A restored Victorian railway station furnished with graffiti on the garden wall has been named Scotland’s Home of the Year.
The Old Train House on the edge of Leith was empty for 10 years when it was taken on by Ben and Christina Blundell and turned into a family home, complete with recycled furniture.
Their efforts were rewarded after it beat off competition from five rivals ranging from an ambitious new build to an Old Manse.
Civil servant Christina said: “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.”
The show’s judges – interior designers Anna Campbell-Jones together and Banjo Beale together with architect and lecturer Michael Angus – described The Old Train House as a unique and welcoming family home.
Anna Campbell Jones said: “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.”
Banjo Beale said: “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.”
Fellow judge Michael Angus added: “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.”
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