This New Town house has nine levels, a bath hidden behind stone panels, a garden modelled on Venice and Japan, and shutters that close like an igloo in winter. The owner built it to last — and to keep changing.
A student from Shetland on colour, plants, found objects, and turning a rented tenement flat into a place that actually feels like home.
To make this film, we travelled from Edinburgh to Aberdeen, the granite-and-oil city by the North Sea.
Welcome to this tall, tranquil and timeless house designed to regulate everyday life.
“We’re not big fans of new builds,” Kieran and Matthew told us when we popped in for a coffee last spring, just before their trip to Japan. “They lack height, storage, and character. Once you’ve lived in a Victorian tenement, you’re spoiled.” And for these two — with
When we set off for coffee with Fiona at her old cottage in north London, we’ll be honest — we were a little apprehensive, not quite sure what to expect.
Leanne Kilroy’s Victorian terrace in North London is tall, narrow, and full of life. In this house practical choices meet sentimental details — from a kitchen bench found on Instagram to initials carved into the walls during the build.
The star of our new film prefers nights out to cooking at home, often turns her flat into a wild dance floor, knows how to be thrifty but is generous in helping others feel confident — and isn’t afraid to go over the top, especially with two floors to play with.
This summer, we made friends with an artist who — against all her mum’s hopes — never outgrew the bright red, screaming pink, and chick-yellow she adored as a kid. Visiting her and her surreal home was pure joy. We hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.
Lisa and Donnie are both in their 50s, but their home feels light, ageless, and full of warmth. It’s a flat that proves small doesn’t mean temporary — and that you don’t need a second bedroom when the main room does everything.
Today, we found ourselves not just anywhere, but inside a real Scottish castle — originally built as a 16th-century tower house, later expanded in the 1800s, and still peacefully overlooking the Firth of Forth in Edinburgh.
Karen Bones doesn’t just recreate buildings — she rebuilds memory, character, and a bit of grit, brick by brick. From Glasgow pubs to the cottages of Culross, her miniatures are full of love, imperfection, and life.