An Arbroath family’s decorating DIY has revealed a little more than they expected when they set out to freshen up their living room.
Kayleigh Ross and Liam Smith peeled back the wallpaper to reveal an impressive mural of the town’s historic Abbey.
And a bit of local detective work has revealed the painting could have been on the wall of their Hepburn Crescent home for 70 YEARS.
The artwork is going back under cover – but the couple say they’ll protect it for posterity as a hidden feature of the house.
Surprise find
Carer Kayleigh, 29, said: “We’ve been in the house four years and were just getting round to re-decorating.
“We started stripping the wallpaper and then uncovered the painting on the wall.
“We had no idea it was there.”
The Abbey mural is 83cm by 61cm.
And after posting the discovery on the Arbroath Online Facebook page, the family have been able to piece together its origins.
Locals intrigued by discovery
“I thought it was an interesting thing to find, but I really didn’t expect it to blow up as much,” added Kayleigh.
“The previous owners of the house knew it had been there when their parents decorated in the 80s.
“But it looks like it was done in the 1950s not long after these houses were built.”
Hepburn Crescent is just a few hundred yards away from the ancient sandstone ruins.
Kayleigh’s now learned it was the home of the Milne family.
“We’ve been told Alec Milne was a painter and decorator, but he was obviously a talented amateur artist too,” she said.
“We think they’ve moved in and he’s painted this on the wall, so a lot of people will have seen it.”
Townsfolk have said it’s a copy of a well-known painting of the local landmark.
Saved for posterity
And although the mural isn’t going to stay on show, Kayleigh says it’s far too precious to get rid of completely.
“It’s a beautiful painting, but not really our cup of tea to have it as a feature.
“And it’s a brick wall so we can’t just take it off.
“We were going to be painting the wall, so what we plan to do is varnish over it to protect it and then cover it over with lining paper.
“It was amazing to find it and it’s been really good to see the interest it has created.”
Conversation