Innholdsfortegnelse for November-December 2025 (163) i Homes & Interiors Scotland

This year, Christmas really has snuck up on us quickly at Homes HQ. One minute we're shooting sun-drenched projects, the next we're sorting through baubles and mistletoe and planning features with cosy backdrops and snowy scenes. Instead of lamenting the end of summer, we're committing fully to the change in season. We've scoured the shops so you don't have to, and trawled online to assemble a comprehensive guide to Christmas in our A-Z (page 50). You'll be hard-pushed to find a festive element we've neglected! Elsewhere, our extended Art Guide (page 148) brings together some of the country's finest; it's a real celebration of disciplines, from fine art and ceramics to printing and textiles, with an invaluable look at how to buy art whatever your budget. We also shine a…

In St Margaret's Church in Glasgow's Southside are five stained-glass windows designed by Gordon Webster. They filter the sun through a patchwork of jewel-toned panes. The celebrated stained-glass artist created hundreds of them in his lifetime; a skill inherited from his father Alf, whose name and work ornament Websters Theatre in the west end. Gordon and Alf are no longer here, but their art still pulses in technicolour. Great art outlives us all. Not far from the theatre, Gordon's grandson Toby Webster sits across from his wife April Crichton. The kitchen worktop sandwiched between them was hewn from a slab of wood that once resided in Gordon's workshop. Every object in their Victorian terrace reveals a story. And, though they'd challenge this claim, none is quite as compelling as the…

FIND YOURSELF IN THE FAR NORTH-WEST, and a visit to the Britton Scotland flagship store is a must. Amy Britton launched her brand back in 2014, offering a curated range of sustainable, functional homewares and accessories steeped in Scottish heritage. She operated solely online for a decade but has now expanded into a bricks-and-mortar shop in the centre of the seaside town of Dornoch, just a stone's throw from the cathedral. The store is filled with carefully considered items, all from makers and collaborators (such as Harris Tweed, Anna Campbell-Jones, Vorlich Soap Co and Darach) who share the principles of craftsmanship and sustainability that Amy values so highly. Throws, artwork, artisan chocolate and more all make great gifts too. “The Dornoch store is more than a shop,” says Amy. “It's…

Advent Repeat after us: I do not need to spend £200 on a beauty advent calendar. You might think you're getting 500 quid's worth of products, but half of them are the same bits and pieces still rattling around a drawer from last year's haul (looking at you, Philip Kingsley Elasticizer). You don't need one, and if you'd like to give something that feels a cut above a supermarket buy to someone you love, the DIY route is a much more thoughtful way to do it. Flora Shedden, owner of Aran Bakery in Dunkeld and author of Winter in the Highlands (which you can read more about on page 242), likes to keep it simple by gathering recyclable materials from around the house, such as old envelopes, paper and ribbon,…

BRIEF To balance the natural severity of the building materials used in this recently completed home by incorporating plenty of warm colour LOCATION Sydney, Australia DESIGN Greg Natale “This home is a meeting point between mid-century modernism and Brazilian brutalism, interpreted through the lens of an Australian-Italian modernist,” laughs Greg Natale, the award-winning designer behind this project. The house is in Kyle Bay, a lush waterside suburb of Sydney, and takes much of its interior inspiration from its ‘eco-brutalist’ architecture. “The client's favourite colour is blush pink, which became a reoccurring thread throughout the interiors,” explains Greg. “Its most joyful expression is found in this bathroom, designed especially for the family's two daughters, who share their mother's love of the colour. As this was a new build, we had the…

WINTER WONDER LAND Jupiter Artland would normally have closed its doors until spring by now, but the unique outdoor art space just to the west of Edinburgh is remaining open all year. That's welcome news since there's a host of exceptional new exhibitions lined up, in addition to the permanent installations spread across the Bonnington estate. Tai Shani, Georg Wilson and Florence Peake all open at Jupiter this winter, while permanent displays include works by Tracey Emin, Ian Hamilton Finlay and Antony Gormley (pictured). Make a day of it; there's a cafe and shop, as well as events such as wild swimming, a Christmas fair, wild dining and soundbath experiences. jupiterartland.org WORLD VIEW How do we view the world around us? Artists based at Edinburgh Printmakers have been tasked with…

DETAILS What A new country house Where Perthshire Interior design Sims Hilditch Architects ADAM Architect and Denholm Partnership Architects Landscapes Simon Johnson It all began with the garden. This glorious family home stands on the ashes of a grand Victorian mansion, destroyed by a fire more 70 years ago. All that was left behind was an established garden created in the 1900s by Thomas Hayton Mawson, a prolific landscape designer of the Edwardian period. He had transformed the challenging Perthshire site into a series of garden spaces that included formal areas, burns and water features, woodland paths and an abundance of flowering beds. When the mansion fell to ruin, the garden looked set to be abandoned as well, but no one could stand to see such a thing of beauty destroyed. Part of the…

