Inside my house: Suzanne and Craig Gilmour
While the countryside that surrounds their architecturally listed property may be peaceful, inside the Gilmour household is a never ending hive of activity.
Many of us dream of an escape from city life to a home in the country. Suzanne and Craig Gilmour turned that dream into a reality, but the location was almost a bridge too far.
“When Craig and I first went to see this house I thought Killearn was just a bit too far away,” explains Suzanne, “but the moment we drove down the driveway and saw the house and the views, we were both smitten.
“Now I really enjoy the drive back from the city. I can feel my shoulders relax and a certain calmness as soon as I enter the countryside.”
The couple, who live with their two children, Gregor and Hannah, and their two dogs, Millie and Lola, and run a building surveying business, bought the house 12 years ago after outgrowing their previous home in Bearsden.
“It was a lovely house and we had extended it twice but the garden area was quite small and we wanted a more traditional house.”
The family started their new house hunt when the market was at its highest and, having lost out on a few other properties, were determined not to let this one slip away.
“Houses were going for sometimes over 50 per cent of the asking price,” says Craig, “so I put our best offer in for this one. If we didn’t get it we knew we had put our best foot forward and could have no regrets.”
The house was in a good condition, inside and out, but in desperate need of new bathrooms and a kitchen, and redecoration. It also had a number of smaller rooms upstairs, which had previously been staff quarters, so the couple knocked some of these rooms together to create bigger bedrooms with en suite facilities. The stunning kitchen, as it is now, used to be three rooms (kitchen, pantry and butler’s kitchen) and the current utility room was the old coal bunker.
“We have made a lot of changes over the years,” says Suzanne. “And we recently built a three car garage with accommodation above which my son has for his drums, which has almost removed all noise from the house.”
The rooms, which are meticulous in their design and decoration, are all down to Suzanne. “I once had an interior designer come to draw my inspiration from my travels to different hotels and restaurants, and will happily scour the internet for ideas.”
When it comes to major building work Craig steps in and Suzanne admits it’s handy having a husband with so much knowledge of the building industry, with the one drawback being she’s always last on Craig’s list to get anything done. “Thankfully we have a really good architect that we work closely with,” says Suzanne. “And I’m just about to rip out my cloakroom and modernise it, so have engaged the help of a bathroom designer.”
The aesthetic of the house is clearly important to the Gilmours but not at the cost of function and practicality, with the couple choosing to use wood and marble flooring throughout downstairs, both being easy on the eye and to clean when the dogs return home from their daily run in the gardens.
“Our most worthwhile investment is probably the Aga in the kitchen,” says Suzanne. “I love cooking and baking but I also love just heating myself up on a cold day.
“I also love the curtains in the house which are all lined and interlined to help with heat loss as the house is single glazed.”
While the six bedroom house would be a dream home for many, it’s still a work in progress for the family, as Suzanne confirms. “I love my home but we are just about to decorate again. I’m considering painting the hallway panelling in grey but I’m just not sure if I’m brave enough.
“We are also currently making a gym in our old garage and adding an orangery onto the kitchen which will give us a bigger kitchen/dining/living space. There’s definitely never a dull moment in this household.” the house but I didn’t engage their services as I wasn’t inspired. I love interior design and draw my inspiration from my travels to different hotels and restaurants, and will happily scour the internet for ideas.”
When it comes to major building work Craig steps in and Suzanne admits it’s handy having a husband with so much knowledge of the building industry, with the one drawback being she’s always last on Craig’s list to get anything done. “Thankfully we have a really good architect that we work closely with,” says Suzanne. “And I’m just about to rip out my cloakroom and modernise it, so have engaged the help of a bathroom designer.”
The aesthetic of the house is clearly important to the Gilmours but not at the cost of function and practicality, with the couple choosing to use wood and marble flooring throughout downstairs, both being easy on the eye and to clean when the dogs return home from their daily run in the gardens.
“Our most worthwhile investment is probably the Aga in the kitchen,” says Suzanne. “I love cooking and baking but I also love just heating myself up on a cold day.
“I also love the curtains in the house which are all lined and interlined to help with heat loss as the house is single glazed.”
While the six bedroom house would be a dream home for many, it’s still a work in progress for the family, as Suzanne confirms. “I love my home but we are just about to decorate again. I’m considering painting the hallway panelling in grey but I’m just not sure if I’m brave enough.
“We are also currently making a gym in our old garage and adding an orangery onto the kitchen which will give us a bigger kitchen/dining/living space. There’s definitely never a dull moment in this household.”