A hundred-year-old Arts and Crafts house on the outskirts of Glasgow is ready for another century of gracious living
On the day that William Morris would have celebrated his 182nd birthday, it is rather a fitting tribute that this majestic house on the outskirts of Glasgow should take centre stage in this magazine. What’s also heartening, though, is that despite the obvious Arts and Crafts architecture, the interior of the house has been treated to a carefully considered redesign that draws inspiration from a range of artistic periods yet still manages to work sympathetically with the building’s heritage.
Greystones – so-called because of its commanding whinstone façade – sits in extensive grounds within a conservation area. Its owner, Lorraine Tracey, wanted to give the B-listed property the TLC that she knew it merited, and so, as its 100th birthday approached, a top-to-bottom refurbishment got under way.
“I had already had some plans drawn up with architect Stephen Govan,” recalls Lorraine, “but I was struggling with how to pull it all together.” Working on a project of this scale – from rooftop to under-floor heating, and across all 17 rooms – she knew she needed collaborators who would understand her vision and bring in the expertise that such an accomplished house deserved. Anna Murray and Lee Sowerbutts of Glasgow-based Rehab Interiors proved to be the perfect match.
“I liked the fact that Anna was a lecturer at Glasgow School of Art – I felt she’d understand what I was looking for,” says Lorraine. “And, pretty quickly into the project, I felt as if Lee could read my mind! They gave me confidence, and I couldn’t have done it without them.”
With a deadline looming (Lorraine had promised her cousin that she could host her summer wedding at Greystones, with a huge marquee to be erected in the grounds), the pressure was on. The property wasn’t in a poor state of repair – quite the opposite, in fact; but Lorraine was keen to enhance what was already there and, in the process, create the home she’d always wanted.
Lee was impressed with what he found there. “It’s a particularly unique property,” he remarks. “This part of the city has quite a few houses that were commissioned by incredibly wealthy merchants and architects both before and during the Arts and Crafts period. A lot of them wanted to show off their skills by experimenting and creating elaborate homes with huge grounds.”
This is just a taster, you can browse the full article with more stunning photography on pages 210-224, issue 107.
DETAILS
What A five-bedroom detached Arts and Crafts villa
Where Inverclyde
Interior designAnna Murray and Lee Sowerbutts, Rehab Interiors
Photography Neale Smith
Words Catherine Coyle
Art Direction Gillian Welsh
