Step inside this contemporary new-build in Edinburgh

A contemporary new-build in Edinburgh, Scotland. It features a living room, kitchen-diner, sun room, tower room, play room, study, three bedrooms and a bathroom. The interior of the three-storey, Dutch-influenced, copper-clad house the owners built in not your typical wheelchair-friendly design. Despite the plot's small size, they rejected the obvious option of simply installing a lift. Since its completion, this impressive new-build has won three awards for its innovative design and has considerably improved the owners' lives. 

1/10 Exterior

2/10 Open-plan layout

The décor is modern and pared-back throughout with whitewashed walls complementing the pale-wood flooring, while soft furnishings and feature walls add splashes of colour. The owners used vibrant tones in sub-spaces and recesses, which help to define architectural features. 

Kitchen
Ikea

3/10 Living room

To keep the floor free from obstructions, furniture has been kept to a minimum. Carefully chosen pieces include design classics such as Eames dining chairs, a Balzac armchair and Arne Jacobsen lighting, which add cool, retro touches.

Woodburner
Morso
Floor lamp
John Lewis

4/10 Hallway

Instead of a staircase, this modern property has a ramp for accessing different levels. Made from 28mm-thick recycled maple, it is a thing of beauty. Navigating around the open-plan house via the ramp is a lot of fun for the whole family and their guests. Starting from the garden, it runs up into the kitchen, through the living areas and up to the study before meandering round to the bedrooms. 

Frames 

Ikea

5/10 Hallway with terrace

Plain white wall not doing it for you? Turn a drab wall into a unique storage opportunity by building library-inspired shelving - and fill it with heaps of books. This stylish hallway not only has room for a reading corner and chair, but it also features a bi-fold doorway into a courtyard. Large windows mean you can see the sky, changing light patterns and the moving shadows of trees, which all create a feeling of wellbeing in the property.  

Chair 

John Lewis

6/10 Kitchen-diner

A chic example of a modern kitchen - stainless-stell worktops and chrome pendant lighting combine to make this kitchen-diner space super stylish. The big appeal is for the kitchen and cook to be part of the action when entertaining and, on a day-to-day basis, for the whole family to be together. Open-plan layouts really come into their own, as the majority of kitchens include large amounts of glass that maximise light and provide easy access to the garden, extending the living and entertaining space.

Kitchen
Ikea

7/10 Home office

For those who find it hard to focus, a minimal home office could be the dream workspace. This neat little room uses subtle touches - such as a purple lacquered desk, multicoloured Lego-inspired storage and a quirky rotating chair - to take it from stark to stylish.

Chair
Nest
Chair
Ambiente Direct

8/10 Bedroom

Doors open on to a Juliet balcony overlooking the study. This minimal bedroom keeps things very simple, but remains interesting thanks to a few well chosen accessories and colourful soft furnishings. Two wall-hung lights above the bed free up floor space and dismiss the need for a bedside table.

Stool
Louis Poulsen
Wall lamps
Ambiente Direct

9/10 Play room

No child's bedroom is complete without a classic rocking horse. With the clever use of paint, prints and accessories you will be able to create a room that holds its own against a stark, minimal canvas. The vintage horse and modern interior make a stylish contrast.

Similar rocking horse
Rocking Horses Rule

10/10 Child’s room

Create a dream bedroom scheme for your child with an imaginative use of furniture and accessories. A white backdrop is the perfect place to experiment with colour, pattern and texture. A bespoke bed will allow you to make the most of all available space in your child's bedroom - a low-level design will visually maximise your scheme.

Duvet
Ikea