Home of the late Professor John Mallard is restored to its former glory

Andre Smith and his parents have beautifully renovated the spectacular three storey granite home in Anderson Drive.

By Rosemary Lowne

September 7 2023, 11:45 am

Mallard House is the perfect blend of modern and period features. Pictured is Andre Smith with his mum Debs. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

Stripping a property back to its bare brick walls is not for the faint hearted.

But that is exactly what Andre Smith and his parents Debs and Cambie done with the beautiful three storey granite house they bought in Anderson Drive.

Here Andre shares their remarkable renovation journey.

Mallard House

Who: Andre Smith and his parents Debs and Cambie.

What: A three storey granite house.

Where: Anderson Drive, Aberdeen

As told to Rosemary Lowne

“I’d looked at the property for ages and something kept drawing me back to it. I couldn’t quite afford it myself so as my mum and dad were thinking about moving, I asked if they wanted to put an offer in with me. So we did that and we got the keys in October 2019.

Mallard House in Aberdeen — Mallard House is breathtakingly beautiful from the outside and is even more impressive inside. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

The renovated kitchen in home, with white walls, white marble island counter and matching floor tiles, white cabinets and matte black finishings. The kitchen has a large window with a view of the garden — The kitchen is sleek and stylish. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

The property is set out over three floors and it has an intriguing history as it was once owned by the late Professor John Mallard, the Aberdeen scientist who pioneered the development of MRI scanners.

We actually attended a memorial service for Professor Mallard recently which was really interesting as we learned all about his life and we even got to meet some of his family who shared some stories about his time at the home.

We’ve named the property Mallard House in his honour. Upstairs in the attic, which is now an appartment, there were heaps of little bits of metal and a work bench so I like to think that was maybe where he used to invent things.

The lounge before it was given a makeover. There is a blue patterned carpet, with two blue rugs, burnt orange curtains and blue-green patterned wallpaper. There's a bronze fireplace and a large bay window — The lounge before it was given a makeover. Image: Andre Smith

The lounge after the renovation, with white marble floor tiles, matte black walls and a fluffy black rug in front of the white fireplace. There is a white sofa with silver and yellow cushions, and two black armchairs with yellow cushions — The lounge after it was renovated. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

The property has three bedrooms, five bathrooms as well an open plan lounge, kitchen and diner and we’ve turned the attic into an apartment. We took the house back to the bare brick walls adding a modern but traditional twist.

For example, we installed silver/black period cast radiators which are from The Period House Store (an online retailer).

The main bathroom before it was refurbished. It had dark blue patterned flooring and white and blue wallpaper. There are white tiles along the bath and sink — The main bathroom before it was refurbished. Image: Andre Smith

The bathroom in Mallard House in Aberdeen now, with white marble flooring, a bronze bathtub with a glass screen and a modern black sink with a white basin and gold tap — The beautiful bathroom after it was given a major makeover. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

In the lounge, there’s a beautiful bay window, cornicing, a fire place and a baby grand piano. It was actually an old pine piano that we got from Milton of Crathes in Banchory.

They were getting rid of it because they were renovating so we took it and got it painted black and glossed. It blends in nicely with the room as the decor is black. We just wanted something different and as the lounge is so big, black gives it a cosy feel.

The living room in Mallard House in Aberdeen has an archway leading to the staircase — Marble floors perfectly complement the sultry decor in this stunning room. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

An ornate grey radiator — How beautiful are the radiators. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

Double doors from the lounge takes you into the kitchen, dining and living area. For the kitchen we’ve gone for a shaker style and we used John Willox Kitchen Design who are based in Ellon.

The entire downstairs of the property has white marble flooring and in the kitchen there’s white marble worktops and a huge granite island with a sink. As the kitchen is at the front of the house it has massive windows and we’ve also put in a mirror at one side to create even more light. In terms of the décor we’ve went for neutral tones.

Through in the dining room we have a gold Versace dining table. We’ve had it for years but we can’t part with it because it’s different. Downstairs there’s a small utility room and a toilet.

The hallway with the staircase. There is a large arched window, a greek-inspired bust on the windowsill and a statement lamp and mirror next to the window — The house has art gallery vibes. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

A grand piano in Mallard House in Aberdeen — The piano is the key piece in the lounge. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

On the first floor there’s a big master ensuite with a Juliet balcony and we’ve put a bath in the bedroom at the end of the bed. Off the bedroom there is a dressing room and ensuite with marble tiles, black fixtures and slate shower trays.

Also on this floor is the main bathroom where there is a roll top copper and nickel bath which we also bought from The Period House Store as well as two bedrooms.

On the top floor we’ve created an open plan living area with kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom. It’s a little apartment so it’s great if you have people to stay.

My advice for anyone thinking about renovating is to have a budget but bare in mind that it will always go over.