Interiors: John Lawrie’s learned to love his quirky old barn

He initially bought three plots of land for new-build, while someone else planned to buy the old steading buildings and convert them. When that fell through, John faced a choice: either buy the steadings himself or run the risk that another buyer would come in, perhaps compromising his overall vision for the site.

John took the plunge. “It wasn’t what we planned to do, but it’s what we ended up doing,” he says. And there were unexpected results. “When I began working on this barn conversion we’re in, I started falling in love with it,” he explains. “There’s something about an old barn; it’s quirky and unusual, and I liked that there were split levels.”

So John and his wife Karen changed their plans: they sold their new-build house and developed this steading at 3 West Millrigg as a home for themselves and their young family, three-year-old Max and one-year-old Krista.

The steading was in a very rundown condition, so much so that the full courtyard elevation had to be demolished and then rebuilt using the existing stone. “There were so many openings at different levels along this elevation, it just made sense to take it down and rebuild,” John says.

“Now it looks as if it has been here for 100 years, but it’s really well built and full of insulation. You have to make sure you are using the best of the existing stone. You don’t want the steading to look tired once it’s built.You’re trying to create this new look with old materials.”

Although there were architect’s drawings in place for the conversion, John and Karen had their own vision for how the building could be laid out internally. “We changed things considerably when we decided to take this on,” he explains. Key to this was giving the ground level a more open-plan flow, which involved repositioning the kitchen and the family and dining room. A larger opening was then formed between these two zones. “We really like open-plan living, and we were lucky here that we could make that flow of space,” John says.

“It’s a big focal point of the house; everyone who comes here comments on it, and with a young family you never feel as if you’re far away from each other.”

The views were also an important element in the project, as the house has an elevated south-facing position at the foot of Tinto Hill. As John says, “The south-west-facing views from the dining and family room are spectacular, so we wanted to make the most of that.”

This family/dining room and kitchen, along with a guest bedroom and a utility room and WC, sit within the original footprint of the barn, while the entrance hall, living room, conservatory/play room and a wet room sit within a new extension. There are three bedrooms upstairs, while the other two bedrooms share a family bathroom.

While John will typically tackle two or three projects in a year for clients with his business, John Lawrie Builders, over the last decade he has built three houses for himself. “Being in the trade, I see things every day and some things just catch your eye,” he says. “I’ll always try to recreate an idea but giving it our own twist.”

The dramatic oak beams in the family/dining room are a case in point, as John had worked on a B&B for a client where the house had an internal oak frame. “I loved the old oak; once it dries out and cracks it has so much character,” he says. “It’s an amazing feature and looks better as the years go on.” He also introduced red brick in the wall that separates the family/dining room from the kitchen, and the tones in the brickwork reflect the warmth of the oak. “It was about trying to make the interior in keeping with an old building,” John says.

The same is true of the deep oak window sills and the oak skirtings, while the grooved oak internal doors are complemented by sleek, contemporary ironmongery. “We wanted to introduce elements that would reflect the solidity of the property. It had to feel robust,” he reflects.

At the same time, this house is filled with modern comforts and features, from underfloor heating to a fully integrated Sonos multi-zone music system. This combination of contemporary design with more traditional nuances is reflected throughout. In the hallway, the traditional solid oak staircase features LED lights illuminating the treads. In the kitchen, streamlined cream units are complemented by solid oak worktops, with tumbled-finish ceramic tiles forming the backsplash, and with a Rangemaster cooker.

In the bathrooms, John and Karen chose tiling from Porcelanosa and created impact with a few key statement fittings, from great showers to smart taps. The family bathroom features a free-standing bath and a TileVision TV recessed into the wall, while the couple experimented here with floral-print tiling on the upper sections of wall. The master en-suite features super-scaled porcelain wall tiling. “I was worried in case this might feel wrong as it isn’t such a big room, but once the tiling was done it looked great,” says John.

The wet room on the ground level is clad in glossy black tiling, with a smoked-glass screen defining the shower area. In the living room, the couple chose black for the curvaceous leather sofa and geometric-print curtains, with black-and-white retro-style bubble chairs featuring both here and in the conservatory/play room. Restricting the palette to just a handful of complementary shades has ensured that this interior flows.

The build took 11 months, and was completed by the external landscaping project that includes a striking Indian sandstone patio and rockery areas on the approach to the house. “It has been a fantastic house to live in,” John agrees.

He adds, “The living room is great in winter with the wood-burning stove lit. And in summer you have the sun from dusk until dawn on the patio, with all the doors open and the house flowing into the garden.”

Now, after three years here, the couple are about to tackle another project: a century-old house that they are extending to replicate the kitchen/dining/family space here. “The last house we stayed in never felt like home,” John reflects. “Maybe it was a bit too contemporary, whereas I like contemporary with a bit of a twist. Coming here, we were in this house for two days and it felt like home.” k

• Offers over £345,000; contact Rettie & Co (0131-220 4160, www.rettie.co.uk); John Lawrie Builders (www.johnlawriebuilders.co.uk)