More is more as far as Hugh Berry is concerned. His last house won Scotland’s Home of the Year, and his new one might be even better
Picture a meditation room. White walls, wooden floor, bowl of pebbles, perhaps a buddha. Unless you are Hugh Berry; the Glasgow interior designer prefers to take his cleansing breaths surrounded by his signature mix of statues, attention-grabbing furniture and century-spanning artworks. A giant mirror reflects the trees outside and the 18thcentury terrace across the road. No foam yoga mats here – Hugh prefers cosy oriental rugs, and lots of them.
Technically speaking, this is actually the morning room, one of three public spaces in his splendid Fitzroy Place townhouse. This first-floor room works hard – it’s where Hugh watches telly, and runs up cushion covers and curtains on his sewing machine. But mindful moments happen too.
“I do lots of meditation,” he explains. “I will meet up with friends and we’ll do a meditation in that room. We’ll just sit and then we’ll have a chat about anything under the sun. It’s something that has always been a big part of my life.” And, like everything else in his life, it’s done surrounded by a lifetime’s collection of decorative arts, whimsical mementoes and carefully chosen colours.
It was a wrench to leave his previous home, a maximalist palace in Park Terrace which won Scottish Home of the Year in 2020, but Hugh was ready to trade his rotunda and original stained glass for outdoor space. The new place had a south-facing rear car park which he has transformed with a selfbuilt shed, rows of pots and a seating area. Grudgingly, he has kept a small space for his motor. He surveys it all proudly. “I’m at the stage of life when I’m ready to get my hands dirty.”
The three-storey property was originally a dwelling, then an office, later a nursery. By the time Hugh arrived, the listed Oscar Paterson stained-glass peacock on the front door had survived but behind it were crumbling cornices, corporate lighting, lost doorways and bricked-up fireplaces. “My job was to bring the soul back,” he recalls. “I wanted Georgian interiors, but with 2025’s advantages. Heating, WiFi, everything.”
Having already hauled one period wreck into the 21st century, Hugh started with a wish list and the knowledge that comes from bitter experience. Take the claw-foot tub in the master en-suite, on the first floor. It’s almost big enough to swim in. “In Park Terrace, the plumber insisted there was only room for a shorter bath. Stupidly, I listened to him. So I knew my next place would have a super-luxe bath.” He beams lovingly at the one he chose from Glasgow’s Easy Bathrooms. “I’m like a fish in there. It’s just gorgeous.”
Then there are the radiators, from Mr Central Heating. In Park Terrace he went down the vintage route. Big mistake. “Reclaimed ones are very problematic because you don’t know what’s inside. A lot of them are corroded. These ones have a traditional look but they’re brand new. The old ones had a thread on the thermostat that drove me insane, but these controls are so straightforward.”
With so many must-use pieces needing a new home, Hugh combined the design and renovation processes. “When I bought this property it had been empty for nearly two years. Now it has all been rewired, had fire systems installed, all the floors taken up, the windows done, everything replastered. And in among the chaos and the dust I brought the furniture and pictures in. What I didn’t want to do is have a finished house and then furnish it. I wanted to see how it looked as we went.”
This is an excerpt from issue 164 of Homes & Interiors Scotland. Enjoyed this read? Buy your copy here.
Follow Hugh Berry on Instagram
Last year taught us that great spaces aren’t just about what looks good on day one, but what feels right six months later. Gary Farrell, founder of Nth Degree, takes a look at what’s in store for 2026
What 2025 taught us about interior design – and how it’s shaping 2026
