A unique Edinburgh property has been crowned Scotland's Home of the Year (SHOTY) in the finale of the BBC Scotland series.
Filmed at Glasgow's House for an Art Lover, the show visits homes around Scotland and is currently filming its sixth season. The Old Train House, near Leith, was transformed by couple Christina and Ben Blundell.
It was boarded up and laid empty for 10 years, before the Blundell family made it their project. Their 'eclectic' style can be found inside, as well their desire to be sustainable with second hand furnishing found across all three levels.
READ MORE - Scotland's Home of the Year: Inside Edinburgh's Old Train House ahead of final
Graffiti found on the exterior garden walls not to the building's past, and add to the unique style. Homeowner Christina Blundell is delighted The Old Train House won the coveted title: “Winning was a genuine shock and we’re bursting with pride.
"Ben and I entered with no expectations other than going along for the ride - we did not anticipate in any way that we’d be taking the trophy home that day, particularly when we got to see all the other fabulous finalists homes.
"As the final was filmed last summer, the SHOTY trophy has been sadly tucked away while we’ve kept the secret of winning to ourselves. I think it’ll either go in the hallway or perhaps outside somewhere.
"All of the finalists are a lovely bunch and I couldn’t pick a favourite home among them. They each have an individual and special quality - I’m glad the judging wasn’t up to me."
SHOTY Judge and interior designer, Anna Campbell Jones believes the Edinburgh home is a very worthy winner of the prestigious title: “The Old Train House expresses the ultimate in adaptation and reuse, themes that are so important these days - the whole building was upcycled, transformed from a sad ruined train station to a very real home.
"I loved the balance of respect for the history of the building, clever use of bargain vintage finds and appropriate materials both for the age of the building and for its function as warm, fun family home."
Interior Designer Banjo Beale agrees: “This home has been a journey for its owners, from abandoned train station to beloved home. You could feel the love that had been poured into this building. The Old Train House feels like a sanctuary in the city, full of plants, light and life.
“It’s hard to pick one thing about Old Train House which made it unique because it had that elusive, hard to define and harder to create feeling of home. I felt right at home in the platform bedroom, a moody, inky blue cocoon."
Architect and lecturer Michael Angus adds: “It was that indefinable thing, that lifted the Old Train up above the rest. Some curious blend of components, of building, fabric, place, time, that come together somehow, to imbue a home with a certain overall quality that is truly, home."
The six Scotland’s Home of the Year 2023 finalists were:
- THE OLD TRAIN HOUSE, Edinburgh (Ep1, East)
- SNOWDROP HOUSE, Aberdeenshire (Ep2, North East & Northern Isles)
- THE OLD MANSE, Auchterarder, Perthshire (Ep3, Central)
- MANOR HOUSE, Peebles (Ep4, South)
- LOCHBAY, Isle of Skye (Ep5, Highlands & Islands)
- KIRKLEE MANSION, Glasgow (Ep6, West)
