Innholdsfortegnelse for September-October 2025 (162) i Homes & Interiors Scotland

VELVET VICTORIA HOME NEED A HIT OF PROVENCE? Head to the newly opened Velvet Victoria Home, in the heart of St Andrews. Owner Velvet Chillas was a solicitor before stepping into the world of interior design. “I started posting about my home on Instagram during lockdown and was inundated with requests from people asking where I bought my linens and how I put together my tablescapes. I ended up creating a website and a brand – it grew organically!” Since lockdown, Velvet and her husband have been on sourcing trips all over Europe, and now have a bricks-and-mortar shop that they’ve filled with cutlery from Paris, cabbage plates from Portugal and custom linens from Holland. Velvet Victoria Home counts royalty among its customers (both literally and in the sense of…

• Modular sofas remain incredibly popular, thanks to their ability to fit in with the needs of your space. They’re especially popular for renters and serial rearrangers. If you host regularly, look for a modular system that includes a sofa-bed. “If you’re after versatility, whether for future moves or simply to keep things fresh, a modular sofa gives you that freedom without compromise,” says Gisela Lancaster, head of buying for Sofology. • Super-sized sofas dominated last year, and continue to draw interest. This is partly due to the rise in home entertaining: larger sofas ensure everyone has a seat, and set the scene for indulgent movie nights. • Statement armchairs, whether that be in terms of size, colour or shape, are incredibly desirable right now. Designers are doing all they…

DETAILS What A Victorian home with a new, glazed extension Where Callander Architect GLM Architects and Building Surveyors David Johnson likes clients who are willing to take a risk. So the fact that the couple who bought the magnificent Drummond Lodge in Callander did so from 10,000 miles away was probably a good sign that they and the architect were meant for one another. It wasn’t just their willingness to take a chance from the other side of the world that suggested they were a perfect match, though; their attitude to design was another big tick. “They’re really into it. They appreciate it,” says David, managing director at architecture studio GLM Architects and Building Surveyors and a specialist in conservation. “They had some pretty strong ideas about what they liked and what…

CREAM OF THE CROP October sees the Harvest Contemporary Art Fair arrive in Edinburgh. It’s a one-stop-shop event (taking up the entire fourth floor of the City Art Centre) that doubles as a selling exhibition and a living showroom, displaying the work of more than 70 Scotland-based makers. The fair is curated by Stacey Hunter (who was also in charge of last year’s successful Dundee Design Festival), and brings together a cross-disciplinary selection of contemporary craft including furniture, ceramic homewares, glass, textiles and jewellery, all along the theme of ‘living with craft’. There is also a programme of visitor workshops, so if you’re inspired by some of the things you see here, you can have a go at learning how to make them yourself. 9 to 19 October. craftscotland.org Art…

What does it take to acquire legendary status? You need staying power and style, of course, plus a certain uniqueness, and something else – a bit of swagger, let’s call it. Some places have one or two of the key ingredients; few have all of them. In Glasgow and the west coast, the Barrowlands fits the bill, as does the Horseshoe Bar and Cafe Gandolfi. I’d argue that Bishopton’s Mar Hall falls into that category too. The sprawling gothic baronial mansion was converted into a hotel (with a spa and golf course) more than twenty years ago, quickly earning a reputation as a special spot for splashing out for a big birthday or celebratory meal. It manages the tricky task of being simultaneously glamorous and unpretentious, making you feel at…

In an industrial estate in Glasgow’s Tollcross, the warm scent of cardamom emanates from the half-open shutters of a microbrewery. I follow the aroma inside, where Harry Douglas Weskin is standing with a cheery grin and a bucket full of freshly pulped mango. Call me naive, but when he told me he was brewing a mango-and-kulfi sour beer inspired by a dish from Glasgow institution Parveen’s Canteen, I didn’t envisage this level of commitment. Harry is the founder of Dookit Brewing, which began life in his flat five years ago. He’d been working in London pubs and breweries for six years when his partner, Orkney-born artist Fran Gordon, convinced him to move to Scotland. “I should have done my research; every brewer here has a degree in brewing and distilling…

