A Home Away From Home
You dream it and we’ll build it! We have to admit, when we get asked to do a full home refurbishment the excitement is palpable, and the opportunities - endless!
Through proving my craft throughout my teenage years, twenties and into my early thirties, a long standing family friend inherited a beautiful stone home, in Helmsdale, a small harbour village 68 miles north of Inverness, Scotland, and awarded me the honour of the project.
A Little Piece Of Paradise
An old stone house that once belonged to a local crofter, situated in Caen, about a mile up the strath from the town of Helmsdale.
Synonymous for it’s coastline, the wilderness and salmon fishing, Helmsdale is a quiet village on the east coast of Sutherland, where the river meets the sea.
Uncovering History
We knew our client needed that personal touch, so after our initial site surveys, consultation and design phases, we relocated to Helmsdale from August 20th to December 24th so we were on hand to oversee both the strip out and construction phases of the build - all crucial phases.
Being on site to oversee the ‘demolition’ phase is so key when taking on a full home refurbishment, as this part of the project sees all of the home's treasures uncovered, which can be repurposed and made into unique design features throughout the build.
Personal Touch & Elegant Comfort
We were fortunate enough that the house was empty and we were able to move ourselves and all materials to site to commence work in August. This project brought about new challenges which required careful planning due to the remote location including surcharges for delivering to the Highlands, suppliers being located over an hours drive away and only offering deliveries once a week, as well as lorries finding it difficult to access the site with necessary materials because of the terrain. Despite these obstacles, we were able to complete the project within the timeframe and keep our client updated at every stage, including discoveries hidden within the walls and the design of the unique features made from them.
All in all, the project in itself provided a breath of fresh air, motivation and inspiration to all involved in it and could not have been as successful without the support and hard work of the local tradesmen. Hidden panels were created for hiding family treasures, repurposed stone tiles made an exquisitely unique fireplace, original doors were kept and reused internally, and kitchen countertops were crafted using flagstone.
Caesar wanted a room with a view! Showing the home in strip out phase and a bespoke window design in the attic room, making this beautiful view into a feature.
Classical Function & Exquisite Finishes
The brief for this project was to create a home away from home for this family, a little piece of paradise, surrounded by the lush rolling landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, a sanctuary far afield from the busy hum of modern society, somewhere warm and safe comforted by natural finishes, with key features retaining and protecting the history of the home.
The Land We Love
Whilst we’ve finished our part of this project, we handed the temporary furnishings and fabrics back to our client who wanted to add their own personal touches. As a family friend however, we are hoping for an invite to this beautiful home away from home, so we can take some final photographs to share with you!
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