very often here. We also want to spend more time with our French family. Furthermore, our children are all now living in the south so access to France from London via Eurostar is so easy and quick for them.
Are you sad to be leaving the house and Inverness?
We are very sad to leave the house in Inverness after 14 years and a lot of great memories but we want a new challenge before we are too old. We are ready to move on and experience a new adventure and of course we have learnt so much from the work we have undertaken in Inverness. This will be a new chapter in our lives.
We’ve heard you want to take on a French renovation project - what will that entail?
We are looking for a slightly larger period property, such as a maison de maitre manoir or hôtel particulier. We want a property of distinction with more ground but lighter renovation work such as new bathrooms and some other modest projects but mainly decorative and interior design work. Nothing too heavy going or time consuming. The garden will be really important as we want to be able to spend a lot more time outside and enjoy a swimming pool.
What have been your happiest times at Victoria Terrace?
Our happiest times in this house have been making many super friends and seeing our three children grow up in such a lovely environment - both the house and the area in which we reside. We have thoroughly enjoyed watching the house develop over the 14 years that we have been in it and the comments that we have received from the many visitors over these years.
What was your time on SHOTY like?
It was a great diversion during Covid. It was hard work preparing the house for filming but great fun and fascinating to see how it was conducted and how the show was put together. We received a great deal of feedback and it was very satisfying when other people enjoyed it and commented. We just see it as our home that we live in every day. We even had a number of enquiries about decorative choices and a request for a wallpaper sample! Overall, it was a humbling experience in many ways.
How would you describe your style?
Simply as eclectic with a lot of French influence both inside and out. There are items from our travels over the years which all have a story to tell. We also have furniture that has been passed down from previous generations and has much historical significance and sentimental value. The staircase gallery always attracts much comment and interest from visitors to the house and continues to grow.
Favourite room?
The main drawing room where we repeated the decor from a previous house that we owned in Perthshire. It’s painted in a Farrow & Ball paint called Lulworth Blue (No. 89), faces south and is very bright with a stripped floor and two sofas that really complement the colour scheme. There is also much delightful artwork that we have collected during our years in Scotland, especially our Ruth Brownlee trio. The room receives more comments from visitors than any other space in the house. It is also incredibly comforting and cosy when the open fire is lit. We also love the main bathroom on the top floor, as it is very relaxing and a total contrast to the main drawing room. It draws many comments and ‘wows’ from those that see it, as many visitors don’t get beyond the ground floor.
Anything memorable that the SHOTY judges said about your style?
The immediate and memorable comments were ‘wow’ and that they were totally blown away. Both Michael and Anna summarised the house perfectly in their respective conclusions and really captured our style well with their comments. They really got what it was all about.
Are you watching the current series?
Unfortunately we have not seen the latest series as we have been away a lot this year and then busy preparing our own house for sale. We will catch up with the current series in the very near future.
Has your interior design changed since you were on the show?
It’s just continued to develop slowly but not change dramatically. We know what we like which is a mix of traditional to complement the period, history and formality of the house. It continues to be eclectic and a little quirky with much commented features such as our sculpture, Marty the zebra. It also reflects our mixed heritage both British and French.
www.galbraithgroup.com
Read more: “Look inside chic Art Deco property appearing on Scotland’s Home of the Year as tribute to owner’s late wife”.
