SIXTIES REVIVAL

Beyond the dated elements of this Edinburgh home was a solid house that just needed a rethink to reveal its potential

-  Catherine Coyle

It’s a common conundrum: how do you make a home that was built in a different era, to accommodate different priorities, suitable for today’s living? There has been an evolution in the way we live, and this, coupled with developments in technology, materials and even principles, is making us look afresh at existing properties. Some might think that starting over and creating something from scratch, for a new age, is the answer. Others, like architect Calum Duncan, take a different approach, preferring to seek out the most sustainable ways to improve our existing built environment.

When clients Roger Kerr and Kirstie Brady approached Duncan to explore ways to improve their house, the architect was certain that with some considered planning, their 1960s suburban property could be transformed into a comfortable, functional home suitable for the 21st century.

“I knew that out of something fairly ordinary we could create something special,” says Duncan. Rather than creating something new, he wanted to discover which elements of the property worked and capitalise on them. “You don’t always have to extend,” he points out.

Kerr and Brady and their two children had been living in the three-bedroom house in Edinburgh’s Blackford district for two years before they sought professional advice. They’d been determined to gain an accurate picture of what they liked about it (and what they didn’t) before committing to any changes. “It’s in a great area – close to the city centre but with access to Blackford hill behind us,” explains Kerr. “The views of the Edinburgh skyline, Arthur’s Seat and out towards the East Lothian coast had us sold before we even went inside.