United Front

This traditional stone villa in an Edinburgh conservation area has been transformed thanks to some dramatic features

- Aemilia Ross

Having bought the lower portion of this traditional Victorian house some years ago and invested a considerable amount of time and effort in extending the space to fit their needs, the owners were finally able to fulfil their long-held dream of restoring the entire property to its original state when the upper flat was put on the market. Once their offer was accepted, they immediately set about figuring out how to return the sandstone villa to its former glory.

Seán Gaule, associate architect at Somner Macdonald Architects, was brought on board by the family to take their ideas further. The Edinburgh-based practice has plenty of experience in tackling traditional buildings, with many of its projects focusing on remodelling and extending properties around the city and making them fit for 21st-century living. In this particular case, the main task was to reinstate the connecting staircase between the floors – it had been brutally ripped out and replaced with a concrete stair added onto the gable when the house was divided. Reintroducing the bricked-up stair window was another priority.