When Barrie Milne and Nina Baker viewed number 31 Kingshill Road in Aberdeen’s west end for the first time, they knew they would have to renovate the house – but were keen to take on the challenge.
The building was “tired” and “dated” and the couple had plans drawn up by an architect to transform the place into a modern home to suit their needs.
Barrie explained: “It took almost a year to obtain planning permission, but in the end the planning department loved the transformation which the renovation offered, bringing the tired, dated 1960s house to life.”
It’s certainly been a case of out with the old and in with the new at the home. Outside, the original 1960s exterior has been replaced with an eye-catching glass curtain wall glazing system, smooth white walls and Siberian larch cladding.
Internally, the house has been virtually stripped to a shell, rewired, re-plumbed and extended to create accommodation spanning three floors.
The vast use of glass throughout the house ensures it is kept nice and bright, and solid oak fittings and fixtures, alongside neutral decor, give it a fresh appearance – offering its new owners a blank canvas to work with.
During the renovation, the ground floor was transformed to provide a vast open-plan living area incorporating a lounge, study, dining room and kitchen spanning a whopping 45ft.
“Most of our time is spent in the lounge/ kitchen/dining/study area as it is a vast, bright, open area,” said Barrie.
On the first floor you’ll find the master bedroom with dressing room and the luxurious en suite shower room, which has a double walk-in shower enclosure.
There are also two double bedrooms with floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows and the luxurious family bathroom complete with a double-ended bath.
Another of the couple’s favourite areas is the rooftop terrace on the second floor, which offers panoramic views over the city towards the countryside and to the North sea.
Barrie said: “It’s certainly got the wow factor. We opened up the roof to create access on to the terrace with a clever bespoke, triple-glazed, electrically controlled roof light that opens to give access to this fabulous outside space.”
An added extra at the Kingshill Road home – on sale for offers over £480,000 – is that it comes complete with a self-contained studio flat at the back of the house.
The flat has its own lounge/bedroom on open plan with the kitchen and a separate shower room. Again, its contemporary design makes good use of natural light thanks to three roof lights, feature glass blocks and a window to the side overlooking the secluded garden.
“We sometimes forget we have the annex as it’s completely separate from the house. Our friends and family love staying there as they have everything they need,” said Barrie.
Another selling point at the house is the fact that its design makes it economical and easy to run.
Features include gas central heating, an indirect hot-water cylinder, high-quality, powder-coated, aluminium-framed, double-glazed windows and doors and extensive insulation, including cavity wall.
Outside, there are easy-to-maintain gardens to the front and side of the house, an eye-catching timber decking area and a secluded south-facing area of garden to the back of the house.
The house also has its own garage, but if more space for parking is required there is ample room on the street.
After five happy years at the house, Barrie and Nina are leaving the home they love – and hope to take on another exciting property project.
“We have decided to sell as we feel the house is actually now too big for us,” Barrie said. “We would like to downsize in Aberdeen and be able to renovate a property in France.
“We will definitely miss the house – if it could be moved to France then it would not be on the market.”
Contact: Simpson & Marwick on 01224 622622.