“We are seated downstairs on a Friday night and the atmosphere is fizzy. It’s exactly the vibe I want from a neighbourhood joint” We all have first-world problems. One of mine is that unless I live to 150, I’ll never tick off all the restaurants listed in my chaotic iPhone notes. These things can be difficult to prioritise, but Montrose made it easy. In the past year, five people have told me it’s the best restaurant they’ve ever been to. One, an interview subject, was almost apologetic when I asked her where she liked to dine. “I want to say Montrose,” she began, as though bracing for the eye-roll that comes after saying your favourite film is The Godfather, “but I’m worried that’s what everyone says – is it too…

1 TREADING SOFTLY A FLICK THROUGH a 2016 back-issue of Homes & Interiors Scotland makes for revealing reading. Not even a decade has gone by and yet the homes we featured in that magazine – with the exception of one timber-framed house with plywood ceilings and OSB-clad walls, which feels rather du jour – are rooted in a very specific moment. It’s not only the obsession with grey and silver that serves as a time stamp; it’s the profusion of cold, hard materials and finishes. Glass, gloss, marble, metal. Everything seems to have been designed for display rather than comfortable living. “Clients are now looking for much more warmth and softness in their homes,” says Kieran Gaffney, director of architecture practice Konishi Gaffney. “We often find ourselves using lime plaster on…

BRIGHT START TO AUTUMN…

GET THE SCOOP THIS ISSUE’S HEIRLOOM PIECE COMES FROM Nedre Foss, a Norwegian brand with longevity at its core. Everything it makes is designed to be what it calls a ‘century product’. “Our goal is that our objects should last you for at least a hundred years,” say the founders, Torbjørn Anderssen and Espen Voll. Enter the Gram, a stainless-steel measuring spoon that went through 30 different designs before Anderssen and Voll settled on this dramatic, sculptural version that resembles a keyhole. The designers liken the exaggerated form to other precision tools (“the sextant, the primitive scale, the sundial”) and point to the trio of geometric shapes embedded within the deceptively simple piece. The base is a rectangle, the body stretches into a triangle, and the head is a circle…

What’s trending in flooring? Should we be choosing the rug?rst or last when designing a room? Is engineered wood a durable option? We have the answers to all these questions, and more. “I find the rug often ends up being the piece that ties everything together,” says Malin Glemme, creative director of Swedish brand Layered. “I always start with a moodboard to capture the full vision for a room and then decide which elements are most important for setting the tone. For autumn and winter we’re seeing a lot of muted tones and earthy shades that bring warmth and texture without overpowering the space. I think the era of white and beige is coming to an end. Next year we expect moodier palettes with deeper, richer colour, as well as…

LEAVE TO STEEP A colourdrenched bathroom always piques our interest here at Homes HQ, especially when the bath has been painted to match the walls. But it’s the brushed-bronze fixtures from JTP that really make the difference. The warm, metallic tones pair deliciously with the dark ochre backdrop to leave this space feeling like a decadent hotel bathroom. KONO standing mixer, £1,600. jtpuk.co.uk QUEEN OF THE STONE AGE The Nebula freestanding marble sink from Antonio Lupi is unusual, sculptural and decidedly contemporary. Each one is unique – just look at the decorative veins twisting through this gorgeous one in Carrara marble. There are versions in dark Nero Marquina, green Verdi Alpi, pink Rosso Levanto, and more. £POA. antoniolupi.it Nordic chic Trust the stylish Danish to have perfected even the humble…

Soft touch This body cream, made in Scotland from gentle ingredients such as calendula, shea butter and avocado oil, is fragrance-free, so suitable for kids with sensitive skin (and noses). It’s safe to use on babies as young as three months old, but grownups too will love the rich, deeply moisturising cream. From £14. castleapothecaryscotland.com PRACTICAL MAGIC Totter & Tumble specialises in making quality playmats you won’t be in a rush to tidy away. That’s because they’re stylish and free from the usual visual chaos of mats designed for kids. The new Woven & Wild collection is made up of three reversible mats designed to keep your little ones safe and comfortable while enjoying tummy time. The mats wipe clean and are made from non-toxic memory foam. From £90. totterandtumble.co.uk…

DETAILS What A large B-listed Arts & Crafts home Where Stirlingshire Interior design Jessica Buckley Interiors An interior designer once balked when I asked how they would describe their signature style. “I don’t have one,” they said. “I translate what the client wants, and what is right for their home.” This is obviously true. Every interior designer is part artist, part diplomat, balancing their own instincts with the demands of their client and the constraints of the building they inhabit. The ingredients are always different, and so too is the outcome. Yet no designer is merely a conduit. All the best ones are identifiable in some way. Take Jessica Buckley as an example. The interior designer infuses every home she renovates – whether it’s a villa in London, a townhouse in Edinburgh,…