HOME WORK THE STONE AGE COBALT CLUB…

“I think I'm biased towards liking this time of year, because my birthday is in November,” says Flora Shedden, the owner of Aran Bakery in Dunkeld. “But I do think winter is very undervalued, particularly in Scotland. People moan about the cold and the dark, but I think we need a mindset shift. I love the cooking it brings, cosying up at home, any excuse for a candle. Even the air smells good to me.” So fond is the baker of hibernation season that she has written a book in celebration of its spoils. Winter in the Highlands (Quadrille, £26) is a coorie in literary form, filled with recipes that, says Flora “aren't reinventing the wheel, but are very much about comfort and warmth – real family favourites, and a…

Ghislaine Viñas knows her own style. The New York designer's Arts & Crafts cottage in the Hudson Valley doesn't, on first inspection, bear many of the hallmarks of this period in design history. But look a little closer and you'll discover the scheme throughout the interior is Viñas's version of the classics; here in the hallway, the wallpaper is her take on a traditional tartan design (‘Mad Plaider’ is her bespoke digital interpretation); the artwork on the wall, Girl Without a Pearl Earring by Abid Aslam, is a mosaic rendering of the original Vermeer, made up of metal eyelets. Viñas, along with the other designers featured in Cottagecore, has found new life in rural homes, reimagined for modern living. By looking through a contemporary lens, the projects in this new…

CHASE THE BLUES AWAY…

A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL SOFAS can be hard as rock and decidedly unpleasant to sit on. That, of course, doesn't mean all ugly ones will be comfy, but this thing, by Gaetano Pesce, at least has a certain squishy plushness to it. It's still a monstrosity, though, isn't it? Pesce, an Italian designer who died last year at the age of 84, was well known for his innovative use of colour as well as his radical Modernist-Industrial architecture. This seating arrangement contains parts of his Gli Amici (‘Friends’), a modular collection of about a dozen elements (only six are used here). Each one represents a different animal, and they can be combined in all manner of ways to produce sofas or armchairs. The creatures are based on Pesce's own illustrations…

MONUMENTAL EFFORT Got a fancy bathroom? Live in a palace, perhaps? If so, the aptly named Majesté collection by Monica Armani for Neutra will be just the job. The free-standing basin is carved from a single block of stone, in this case rich, green-hued Verde Borgogna quartzite. (The range is highly customisable and can be made in marble and other stones.) There's a sculptural bath and an oversized mirror too. Fit for royalty. £POA. neutra.design Brass in pocket MOD+ is the first modular collection from American kitchen and bathroom brand Graff. Every element of the tap can be customised, including the Italian marble caps on the handles. There are corresponding bath mixers and shower hardware too. From £800. graff-designs.com LEAVE TO SOAK Waterworks has been creating bathroom showstoppers since 1978,…

PANEL SHOW Italian design consultancy Russo Sgarbasso collaborated with luxury kitchen brand L'Ottocento on its new Atlante furniture collection. Warm natural wood features heavily in the designs, shown to great effects in the project, with invisible induction hobs, clever internal storage solutions and decorative panelling to hide away parts of the kitchen. £POA. lottocento.it Take your fill A pot filler is not exactly a kitchen essential, but once you've experienced life with one, you'll never go back. They simply make cooking prep so much easier, and not just for people with mobility issues. This is the Henry, an articulated pot filler with a cross-head handle from Waterworks. It's also available in a cool aged-brass finish. From £3,200. waterworks.com SET THE BAR HIGH As the festive season approaches, the focus should…

DETAILS What A five-bedroom house now attached to its adjacent barn Where East Lothian Architect Jones Robbins Tobin Main Contractor PJM Joinery & Building Ltd Interior styling BoConcept Landscaping Down to Earth Gardening A wind of change has blown through Kilberry House in rural East Lothian over the last six years. It all began with homeowners Ben and Alison Walker nearly getting knocked off their feet by the howling gales that would whip across the long flat fields surrounding their cottage, and through the narrow gap between it and the adjacent hay barn. “You'd get out of the car with your shopping,” Ben recalls, “and you couldn't even carry it to the back door some days. We'd get absolutely battered; it was like a wind tunnel. We wanted to create some sort of structure there,…

Some of my earliest and happiest memories are of family holidays on the beaches of North Cornwall. Running barefoot across the sand and wading through the waves gave me a sense of freedom and nurtured my natural curiosity. I was, and still am, captivated by the shifting patterns in the sand as the tide recedes, revealing breathtaking ripples and forms where water meets land. These moments of calm and wonder have stayed with me, sparking a lifelong fascination with the natural world. That connection now lies at the heart of my practice as a textile artist. Based in Edinburgh, I work with seaweed not only as inspiration but also as material. Its diverse textures, forms and colours are endlessly inspiring, and its ecological significance makes it a powerful medium to…

