Page 45 - ESPC_Sept24

AT HOME WITH

The décor is just one of the reasons that the fundraising for managing holiday lets in the
property became a competitor on the third town. “We have an invested interest in the
series of Scotland’s Home of the Year back area; we bought and renovated our holiday
in 2021, becoming a fan favourite thanks cottage, Boatshore Cottage, which is just
to its picturesque location and charming next door, and last year we also bought and
interior style. renovated the listed property, dating back to
1855, directly across the road from us. It was
It’s not just the house itself, but the location in a serious state of disrepair, and it’s now
that Hannah and her family adore, as been sympathetically restored and sold onto
she explains what makes Cockenzie so a lovely lady who dreamed of owning a home
special. “We love being only ten miles from by the sea.”
Edinburgh, but in a real community. This
part of the coast is so pretty and historical, Truly settled into their dream family
yet it escapes the heavy footfall of tourists home, Hannah has some sage advice for
that the more well-known parts of East those thinking of taking on a large-scale
Lothian get, making it ideal for bringing up renovation of their own. “Don’t be put off –
a young family.” once you find a home you love, you have
The couple decided to take the plunge and all had sea views. I designed the layout and the rest of your life to save up and make
purchased the cottages, using local ESPC did the drawings, then took the plan to a real In fact, Hannah loves the lifestyle Cockenzie changes. You’ll never a find a dream house
solicitor estate agents Garden Stirling Burnet architect to do the techy bit.” offers so much, that she underwent a full that ticks every single box, so be prepared
to guide them. “We have always used GSB; career change, swapping her career in to compromise.”
Audrey there is absolutely fantastic and The finished property is a charming seaside
so knowledgeable about the East Lothian haven, and with a second son, Micah, joining
market.” them since the house has been completed,
the family can’t see themselves living
Sale complete, Hannah and John then spent anywhere else: “I’m not sure we could wrench
the next five months renovating, before ourselves away, especially now we have boys
moving in at last. who have the beach as their back garden.
Living so close to the sea, swimming and
“We completely stripped the house back to the paddleboarding is our life right now, and the
original stone walls and started again,” Hannah sunsets are out of this world. We have plans
explains. “It’s basically a new house in an old drawn up to convert the attic space into two
shell. The layout didn’t work, and we had our further bedrooms and another bathroom,
hearts set on a large kitchen where we could which I imagine we will need once we have
cook, entertain and hang as a wee family, so we teenagers!”
ended up knocking down walls and changing
the flow of the house to get exactly what we The décor itself has been a labour of love too,
wanted. The biggest change was adding a creating a truly personalised space. “We have
huge steel beam right through the centre a wall of art dedicated to all the places we’ve
of the house, to create an enormous dining visited, and we have lots of pre-loved light
kitchen with a double-sized window that looks fittings, old chandeliers and such – we’ve tried
out to the sea. The view there is spectacular, to keep the interiors sympathetic to the age If you’d like to see more of Hannah’s coastal
a panoramic view from the Forth Bridges of the property. I prefer classic, timeless style haven, you can follow her on Instagram @
right along the Firth of Forth, taking in the as opposed to modern. And of course, there’s jonah_cottage, and you can find out more
whole Fife coastline. We made sure that the a touch of nautical here and there, with being about the holiday let @boatshorecottage.
main bedrooms, the lounge and the kitchen so close to the sea!”

44 | espc.com espc.com | 45