Back together AGAIN
25 Beautiful Homes|June 2022
After years spent travelling, Janice and Gordon Solo seized the chance to turn a subdivided Victorian villa into their forever home
CHARLOTTE LUXFORD
Back together AGAIN

KITCHEN/LIVING AREA

Dark smoked-oak joinery is balanced with a polished concrete floor, while muted blue panelling adds texture and warmth to the living area.

Kitchen, price on request, Archispek. Voronoi III pendant lights, £170 each, Tala. Bolero bistro stools, £172 for four, Nisbets

DESIGN TIP 'We wanted to use sustainable, salvaged and natural materials, so we chose local suppliers and contractors'

SITTING ROOM

Many of the period details were either retained or artfully restored, including the cornicing, ceiling rose, and timber panelling.

Reconditioned radiator, Glasgow Architectural Salvage. Source a similar vintage leather Chesterfield at Old Boot. Chatsworth chandelier, from £695, Graham and Green, would create a similar look. Carmella brass over arched lamp, £150, Made, would work here. Firefly wall light, £110, Pooky

HOME TRUTHS

THE PROPERTY Victorian villa

LOCATION East Dunbartonshire, Scotland

ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-living area, dining room, study, utility room, five bedrooms (one en suite), two bathrooms

PURCHASED 2018

PREVIOUS PROPERTY 'We rented a ground-floor flat next door,' says Janice.

Every once in a while, a truly unique opportunity will present itself that's simply too good to miss. For ceramicist and architect Janice and Gordon Solo, it was a Victorian merchant's house ripe for renovation in a leafy conservation area just outside Glasgow. The couple jumped at the chance to unify the 19th-century villa, which had been split into two flats. 'We loved the quiet beauty of its proportions, as well as the large, mature, secluded garden, explains Janice.

This story is from the June 2022 edition of 25 Beautiful Homes.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the June 2022 edition of 25 Beautiful Homes.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM 25 BEAUTIFUL HOMESView All
A Labour of Love
25 Beautiful Homes

A Labour of Love

Morgan Scott-Murch and her husband Jon worked hard to turn bedsits into a beautiful home

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024
LIGHT relief
25 Beautiful Homes

LIGHT relief

Leila and Ali Mestiri called in the experts to modernise their dated period property and make it bright and beautiful

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024
Grand ambition
25 Beautiful Homes

Grand ambition

Making changes to a listed historic house comes with many challenges, but that didn't stop Penny and Richard Ballard achieving their dreams

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024
COUNTRY calling
25 Beautiful Homes

COUNTRY calling

Anita and Tom Storrar have cleverly enhanced their pretty stone cottage in the North York Moors National Park, which is the focal point of their idyllic family life

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024
CUSTOM FIT
25 Beautiful Homes

CUSTOM FIT

A contemporary Huf Haus proved to be the ideal home for David and Greta Iredale to showcase their love of mid-century design

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024
Urban OASIS
25 Beautiful Homes

Urban OASIS

Interior designer Ruchi A. Mohan was well placed to turn a dated and compact New York City apartment into a calm, cool and collected abode

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024
Best laid plans
25 Beautiful Homes

Best laid plans

A renovation and significant extension have future-proofed Rossella and Tim van der Weyden's Victorian terrace for years to come

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024
AT ONE with nature
25 Beautiful Homes

AT ONE with nature

The couple who built this home on the outskirts of Antwerp were influenced by their experience of living in Japan, so the inside is as peaceful as the outside

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024
Dream come true
25 Beautiful Homes

Dream come true

Moving from a semi to a detached period house in need of some care was a happy adventure for Am and Aman Hayer

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024
CLEAR VISION
25 Beautiful Homes

CLEAR VISION

Katie and Andrew Probert couldn't resist the chance to buy a Victorian doer-upper on a street they'd always wanted to live on

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024