BY THE HORNS COMFY SPOT ALL IN THE DETAILS…

DETAILS What A B-listed six-bedroom home built in the early 19th century Where Midlothian Interior design Jeffreys Interiors Asense of fun permeates every part of the energetic revamp of this large early-19th-century house near Edinburgh, from the lively colour choices and vibrant patterns and textures, down to the way it has been reorganised for hosting big social occasions. Even the experience shared by the owners and the design team during the 18-month project speaks of the job's joyful ambience. “We had a right laugh with everyone,” says Darren who, together with his wife Gillian and three sons, bought the handsome B-listed mansion in 2023. They promptly engaged award-winning Edinburgh studio Jeffreys Interiors to give it an overhaul. “A lot of the people we've worked with on it have become friends,” he adds.…

Blanketed by heather and dotted with birch trees, the hillside is almost silent. The babble of a nearby river makes the only sound as golden hour falls on the Alpine sweetgrass. A herd of cows grazes quietly nearby as a thrush's song floats on the autumn breeze. This is Straloch, a 3,000-acre family-run estate in Highland Perthshire on the fringes of the Cairngorms National Park. It's a world away from the bright lights and sirens of the city, and a balm to my spirit. For the next two days, my partner and I are staying at River Cabin, a picture-perfect timber dwelling on the banks of the River Fernate in a secluded corner of the estate. Owners Lucy and Will Holt worked with Casa Architect of Aberfeldy and Dunville Designs…

To most Glaswegians it is just The Chip, a restaurant so ubiquitous in city guides that the Ubiquitous is now redundant. If you've spent any amount of time in Glasgow then perhaps you've dined there, or at least pressed your nose up against the window while walking along the cobbles of Ashton Lane, where it's located. You'll have spotted groups of salubrious wine-drunk pals laughing together, because that's what folk do when they go to the Ubiquitous Chip. They have a good time. This is a restaurant with regulars, legions of them, many of whom have frequented it since it opened in 1971. This summer they were temporarily displaced when Th e Chip closed for a £1.2 million restoration, and some were anxious as to what this would entail. They…

How has your style evolved? More is more has always been my motto. As an avid collector (500 pairs of shoes, thousands of books, dozens of cake stands, a lot of art), my homes are designed to show off my treasures in massive (but organised) groupings, with primary colours and patterns splashed around. My personal style is similar, mixing patterns, materials, colours and childlike shapes. As a child, I was obsessed with Pee-Wee Herman (when I would make floor-to-ceiling wallpaper from fashion and music magazines), and you can see that whimsical outlook as an influence all over the place. Who are your biggest influences? My mother is without doubt my biggest influence. She gave up so much to allow me to thrive. My husband, too, has been my rock. My…

Triple scoop Showstoppers don't need to be noisy, as the Delta pendant from Laura Hammett Living proves. The ceiling rose is made from dark bronze, with leather straps cradling alabaster cups from which the light spills. It's bold in its originality, but the simple silhouette means this pendant won't overwhelm a room. In fact, positioning it in the entryway might be the way to go, to ensure guests immediately know this is a home bursting with good taste. £3,700. laurahammettliving.com ORANGE CRUSH Defined Momentum, Harlequin's collection for autumn/winter 2025, is filled with exquisite shades of burnt orange and terracotta. Pictured here is the Saraceno fabric in Rust, suggesting constellations and a hint of Japanese influence. It's ideal for curtains or cushions in a room that would welcome a dose of…

AS THOUGHTS DRIFT TO HOSTING SEASON, it's perhaps no surprise that our eye was caught by this handsome dining table. It's the Pipe by Mario Ferrarini for Italian furniture-maker Potocco, and we reckon it's worthy of heirloom status. “The Pipe was conceived as a tribute to reflections on the many themes linked to architecture,” explains the designer. “Its appears light and suspended, almost like a canopy supported by a structure of three jointed columns.” The legs are made from ash wood and fitted into brass caps at the base. The slimline top can be made of porcelain, ash or Carrara marble, as pictured here. It's available in two sizes, an eight-seater (260 x 108cm) and a three-metre-long ten-seater, both big enough to dish up a family feast. Too large for…

