A charming little house in Dunblane is a contender for the Scotland’s Home of the Year title.
The third episode of the hugely popular BBC Scotland show broadcasts on Monday and features homes in Dunblane, Auchterarder and Bridge of Allan.
Daisy Cottage is a traditional terraced home in Dunblane. Dating from 1784, it is home to Laura Gill, her husband David and their three cats, Beebee, Belle and Patchy.
David, 73, is retired and loves to potter in the garden while Laura, 66, makes a living as an artist. “I started painting when my parents were ill,” she says. “It really did save my sanity. I’d come back from a hospital visit or caring for them and paint late into the night.
“It wasn’t until my stuff started selling that I realised I might be good at it.”
Daisy Cottage ‘perfect size for us’
Daisy Cottage has been in the family for a long time, with Laura’s parents living there before they passed away. The couple only intended to stay at Daisy Cottage temporarily but then decided to build an extension and turn it into their permanent home.
“We moved in for what was supposed to be a temporary stay after my parents passed away,” Laura continues.
“Everything was piled up like a warehouse but even so after a few weeks I turned to my husband and said I love this house.
“It has everything we want. It backs onto fields and we’ve got lovely wee lambs next door right now. You can walk into the village to get anything you need. And it’s the perfect size for us. We don’t want another huge house.”
The couple knocked down an old 1960s extension and replaced it with a modern, open plan room that delighted the judges.
They also made the entire house accessible. There are no trip hazards anywhere and it is accessible to anyone in a wheelchair.
“My dad ended up disabled so we wanted to make the house really accessible,” Laura continues. “A friend of ours has MS and uses a wheelchair. Ours is one of very few houses he can visit.”
Exploring Daisy Cottage in Dunblane…
All on one level, the cottage has a living room, two en suite bedrooms, a study and Laura’s art studio.
The modern extension has a large kitchen/diner and a small bathroom that houses many of Laura’s artworks and is dubbed the ‘Loovre’. The kitchen opens onto the terraced rear garden which backs onto fields and countryside.
There were a few hiccups getting builders and the couple ended up doing much of the finishing work themselves. “I’ve turned into a pretty handy plasterer if you ever need some work done,” Laura smiles.
The SHOTY judges were charmed by Daisy Cottage. Anna Campbell Jones said: “What I find really appealing about this home is the way it brings together the interests of the people who live here.
“From the outside it’s a very traditional cottage but then when you come inside there’s this eclectic collection of artwork and textures and furniture pieces. You get a sense that the people who live here are less than conventional.”
For Laura there are only two people whose opinions really count. “We’ve done a good job of upgrading and bringing an old and really tired house back to life,” she says.
“If my mum and dad could see what we’ve accomplished they would be incredibly proud.”
- Episode 3 of Scotland’s Home of the Year is on BBC One Scotland on Monday at 8.30pm.
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