Listed villa renovation, Portobello
This grade B listed Georgian house in the Portobello Conservation Area in Edinburgh had been used for commercial purposes for many years. The original building had been extended to both the rear and side, resulting in a disjointed layout with lots of separate rooms. The brief was to create a warm home for the client’s growing family, which met the needs of modern living, while respecting the historic features of the house.
AGORA proposed the creation of a sociable kitchen and dining space which would sit to the rear of the house and better connect to the garden. This was achieved by opening up two adjacent rooms, and replacing a poor quality utility extension with a highly glazed dining area on the same footprint. A section of the rear wall was removed to connect the extension to the original house. Large windows and sliding hardwood doors provide a connection to the garden. A linear rooflight not only brings light into the kitchen space, but into the adjacent hallway via a high-level internal window.
A practical shower and utility room was created by removing cupboards and raising the floor level of an old side extension to match the main house. The utility functions are concealed within built-in units, which also provide valuable storage.
The master bedroom has a secret ensuite, accessed through the bespoke built-in wardrobe.
Historic features, such as the original cornice to the drawing room, iron balustrade and stone stair and floors were restored. Thermal insulation has been incorporated discreetly where possible to improve the energy performance of this historic building. The original sash and case windows to the front of the house had previously had their astragals removed, and were therefore replaced with slimline double glazed sashes to match the original profiles. The original sashes have been retained to the rear, and the draught proofing renewed.
