Hannah and Chris put traditional touches on their Instagrammable Aberdeenshire home

Hannah and Chris Hadden have transformed their new build into a home full of charm and character

By Rosemary Lowne

January 18 2024, 11:45 am

Hannah and Chris Hadden, pictured with their little boy Sully, have worked hard to create their dream home. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

If you think new build homes don’t have character then you haven’t seen Hannah and Chris Hadden’s Georgian style home in Chapelton.

The couple, who have a nine-month-old son Sully, have spent the past four years putting traditional touches on their three-bedroom home and the results are amazing.

Here Hannah explains how they approached their renovation project and shares her top tips on how you can create your dream home.

Bunting Place

Who: Hannah Hadden, 31, who works as a housing officer for Aberdeen City Council, her husband Chris, who owns The Hadden Joinery Company and their nine-month-old son Sully plus their two cats Daphney and Martha.

What: A semi-detached, three-bedroom Georgian style house.

Where: Chapelton in Aberdeenshire.

Aberdeenshire couple Hannah and Chris Hadden at the entrance of their new build home in Chapelton, with their son Sully. — Hannah and Chris Hadden, pictured with their son Sully, have added traditional touches on their charming Aberdeenshire new build home. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

As told to Rosemary Lowne

“We had been living in a flat in Union Grove in Aberdeen for seven years but we were looking for more space.

At the time, Chris had just started his own business so he needed a garage for his stuff and parking was also a bit of a nightmare in Union Grove so we wanted somewhere with parking too.

I had always driven past Chapelton because our family live near Laurencekirk so when this property went on the market we booked a viewing.

The new build in Chapelton, Aberdenshire, featuring a white and green exterior. — With its striking green and white exterior, Hannah and Chris’s home instantly catches the eye. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

Interior of living room with dark accents and bright accessories. — Hannah and Chris have created a cosy living room with dark accents and bright accessories. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

When we first saw the property we loved the sash and case windows and the fire, there were so many lovely traditional features which is quite unusual for a new build.

We never would’ve went for a new build if it didn’t have all those features in it.

We also loved the fact that Chapelton is a thriving community with lots of young couples and it’s only eight miles from Aberdeen city centre.

So we bought the property in July 2019 and we moved in the following month.

An old church bench adds charm and character to the hallway of the Aberdeenshire new build. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

Modern bathroom with black and white finishes. — The bathroom also features beautiful floor tiles. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

The home was literally a white box when we moved in so we started to put our own stamp on it straight away.

We tackled the living room because it was a smaller space.

I wanted it to have a snug feel to it so we used darker tones for the walls and then we used accessories to brighten it up.

We love all the Farrow and Ball colours but it’s very expensive paint so we chose the colour Down Pipe and then went to B&Q and got it colour matched using Valspar.

That’s a wee money saving trick for people as B&Q can match colours.

Dining area inside the Chapelton new build — Chris made the kitchen table from scratch using an old church door and metal pipes he ordered online. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

Spacious kitchen with white backsplash, black fixtures and herringbone wood flooring. — Hannah and Chris added crisp white tiles and contrasting black fixtures and fittings in the kitchen. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

After the living room we moved onto the kitchen.

We hated the kitchen when we moved in so we changed it by adding tiles from Topps Tiles and we also changed all the knobs and handles to black.

We also changed the chrome sink to a big ceramic black sink.

My husband also made a big table out of an old church door which is definitely our main feature and the piece we’re most proud of.

As well as the church door table, we also have an old church pew in the hallway which adds character and covers the radiator.

One of the bedrooms in the Chapelton home. — Warm purple tones and funky accessories add character to the main bedroom of the Aberdeenshire new build. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

Bathroom inside the Aberdeenshire new build — Warm purple tones also feature in the bathroom. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

For the main bedroom, we wanted it to feel like a hotel room so we used a Dulux colour called Heart Wood which is a warm shade of purple without being too in your face.

I love our bed spread which is from Urban Outfitters and the neon quote sign was something we used at our wedding.

We also changed the bathroom as it was quite plain.

So we put in tiles and added little features like plants and trinkets.

Cosy child's bedroom inside the Chapelton property, featuring sage green and white colour scheme. — Hannah and Chris has created a peaceful room for little Sully using light greens and whites. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

Pink door leading to kitchen of the Aberdeenshire home. — Instead of painting walls, Hannah says you can add pops of colour to doors like she has done in the kitchen. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

In terms of flooring, we used herringbone flooring in the kitchen, bedrooms and ensuite while in the hallway we used tiles form Topps Tiles.

We knew we wanted tiles in the hallway as it matched in with the tiles we had at our old flat which was a Georgian type building.

In the nursery we used a Dulux colour called Overtly Olive which is a nice, warm green colour.

Sully is a good sleeper so the colours must have made a difference.

We’ve also got a raffia style rug from Dunelm and other trinkets.

Sitting area in the back garden of the Aberdeenshire new build — Hannah and Chris host barbecues regularly in the summer. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

Exterior of the Chapelton home — Hannah and Chris have enjoyed putting their own stamp on their wonderful home. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

We’ve got to the point where we’re happy with everything we’ve done and we feel settled now.

My advice for other people doing up their homes is find a bit of furniture, a picture or even a sofa and work round it rather than changing the whole room and trying to get stuff to fit into the room.

Also, it’s a good idea to live in the space for a while as you’ll pick up ideas along the way.
And don’t be afraid of colour.”

To see more of Hannah and Chris’s beautiful home, check out their Instagram page @buntinghouse_

Or if you would like your home to feature, just email features@eveningexpress.co.uk