Your Home – August 2019

http://www.yourhomemagazine.co.uk August 2019 75

REAL HOME

Feature

Alison Gibb

Photos

Douglas Gibb

For stockists see page 120

COME ON IN...

WE ARE Fiona and Iain Monk and our two

daughters, Sara and Freya, aged 14 and 12.

OUR HOME Is a four-bedroom

contemporary detached new build on the

coast outside Edinburgh. It was built in 2007.

MY BEST BARGAIN Was our solid-oak

dining table with pedestal legs found on

Gumtree for £200. To bring it up to date we

distressed and lime waxed it.

MY TOP TIP Is don’t be too matchy-

matchy with colours or designs as they

might not truly reflect your style.

TO RELAX I love to read, walk along

the beach and see family and friends.

FOR INSPIRATION I still love leafing

through interiors magazines even though

our building and decorating work is finished.

MY FAVOURITE ROOM Is the kitchen

and family room, overlooking the garden.

We’re so glad the kitchen isn’t all white or

grey as we had originally planned.

GROUND

FLOOR

FIRST

FLOOR

Add an accent colour such as

teal to break up a stark scheme

and to help blend the different

toned white surfaces.

Good idea!

The engineered oak flooring is Nordic

Beech from the Deco collection by V4

Flooring which comprises six ultra modern

wood floor designs. The oak top layer is

lightly brushed to release the natural grain.

A coating of wood lye is then applied to

create the deep lustre and bring out the

distinctive oak tones and grain variations

Previously, their daughters had shared

a room in the staff accommodation of

the boarding school, so Fiona wanted

them to be able to enjoy reflecting their

personalities in their own spaces. ‘It

felt like a good way for them to express

themselves and to celebrate our delight

in our homecoming,’ explains Fiona.

‘Freya wanted her room to be like a cabin,

whereas Sara went for a more luxurious

look.’ In the same spirit, Fiona and

Skylights flood the room with sunlight
and oak trusses add character

Bedroom

1

Bedroom

2

Bedroom

3

Utility

wc

Storage

wc

Landing

Kitchen

Dining

area

Family Hall Front room

room

Bedroom

4

wc

Fiona wanted the island to be welcoming.
‘There are no built-in appliances so that I
can lay out food for guests buffet-style. The
more functional parts of the kitchen, such
as the sink and hob, are discreetly tucked
away,’ she explains. The glass pendant lights
above the breakfast bar are by Cox & Cox