When Mary Rodgers and her husband Mark Cook were looking for a new home 18 years ago, space for their children and a good garden were at the top of their checklist.
The couple, who are parents to Tom, 19, twins Anne and Liam, 18 and Affric, 15, moved to Glendarroch, 5 South Avenue, Cults, Aberdeen, from the city centre.
“We were looking for a house where the kids could have a lot of freedom and spend a lot of time outdoors,” recalled Mary, 54.
“We didn’t really want to be in the centre of town anymore and we wanted to be close to a good school that the kids would be able walk to.”
The beautiful detached granite villa – which is on the market for offers over £2,000,000 – was built in the 1870s and the suburb in which it sits is one of the north-east’s most desirable. Set a good distance away from the main road, the six-bedroom home is very secluded with almost 1.5 acres of land surrounding the house.
Mary, a full-time mum from Ireland who previously worked as a petroleum engineer, and Mark, also a petroleum engineer, 57, have spent a lot of time on the home’s interior, putting their own personal stamp on the decor year-by-year.
“It was in good repair when we moved in, but it had been owned by an oil and gas company and although they had spent a lot of money on the upkeep of things like the roof, they hadn’t spent a lot on making it homely and cosy.
“It’s taken the whole 18 years to finish,” said Mary.
“In the beginning when the children were all babies we didn’t really do very much in the house but we worked on the garden. We restored it and that was probably the biggest thing we did as it hadn’t been properly cultivated for many years. The garden’s fabulous now so it’s been very rewarding.
“Once the children started school we started on the house. We didn’t rush into it and some things took us years to choose. I think you can see from the house that there’s quite a lot of individuality.”
A room that undoubtedly stands out is the gorgeous dining kitchen. Mary and Mark have extended the room and added a picture window that looks over the scenic Deeside country. When open, the window hides behind an external wall so you can just step straight out on to the patio area in the garden.
Mary describes the room as a working kitchen and it is one of her favourite in the house due to its practicality.
“It’s all one big room and the kids can study while I cook,” she said.
“Every single thing in the kitchen was planned in advance, including the Aga oven which is my equivalent of a sports car.”
Taking a look around the rest of the home, it’s clear a lot of thought has gone into creating the look of the rooms, and their upkeep.
“As we’ve built up the house and restored it, it’s always been with the family in mind,” said Mary.
“We’ve got a teenage den in the attic and a party playroom so the kids can have their friends round. They don’t bother me and I don’t bother them. It gives them a sense of independence.”
However, now that their children are quickly growing up, Mary and Mark will be spending their time between Dublin and Edinburgh.
“The children are leaving home and there’s one at uni in Ireland and it’s possible the next two will be going too. For the youngest it’s quite a wrench but with her brother already left, and two about to go, the house will be very empty and spending more time in Dublin seems like a natural progression.
“It’s a wrench for us too but your life does change and you have to move on. If you wait until you’re ready, you’ve probably left it too late.”
Mary said she will miss the views the most when the time comes to leave.
“It’s so open and you get so much sky here. When we moved here from town it took me a while to get used to how much sky we get.
“You can see right across the valley to the other side and everyone remarks when they come round on how secluded it is.
“The house is also a warm, comfortable space for everyone.”
Contact Simpson & Marwick on 01224 622622.
