From Factory To Comfortable Home

From Empty Shell To Hip Apartment
Open Living

Despite its history as a flourmill and dingy workshop, Graeme and Ashley's Edinburgh home is now a bright, open-plan place to live.

Graeme Cross and Ashley Kerr's apartment in the heart of Edinburgh was nothing more than a breezeblock shell when they bought it in April 2003. But in this raw state it offered an unmissable opportunity to create the open-plan, double-height, city-centre living space they had always dreamed of.

Changing The Space

Transforming this 1900s workplace into a 21st-century home was a year long struggle. However, as the project progressed it became clear that Graeme and Ashley's vision would need a little tweaking.

'There have been elements of compromise,' admits Graeme. 'We wanted to leave the brickwork exposed, but we couldn't because of the need to put in insulation, and then the exposed beams looked so incongruous beside the freshly plastered walls that unfortunately they had to be covered as well.'

The steel staircase has minimal plywood treads to suit the open-plan space, although the couple have since discovered it doesn't comply with building regulations.

They plan to complete it with a contemporary glass and steel balustrade. The ceramic spheres and plant pots are from Au Naturale, and Graeme's favourite buy, the vibrant orange sofa, is by Italian company Living Divani.

Battling The Budget

As Graeme and Ashley evolved their plan to suit the restrictions of the building they had bought, their budget took a battering. 'The steel frame to create the mezzanine cost £20,000,' says Graeme. 'And although that did include the staircase, it was a bit more than we had expected to pay. We also really wanted to put in a beautiful modern fireplace, but that involved extra expense because there wasn't a chimney. We ended up putting in an elaborate extractor, which then limited our choice of fireplace. In the end, we could have bought a brand-new car with the money we spent on that!'

The pair also found it difficult to communicate with their local builders. 'Lots of the tradesmen we had here just didn't want to leave their comfort zone,' explains Ashley. The couple's requests for concealed cupboards and 'shadow gaps' instead of skirting boards were met with blank looks until they eventually found a plasterer who spoke their language and they managed to persuade a friend to do the internal joinery.