BRIEF To create a romantic and immersive space that felt at home within this historic retreat LOCATION Co. Wicklow, Ireland DESIGN Suzie McAdam ARCHITECT DMOD Architects “In this house, the architecture is never a backdrop – it speaks first,” says Suzie McAdam. The Dublin-based interior designer is talking about this county retreat in Co. Wicklow, in the east of Ireland. A former cornmill, it dates from the 1800s and was originally part of a Victorian model farm. She was brought in to transform the interior, adding a sense of cohesion and cosiness to its vast proportions. “The warm pinks and terracotta tones in the exposed stone inspired the palette for this bathroom,” she explains. “Rather than covering it up, we allowed it to inform the finishes and metals.” The masonry…

1 Creating a New Home in Mallorca Artists, like interior designers, treat their homes differently to regular Joes. Their eye is keener, their vision is deeper and they have an ability to look beyond simply ‘dressing’ a space. That is certainly the case for Malene Birger; the Danish artist and fashion designer's Mallorcan retreat was an abandoned wreck when she first found it, and she had to push past decades of neglect to uncover the beauty she knew lay beneath the rubble. This book shows its transformation, such as the restored gilded staircase and impressive repurposed hexagonal floor, all wonderfully photographed by Jean Marie Del Moral, with before-and-afters that reveal the scale of the work. £75, teNeues 2 Everybody Loves Stripes I don't know about everybody, but a cursory glance…

A few years ago, I read an article by a wealthy interior design type who criticised people who decorate their homes with framed posters of favourite artworks. I felt a stab of embarrassment as I read it, looking at an Egon Schiele poster I'd purchased online, and a Picasso print I had lugged home from the Guggenheim in Bilbao. As a normal person on an average salary, it had never occurred to me that buying original artworks could ever be within my purview. These posters brought me joy (and still do, thanks), and I resented being made to feel like a pleb by a man in lilac chinos. Shortly afterwards I started working at this magazine, which is when I began to realise that buying art was not the preserve…

A ROOM FULL OF FUN This bedroom is packed to the brim with playful choices; just look at that cloud wallpaper and the honeycomb design at the foot of the four-poster. Stealing the show are two stools from Portuguese brand Circu that are just odd enough to be ideal for a wee one's room. The bird and elephant versions tie in sweetly with the mint and pink theme here, but there's also a blue version, finished with a toothy shark. From £825. circu.net Wheely fun No pedals? No problem. The Tokyobike Paddle is a balance bike for wobbly tots. Introduce your nipper to cycling with this funky tangerine set of wheels. It's height-adjustable, has the same leather saddle and handlebars as its adult counterparts, and can be pushed about the…

Eight years ago, Tatiana Hebel and Anna Saroukhanova were having a coffee in London's Holland Park. Wouldn't it be great, the two friends agreed, to renovate one of these grand stucco villas together one day? Fast forward to 2025, and Tatiana now lives in the Ladbroke Conservation Area, a highly desirable spot between Holland Park and Portobello Road. The magnificent home she shares with her family has been gutted, extended, renovated, air-conditioned and generally dragged into the 21st century by Anna and her partner Ralf Heckmann. The couple work together as Heckmann Design and Anna is particularly proud of the fact that, although she and Tatiana are great friends, the studio won this job through a competitive tendering process. “It feels like we deserved it.” Knowing each other since they…

BOLD & GOLD ON CLOUD NINE BRIGHT LIGHTS…

ON THE SURFACE Low Carbon Industrial (LCI) is focused on radically reducing the carbon footprint of architectural materials. Elenite, on the worktops and splashback here, is a solid surface made with post-industrial waste and natural pigments, and no water is required in the manufacturing process. LCI's wood terrazzo was used in the beautifully pared-back kitchen at Taigh na Coille (see page 108). £POA. lowcarbonindustrial.com Craft fair Award-winning British company Isomi unveiled the Knit One chair at this year's London Design Festival. This sculptural piece is covered in a knitted sleeve made from post-consumer marine plastic waste (using up to 35 recycled plastic bottles per metre) and can easily be replaced to update the look or extend the chair's lifespan. Even the metal frame beneath the knit is lightweight, to reduce…

THE HISTORIC HOTEL THE XARA PALACE Malta This five-star hotel can be found in the ancient walled city of Mdina, in the centre of Malta. The building is a beautifully restored 17th-century palazzo, boasting panoramic views of the countryside. Mdina is a fantastic choice for a spot of sightseeing (St Paul's Cathedral, the ruins of a Roman-era house, tea gardens, museums) but there's plenty to do in the hotel too. Splurge on a suite and you might find yourself whiling away the hours in the terrace jacuzzi, or leaning against the restored antique headboard with a good book. xarapalace.com.mt THE ISLAND RETREAT HOTEL SANT IGNASI Menorca Leave the beaches to the package-holidaymakers and venture instead into Menorca's green rural interior: the Sant Ignasi is an 18th-century former aristocratic estate, surrounded…