John Foley’s spacious flat in Leith used to be part of a branch of the British Linen Bank, where the tight hold he kept on his refurbishment budget would have been very popular

COMING IN from the hustle and bustle of Leith’s historic Bernard Street, you enter a tiled hall where a cantilevered stone staircase spirals up to a domed cupola roof

This B-listed Georgian building was originally a branch of the British Linen Bank. Today, John Foley’s spacious and sunny two-bedroom apartment runs across the second floor of two buildings.

John says, “By the late 20th century, the building was used by Securicor. In the 1980s, a developer converted it into flats.” When John bought the flat in 2004, the 1980s decor was still evident. “Lots of stripey wallpaper, dado rails and a tired country-style kitchen.”

John lost no time in planning the flat’s refurbishment. “I lived here for three months,” he explains. “With a new house, I walk round with a joiner’s pencil and start drawing on the walls. Sometimes I can imagine things in my head, but sometimes I need to convince myself, so I draw the kitchen, draw the sink, how do I want the place to run? I include radiators, where do I want the TV?”

John bought the flat for its generous size and proportions. “There is a ton of space in these rooms,” he says. “So you could go mental and use it all up, and realise that you’ve made a big living space into a small space.”

John is a management consultant by profession, so it’s perhaps not surprising that he is keen on planning. “The more time you spend planning, the more likely you are to stick to your budget.

“You can spend money like nobody’s business,” he adds. “For example, there is a door on the fridge, because it is visible in the kitchen. But I put the dishwasher and the washing machine under the breakfast bar, where you can’t see them. It’s a pain to have a door over the washing machine anyway, so that saved £300. If you add up those sort of amounts across the whole budget, it saves you a lot of money.”

Not that he has cut any corners in this refurbishment project. He was fortunate to find a builder, Mike James, who shares his attention to detail. “I’ve used other installation companies for bathrooms and kitchens in the past,” says John. “I’ve always been disappointed by their attention to detail. But Mike’s planning and project managing are incredible.”

The kitchen now has walnut cupboards, a slate floor and granite-style worktops. The walls are plain white and hung with big, bold pictures and movie posters. An induction hob maximises space on the breakfast bar and there is room for a table at the window.

John has used different lighting effects in the kitchen and in the sitting room next door. The whole flat is wired for sound, with all the cabling trunked into the skirting boards. “I used to have a lot of parties here,” he says.

In the sitting room, there is more artwork on display. “I used to go to galleries a lot,” says John, “but less so since I’ve filled up the flat.”

One favourite painting is from Cuba. “A friend of mine is also an art dealer. He came back from Cuba with some massive paintings and needed somewhere with big white walls to hang them, so I offered to help. I lent him a set of keys for six months, until they had all sold, and he gave me a small picture as commission.”

The only blank wall is above the fireplace, which is used as a projector screen to turn the room into a home cinema.

John commissioned an ultra-modern fireplace, which is made from mirrors, marble and big pebbles from the beach, and creates a focal point in the room.

Each room has huge windows, so John used the Campbell Group, which usually supplies hotels, to design and make luxurious window treatments. He also restored the shutters, which help keep the south-west-facing flat cool in summer and warm in winter.

A walnut floor in the sitting room accentuates the generous space. The rooms all lead off a small, low-ceilinged hall, which John has painted deep red and filled with favourite paintings.

The flat has two bathrooms, both of which John overhauled. In the larger one, he has used white tiles with walnut accessories, while the en-suite was refreshed with new fixtures and an aqua colour scheme.

The larger bedroom has muted tones and a colonial theme, with pictures of polo matches above the bed. Neutral shades of Craig and Rose paint have been used on different walls to create depth. In the second double bedroom, reds and yellows create a feeling of warmth, while John added a Victorian mantelpiece.

John and his partner, Arwen, have bought a house outside Edinburgh, which they are in the process of doing up. “No, I don’t enjoy the process,” John says when accused of being a serial renovator. “I like it to be done, and then live in it and enjoy it.”

• 44/6 Bernard Street, offers in the region of £275,000, contact Mov8 Real Estate (0845 217 9780)