This film began with a casual scroll through Instagram. Ilya stumbled on a photo — a just-finished kitchen renovation, posted by a wedding dress stylist named Lisa.
There was something about that first shot that made him pause.
Maybe it was the calm rhythm of the lines, or the colourful row of cookbooks, or the view of Glasgow’s tenements outside the window.
Whatever it was, it led to a DM — and soon enough, we found ourselves in Lisa and Donnie’s home, making a film about their space and the life they’ve built there.
They’re both around 50, but this flat in Glasgow’s West End feels like a kind of tonic — a place where age loses all meaning.
Between the soft white curtains, the shelves of books and vintage film cameras, the high ceilings with their grand cornicing, and the buzzing city just outside, there’s a lightness that stays with you.
In Their Own Words: Lisa on Living in Glasgow’s Bustling West End as She Nears 50
We only planned to stay a few years. One-bedroom flats weren’t even on our radar. But 20 years later, we’re still here — and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
The West End sold it to us. You’ve got Finnieston, the city centre, Kelvingrove Park… it’s all on your doorstep. It just feels alive.
You don’t need loads of space — just good rooms. Our flat has one bedroom, but the main room does everything: workspace, living room, dining room, hangout zone.
Lamps only. I never turn on the big light. It’s a horror. Lamps and candles change the whole mood. Ours are on smart bulbs — 20%, 70%, whatever feels right.
Bookcases are never finished. I’m always rearranging them — books, cameras, photos. Friends come over and ask, “Have you moved that again?” Yes. Yes, I have.
I light candles every night. It just makes the room feel lived-in. Cosy. Like someone’s already made dinner and turned the day down a notch.
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I do my makeup in the bedroom. Always have. I keep it calm in there — plain bedding, muted colours, artwork for interest. No patterns, no noise.
