Space-aged

How a 17th-century steading became a contemporary family home without losing its handsome exterior

Over the last few years conversions and refurbishments of farm steadings have become a popular pastime for property developers. Done well, the results are stunning but in many cases what was once a charming farm cottage is now a soulless shell. One exception is the home of the Campbell family in Braidwood in the Clyde Valley.

When Derek and Susan moved into the property in December 2004 they were under no illusions as to what they had taken on, as Susan recalls: "It was a nice house and it definitely had potential, but we knew we'd have to do a lot of work on it. It had been a farm originally, but was now being sold as a house with stables."

Stables is the important word here, as Derek, a financial consultant, is also a successful amateur show jumper and accommodation for his horses was of paramount importance. A move to this farm steading was more than just a new home; it offered the couple a complete change of lifestyle.

"It was quite different for us," says Susan. "Our last house was very modern and Derek used to stable his horses elsewhere, so having everything on our doorstep – it's all we've ever wanted. The property is big enough to accommodate the kit that comes with the horses, we have the stables and there's plenty of room for Blair to grow into as well."

Baby Blair joined them in 2006 – starting a family was another reason for their decision to move. Before their new, improved lifestyle could commence, however, there was plenty of hard graft to be done.

The original layout of the house consisted of a kitchen, dining room, utility room, bathroom, lounge, conservatory and master bedroom with small en suite on the ground floor, and on the upper level a further two double bedrooms and bathroom. Set within approximately eight acres of land, it had a variety of outbuildings as well as the stables.

The couple's first consideration was how to include an additional bedroom on the ground floor – the two bedrooms upstairs were accessed by a spiral staircase, which wasn't exactly child-friendly.

Their solution was to convert one of the stables at the side of the property into what would become Blair's bedroom and extend the small en suite off the master bedroom to make it a generous family bathroom and dressing room, which could be accessed from Blair's room on one side and the master bedroom on the other.

Before they did any of this, however, the front courtyard had to be replaced. "It was a bit like a farmyard at the front," Derek recalls. "We had that monoblocked, to make it a functional drive and so that we could stop trailing muck into the house.

"To do the driveway we had to build a retaining wall; and when that was done we had to do the wrought iron fence … Every time I've started to do something, it's led to something else. There was a lot of external work done too – replacing the roof ridges and repointing all the stone.

"After the outside was in order we did the extension and en suite, and replaced the toilet upstairs, all at the same time. So, I thought, while the place was in a mess we may as well tackle the kitchen."

This was another major undertaking, as the couple decided to knock through the existing dining room and kitchen into one large L-shaped, open-plan, dining-kitchen. They installed a contemporary, Palazzo scheme with walnut units and granite work surfaces, which they sourced from Country Style Kitchens.

"The kitchen is the biggest transformation," says Derek. "It was a really old, traditional style before and this design just really works for us. We wanted something modern but that was also in keeping with this old building. It's worked so well that friends living nearby asked if they could copy it and they have. I think it's a real compliment. We've added a few luxury extras, like the wine fridge – it is an entertaining house, after all."

The couple say they have worked hard to incorporate the character of this 17th-century building while making it a practical family home.

"I think when people see the outside they expect it to be more traditional inside," says Derek. "We've retained features such as the open fire in the lounge, although we did change it from red brick to a more contemporary limestone, but where possible we've tried to maintain the character of an older building but complemented it with a modern interior."

It was also opportune that one of the couple's good friends is Becki Linley, a creative director with Trendenza, refurbishment specialists and project managers, so Linley was more than happy to be a sounding board for some of Derek and Susan's ideas. "They have done so much to this house, they really took it back to basics and started again and they had their own ideas about how it should look, I just helped confirm some of them," says Linley.

"This house was a real lifestyle change so it had to work with the family and our horses. And it's very much an entertaining space as well. The new kitchen especially is geared towards that," says Derek.

Even with their fabulous new kitchen, the Campbells weren't quite finished yet. Derek embarked on designing a new stable block to house his three horses, Leo, Ted and Dee, and also an office so that he could continue to work from home but not in the house.

The original stables haven't gone to waste either, and aside from providing plenty of storage for the rest of Derek's horsey paraphernalia they're home to two-year-old Blair's Shetland pony, Punch.

Add the two chocolate Labrador retrievers, Bailey and Benson, and the family is now complete. After three years of almost continual work, the steading is nearly done. To an outsider's eye, it is finished but one gets the impression that Susan and Derek will always find something to improve upon.

One plan under discussion is to replace the conservatory with a sun room more in keeping with the original building. And if another larger, similar property in the area became available they might be inclined to take on the challenge again. A move may be on the cards. sm

• www.trendenza.co.uk