A sneak peek into one of the most impressive properties from episode two of Scotland’s Home of the Year 2025
Spring marks the start of series seven of Scotland’s Home of the Year. Tune into BBC One Scotland on Monday 28th April to see architect Danny Campbell and interior designers Anna Campbell-Jones and Banjo Beal wander through some of the country’s most beautiful self-designed homes. In the second episode, the trio are touching down in North East Scotland and the Northern Isles with hopes of finding properties that ooze character and creativity; places that reflect the owner’s personality and show an understanding of what it takes to make a house a home. We have our eye on one very special design-led Aberdeenshire home – but more on that later.
On Monday at 8:30pm, Danny, Banjo and Anna will choose between a modern build in Orkney, a Victorian farmhouse in Peterhead and a contemporary farm steading in Pitmedden, Aberdeenshire.
Here, we speak to artist and designer Chris, the owner of Hilltop House, an impressive design-led Aberdeenshire home. He shares the prefab newly-built space with his partner Jessica, their son Chase and dogs Enzo and Dino. The family moved into this bright, contemporary space in 2020, channeling their love for mid-century modern design into every corner.
The design-led Aberdeenshire home is filled with colourful statement pieces, from bright yellow sofas to a bathroom doused in pastel pink. You can tell an artist lives here – the colour placement and careful allocation of opposing materials could appear mismatched, but when mixed with interesting shapes actually bring balance.
The couple are inspired by nature and led by sustainable design principles, purchasing items that will last for decades. “We’re the kind of people who will buy something once and keep it forever,” Chris says.
The ultimate goal has been to blend the interiors with the natural footprint of the surrounding farm steading, fusing mid-century and California-cool style to create spaces that are as refined as they are characterful.
Continue reading to learn more about this unique California-inspired Aberdeenshire home.
How does it feel to be on Scotland’s Home of the Year 2025?
It’s great. We love the show and have watched it since it started. The homes are always so varied and often impressive, so we are really excited to be part of that.
What do you hope the judges will notice about your design-led Aberdeenshire home?
I’ve only seen one clip, but I liked Danny’s initial reaction to the house. I think he can appreciate certain aspects that either don’t normally appear on the show or are architectural elements that the other judges won’t be looking for necessarily.
Your home is mainly open-plan – especially in living, dining and kitchen areas. Was it important to you that you find ways to zone these areas without being obtrusive to the property’s natural structure?
Yes, definitely. We used a lot of wood panelling throughout the home to create warmth and add depth before putting in our more colourful pieces.
The ceiling is also like a lighter timber wood, instead of the generic white. We did this to try and warm the space and elevate it subtly in a way that is refreshing and will maximise natural light.
Describe your design style in three words?
Informal, casual and fun.
Do you have a favourite piece?
Jessica and I both love mid-century modern design, so the yellow sofa is probably the favourite. We placed it beside those huge windows so it lights up during the day especially.
What about a favourite place in your home?
The house faces east, so we get light in really unusual parts of the day. We find ourselves waking up with the sunshine because of the way the house is facing. The light changes so much throughout the day and your mood and sleeping patterns move with it. I really love that about the home – it’s sort of reactive to nature.
To be honest, though, I like it all!
You’re a designer yourself, but who do you turn to for inspiration?
I’m from quite a creative family, so I was exposed to design and art from a really young age, which means I have quite a good base knowledge or eye for certain things – little design elements that maybe I don’t have to think about and subconsciously brought into this home.
A key inspiration – more aspirational – is the work of Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, a French design duo. I like how they keep things super restrained but aren’t opposed to spot-placing colour to elevate those refined spaces.
At its core, our house is quite neutral in terms of design, materials and colour scheme. But we bring interest through kind of abstract key pieces of furniture, art and practical objects like lamps, tables and chairs.
You have dogs and a family… It can be tricky to strike that balance between the practicalities of having a family home with something sleek and stylish that you can get creative with. How did you achieve this?
We have a mix of fun and practical elements. The concrete floor is super practical, but we balanced it off with the softer elements of the furnishings and the unique art pieces, which nurture that warmer, comforting side of family living.
Watch the second episode of Scotland’s Home of the Year 2025, featuring this design-led Aberdeenshire home, on Monday 28th April on BBC One Scotland, from 8.30 to 9.00pm.
Looking for more behind the scenes from SHOTY 2025? Read about Tracey and Scott’s colourful beachfront flat from episode one.
Scotland’s Home of the Year 2025: Tracey and Scott’s colourful beachfront flat
