Lynn O’Rourke: A new lick of paint

BELIEVE it or not, but my recently exposed dodgy garden fence has already been replaced... and painted. It’s not a task I can take credit for myself, however I did make a snap decision on paint colour when the one I had wanted wasn’t available, an achievment I am pretty proud of.

For once, there was no humming and hawing, and agonised decision making, I went with something untested (I know, still makes me feel a bit queasy just thinking about the rashness of it all), but it works really well.

I like it so much, I’ve even picked up the brush myself and have painted all the old chipped ceramic and clay plant pots I inherited when we moved in the same colour. It’s like magic, those manky old pots have been given a new lease of life and it was so easy. Now I’m hooked on the transformative power of paint though, it’s hard to stop and we are in danger of drowning in a sea of peacock blue...

This week we take a look at a former manse in Prestonpans that has been transformed into a fabulous family home with bags of character on page 4. A traditional tenement flat in Glasgow is given a stunning makeover on page 10. Is is hard to believe the Inverness garden on page 14 was only started four years ago. And on page 38, we introduce our new designer/maker Q&A as well as Property Watch on page 16.