Page 195 - Homes & Interiors Scotland

dinburgh is known the world over for with “a job lot” of accessories, says Siobhan. “I found the same
its peerless Georgian terraces, but the chandelier in about four different rooms, and the bathrooms
city also deserves recognition for its all had the same antique-looking mirrors and identical fittings.
Victorian architecture. The contrast My job was to give the house some personality.”
with the refined, unadorned façades As well as finding a way to resolve the issues posed by the
of James Craig’s New Town is not just size of the rooms, the designer had a couple of other challenges
E in the bay windows and exuberant to contend with. The first was her clients being based overseas
detailing of these later buildings; there is also quite a difference while the work was being done. She had to corner Jason and
in scale. The Georgians liked their homes to be a decent size. Tracey whenever they briefly returned to Scotland, show
The Victorians preferred theirs to be enormous. And, a couple them her progress and get the go-ahead for the next stage. “It
of years ago, when Jason and Tracey Bibb bought their 1870s actually suited me,” says Siobhan. “It meant doing a few rooms
townhouse, in a cobbled street in the West End, they had to at a time, which is the way I prefer to work, as there is so much
deal with the legacy of these grandiose proportions: how detailing to consider and get just right. It also meant that ideas
do you turn vast rooms with towering ceilings into a warm, had time to breathe and develop.”
comfortable home for a modern family with three children The second challenge was the clients’ stated desire for
and a couple of terriers? a shabby-chic style of décor. This was in spite of their home
They brought in interior designer Siobhan Mooney after having epic proportions, classic detailing and mansion-sized
coming across her website and seeing the way she had tackled rooms. “I have nothing against shabby-chic – in fact, I quite
several similarly large-scale Edinburgh pro perties. It was a big like it,” says Siobhan. “I just felt it possibly wasn’t quite right
job. The house is arranged over four floors: a living room, here.” Her compromise was clever. “I aimed for a sort of
kitchen and dining room on the ground level; a drawing room ‘sharpened’ shabby-chic – pieces that look subtly weathered
and guest bedroom and bathroom on the first floor; and four and aged, because in many cases they are actual genuine
more bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms, on the two antiques.” The living room’s immense Dutch armoire, which
levels above that. There are also rooms off half-landings on hides a large TV, was her starting point. Its pale wood has a
the way up the huge central staircase. Overall, it covers more patina of age, and its carved front gives it an heirloom feel.
than 600m – that’s 6,500ft . “And it was all painted the same Similarly, upstairs in the drawing room, an elaborately
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colour,” laughs Siobhan. “You couldn’t tell which floor you carved William Yeoward console and mirror have been
were on.” elevated beyond shabby-chic into real sophis tication and
The magnolia finishes were courtesy of the sellers – modernity, thanks to a special limewashed finish. The same
developers who had returned the former offices to a residential room’s monumental dining table is a solid piece of grey limed
property, reinstating many of the original features in the oak. Bronze, marble and églomisé mirror are among the other
process. But along with the bland paint, they had kitted it out materials that make their presence felt here – all tactile,

HOMES & INTERIORS SCOTLAND