A Former Manse Is Transformed Into A Home

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We first fell in love with this week's renovation tour, @liberty__living, when their hallway popped into our Instagram feed. It is the most impressive period hallway with stunning floor tiles and beautiful original features, the space is kept so bright and welcoming with the lightly painted walls. The rest of the home is equally stunning; the style is sympathetic to the period and has been transformed to make it practical and sociable for a young family.

We chat to Louise who shares with us her renovation story and some beautiful pictures from her home too!

Can you tell us about your home and renovation project?

We live in a renovated 4 bed Edwardian, red sandstone, semi-detached house in the suburbs of Glasgow. It is in an all leafy setting with amenities a short stroll away - the perfect home, and location, for our young family.

We bought the property from the Church of Scotland. The property had served as the local manse for some 50 years with only all but essential repairs undertaken during this time.

We renovated with a timeless, classic-contemporary feel in mind. We wanted to showcase the original features but blend it with a fresh elegant aesthetic.

Visual connection and flow was lacking throughout the house, unsurprisingly as the original floor plan had remained unaltered. We reconfigured, opened up and levelled the ground floor to make it ‘semi open plan’, and it works perfectly for us as a family home.

The beautiful kitchen with this amazing island unit

What was the biggest challenge and why?

Our eldest children were 2 and 3 years old at the time. As we were undertaking major renovation work we lived off site in the rental property for 6 months. My husband worked on the property every evening and weekend so it was a bit of a struggle balancing family life and renovations, we effectively had to move home twice in 6 months! We were both exhausted by the time we moved in!

One of our very favourite hallways

Did you have a budget and how did you stick to it?

Yes, we have renovated a fair few properties, and Paul is a quantity surveyor to trade, so we were able to price the work and stick to it throughout the build.

The lounge which is so in keeping with the style of the home

What was your greatest achievement during the process?

It was great being able to restore the period features and recapture some of the former glory that had been lost through the passage of time.

We love the family bathroom - the black works so well in the Edwardian home

Where is your favourite place in your home now?

The hallway. It is 30 foot long and has the most beautiful ornate windows in the entrance way, and as we have opened up the house, it flows into the kitchen and garden beyond. Such a lovely view and still makes me smile 4 years post renovation.

The stunning glazing in the hallway

What advice would you give to others about to start a renovation?

Take time to carefully plan how you will use the space, making sure that it is functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. It is much easier to change things at the design stage than when the works have been approved and the build is underway.

The lovely open plan area which leads out onto the garden

If you are thinking about a renovation project in the near future and need some help finding an architect or designer, we can match you with the most suitable ones for your project.