East goes west Lively, colourful and eclectic: we’d expect nothing less from the very first East End Press shop. The brand, beloved for its joyful decorations made from recycled paper, can now be shopped IRL on Glasgow’s Great Western Road (near Kelvinbridge Subway). You’ll find cards, garlands and honeycomb ornaments between its chartreuse walls, as well as products by local makers. A Halloween range launches on 1 September. eastendpress.com Patch that The heat is on “There’s quite a revolution happening,” says Jo Saville. She is talking about the boom in wild saunas; a movement she and her husband Malcolm are now part of with the launch of Fyrhùs Sauna. The wood-fired sauna, housed in a former horsebox and heated using Speyside timber, sits amid the grassy sand dunes of Hopeman…

“I WAS AT A TALK AT DECOREX not so long ago where people were discussing sustainability. I stood up and said, ‘I might be the oldest designer in the room, but when I went to college we didn’t use the word sustainable. What we did talk about was appropriateness.’ “To me, appropriateness feels very relevant right now within interior design because not everyone has the money to spend on expensive materials, even if those materials do happen to be sustainable. In that case, what they need to do is what feels appropriate for them and their home: stripping things back, appraising what they already have and figuring out new ways to make them look good. “It’s also important to slow down. Too often, clients will approach interior designers in a…

How has your style evolved? It really hasn’t. Someone walked into my house the other day and said, ‘I swear this is the 50th reincarnation of the same apartment you’ve always had.’ As a teenager growing up in Ghana, I was obsessed with German kitchen catalogues. To have a fitted kitchen seemed to me the absolute epitome of style. Seven years of architectural training hasn’t really altered that view. I love a fitted kitchen. What inspires you? In literature, Nadine Gordimer. In architecture, too many to name, but David Adjaye, Francis Kéré, Mariam Issoufou, Mies van der Rohe, Sumayya Vally, Cave Bureau, Dualchas and Olalekan Jeyifous would be on the list. I’m hopelessly drawn to hybrids – anything that crosses and fuses boundaries. The more mixed, rule-breaking and eclectic, the…

SARI, NOT SORRY There are some deliciously warm colours in this styled vignette, and the inspiration for the palette comes from the pair of silk lampshades. Each Nushka shade is crafted using the material from antique silk saris; the motifs are often unique and always created in a limited run. Some of the saris used were woven by hand decades ago, so any lampshade you bring into your home will be packed with history. From £190. nushka.co.uk Back to the future Excellence is to be expected when an award-winning interior designer (David Collins Studio) teams up with an Italian furniture manufacturer (Promemoria), and excellence is what you’ll find in the London Collection Act II, their second collaboration after a ten-year wait. The Chiswick modular sofa, with its Art Deco curves…

DOOR OF PERCEPTION SCATTERED ACROSS THE IRISH WILDS are jaw-dropping megalithic structures called Dolmens, built by Neolithic settlers as burial places. These monuments, dating from at least five millennia ago and also known as Portal Tombs, are the inspiration behind Alexander Buckeridge’s Portals furniture collection. Buckeridge, founder of New York-based Studio Bucky, grew up in rural Ireland and was fascinated by the tombs from an early age. They usually comprised two upright slabs supporting a capstone, creating a slim internal chamber that served as the burial site. Some capstones were installed (and remain) at gravity-defying angles, suspended in the air as if by magic. Buckeridge’s Portals – seats, a low table, a stool and the mirror pictured here – borrow the irregular shapes and textures of the ancient stone, translated…

“A modular sofa gives you freedom without compromise” THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE…

Branching out German kitchen brand Rotpunkt has updated its Smala collection of cabinet fronts with this handsome walnut option. The handleless design would suit a modern interpretation of the Shaker-style kitchen. It is also available with great handles, if you want them: choose from a signature range by Buster & Punch. From £17,500. rotpunkt.co.uk BACK TO THE GRIND This semi-automatic espresso machine from KitchenAid comes with an integrated burr grinder and all the capabilities needed to make your perfect cup of coffee. It has just been launched in two new colours: this cool, space-green hue called Jupiter, and vibrant red Candy Apple. From £594. kitchenaid.co.uk HAPPY SLURPING Printworks’ toolkits are charming, coming as they do in a storage box that looks just like a cookbook. The Ramen Tools (pictured) are…

