Obituary: Bill Potter, Architect, 65

Tributes have been paid to architect and interior designer Bill Potter.

Mr Potter, founder of Inhouse in Edinburgh, was born in Uxbridge, in 1946 and spent his early days as a choir boy at Wells Cathedral School in Somerset before moving to Edinburgh to attend Melville College.

He then went to Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Dundee, where he trained as an architect.

He spent his early professional years as an architect, working for Greater London Council until 1981, when he and his wife Sylvia uprooted to Edinburgh and decided to buy a former sports shop on Howe Street.

Taking inspiration from the brownstone warehouse buildings he had seen in New York, he converted the shop into two floors, with the idea of having an architect's studio at the back and, in the front, an area to show off the best in contemporary work by leading designers.

When the shop opened, the ground floor was used to display furniture, light fittings and fabrics, making it an easy area to quickly transform into a gallery.

The ground floor was the home of glasswear, crockery, cutlery, and various different accessories, a move which caused the shop to become something of a pioneer for other accessory companies in Scotland.

With Inhouse - described as the finest place in the city for contemporary furniture, lighting and accessories - becoming such a success in the 1980s, Mr Potter decided to open a second shop in Glasgow, however, he continued his work as an architect and interior designer, working on a variety of offices and buildings in and around the Capital.

As well as continuing with his love for interior design, he introduced annual Inhouse exhibitions during the Festival, beginning in 1982 with the I Maestri Collection. The exhibition featured furniture by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

As they progressed, the exhibitions were known to contain objects which were both historical and contemporary, as well as slideshows which showed the objects in their historical context.

Throughout the years, Inhouse has continued to be involved in festivals around the Capital, especially the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Although he devoted a massive amount of time to Inhouse, Mr Potter and his wife were keen travellers.

He died on March 29 in Edinburgh, aged 65.