I’ve always been led by a compulsion to create. In the beginning, I didn’t really mind where that would take me; I just wanted to be creative. I studied art and design at college and my first step into the art world was through dotwork, which involves building pictures using small black dots [a form of pointillism]. It helped me understand contrast and composition, but it didn’t teach me about colour theory, which is something I really wanted to jump into. That’s why, four years ago, I began to experiment with textiles, and in particular with hand-tufted art. I describe what I do as being at the intersection between painting and sculpture. I create tactile, dimensional pieces and that early discipline of dotwork still informs what I do today, especially…

DETAILS What A refurbished and extended six-bedroom home Where Wandsworth, London Design Nicky Dobree As any good designer will tell you, the client’s brief is just the start. You also have to figure out what they need as well as what they want, how to satisfy their personality, taste and aspirations, what the property means to them, and what stage of life they and their family are at. It’s a big ask – but nailing the getting-to-know-you phase can produce significantly better results. So good has award-winning interior designer Nicky Dobree become at intuiting the evolving requirements of one well-to-do family with four children that she’s worked on three full projects for them to date (and counting). A relationship that began with renovations of both a chalet in the French ski resort…

Light as a feather The Air suspension light, designed by Adam Tihany for Contardi, is made of eco-friendly acrylic that can be recycled at the end of its life. The finish is chemical-free and water-based, resulting in a completely non-toxic piece. It’s available in two different sizes and would make a great addition to a room in need of some drama. From £980. contardi-italia.com THE LITTLE THINGS Consider us charmed by these sweet wonky little clay bowls from Habulous. They’re handmade, so will vary slightly in size and shape, and are finished in six different pastel colours. The petite size (the smallest has a diameter of no more than 6cm) makes them ideal for trinkets or condiments. Build up a whole collection and dot them around your house to provide…

Are you a weekend bruncher? Proficient in the art of queuing outside a hip new bakery for a twice-baked pain au chocolat? Treat yourself to a long lie (but not too long, mind) then get in line for these new openings. First, to the Scottish Borders, where cult favourite Twelve Triangles (main image) now has a second, larger cafe in Melrose. Order a sourdough cheese toastie, browse the shop’s kitchenware and bring the kids – there’s a family room with toys and books. In Stockbridge, Scotland’s most popular bakery, Lannan, will have a new next-door neighbour come autumn: Lannan Pantry (1). It’ll sell seasonal produce, fruit and veg, biodynamic wines and, excitingly, will be the collection point for bakery pre-orders (a soon-to-launch service). If you’re based in Glasgow, swing by…

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS Newhall Mains near Dingwall is teaming up with Brix Wine Club to host its first ever wine weekend. Guests will be well fed and watered (and have some swanky digs) for the three-day break, with activities including foraging, dolphin spotting and wine quaffing (obv). 10 to 12 October, from £875pp. newhall-mains.com A FINE BARN-QUET Killiehuntly Farmhouse & Cottages in the Cairngorms has been hosting a series of steading suppers this summer for its guests. Expect a three-course, family-style feast featuring barbecued meats, fresh veg and salads, capped off with a dram around the firepit. Heaven. 30 Aug and 22 Sept. killiehuntly.scot OFF THE CHARTS Award-winning chef Roberta Hall McCarron is hosting an autumn supper club at the Little Chartroom in Edinburgh this October. The three-course meal will include…

I trained in medicine and surgery before moving into plastic surgery, where I developed an interest in anatomical restoration; essentially, how we reconstruct or preserve form and function, particularly in the face. Over time, I became intrigued by how we could achieve many of these restorative outcomes without surgery, using tools such as injectables, regenerative medicine, lasers and skincare. My first experience of aesthetic medicine was in the mid-2000s. I spent some time with a facial plastic surgeon in New York, who had a non-surgical practice running alongside her surgical practice. This was early days in the evolution of aesthetics. It appealed to me because the risks were much lower than with surgery, and the techniques were anatomically based. It also felt far more nuanced and personal than traditional surgery.…