Houzz Tour: In Edinburgh, Adding a Bedroom Without Adding On
Creating a mezzanine, or loft level, gives this Scottish apartment extra sleeping quarters and a study
Finding a property that offered the space and features they were after in the perfect location was a challenge for architect Jonathan Thomas and his wife, particularly as they were first-time buyers. When they came across this one-bedroom apartment in a 19th-century former nursing home in central Edinburgh, however, Thomas tapped into some potential that possibly only an architect could spot.
Since the kitchen and bathroom were already in place and the couple were on a tight budget, they decided to live with the existing decor and put their money into creating the striking mezzanine, or loft level.
“Instead of refitting the interior, we built on what was there,” Thomas says. “I designed the whole mezzanine floor to hang from a steel frame that hangs from the external walls. It was quite a feat of engineering to do this without making any changes that were visible from the outside.”
“Instead of refitting the interior, we built on what was there,” Thomas says. “I designed the whole mezzanine floor to hang from a steel frame that hangs from the external walls. It was quite a feat of engineering to do this without making any changes that were visible from the outside.”
The couple have a large family and tend to host all major celebrations such as birthdays and Christmas, so they chose to keep the ground floor living space open-plan. The dining table is the central focus of the space and is illuminated by long, industrial-style pendant lights that drop dramatically from the double-height ceiling.
“It was key that we would be able to seat between 12 and 14 people comfortably,” Thomas says. “We had a table built specifically for the room from reclaimed ceiling beams. This table has lots of character, just like the building, and we’re not bothered if it gets a ring mark from a glass of wine on it or becomes scratched. All these additions remind us of the good times we’ve had around it.
“The chairs came from a local thrift store,” he adds. “We’ve tried to balance modern and Shabby Chic furnishings in here, to be in keeping with the two different architectures of the place.”
“It was key that we would be able to seat between 12 and 14 people comfortably,” Thomas says. “We had a table built specifically for the room from reclaimed ceiling beams. This table has lots of character, just like the building, and we’re not bothered if it gets a ring mark from a glass of wine on it or becomes scratched. All these additions remind us of the good times we’ve had around it.
“The chairs came from a local thrift store,” he adds. “We’ve tried to balance modern and Shabby Chic furnishings in here, to be in keeping with the two different architectures of the place.”
A couple of armchairs are tucked around the corner from the dining area, facing the fireplace to create an intimate seating nook.
“When we first viewed the flat, they had the dining table in front of the fire, hiding it from view, which was such a shame. We’d always wanted an old chesterfield with a rug by a fire and now we have one,” Thomas says with a laugh.
“When we first viewed the flat, they had the dining table in front of the fire, hiding it from view, which was such a shame. We’d always wanted an old chesterfield with a rug by a fire and now we have one,” Thomas says with a laugh.
The couple decided to keep the existing simple kitchen cabinets, as they didn’t detract from the minimalist style of the apartment. They then had the whole place painted pure white.
“We did try out a white with a faint pinkish hue, but with all the [wood] in here and so many competing materials, we decided in the end to keep everything simple with a low-sheen white,” Thomas says.
“We did try out a white with a faint pinkish hue, but with all the [wood] in here and so many competing materials, we decided in the end to keep everything simple with a low-sheen white,” Thomas says.
Thomas designed the staircase to be quite simple so it wouldn’t detract from the mezzanine area and impressive ceiling height. Because the couple needed to squeeze maximum storage space out of the apartment, he incorporated deep cupboards under the stairs.
The pendant lights are on a dimmer switch so they can be turned down to give a candlelight effect when desired.
Pendant lights: Artifact Lighting
The pendant lights are on a dimmer switch so they can be turned down to give a candlelight effect when desired.
Pendant lights: Artifact Lighting
Whereas the downstairs is the main social space, the mezzanine is used as a home office, an additional seating area, a guest room and a home theater. In total it covers 160 square feet.
“As a lot of our budget had gone on the construction of the mezzanine, we had limited resources when it came to furnishing the flat, so we’ve largely gone for a mix of Ikea staples and charity finds,” Thomas says. “We discovered the glass coffee table on Gumtree. It was a real bargain and ties in so well with the glass areas of the mezzanine.”
Desk: Ikea
“As a lot of our budget had gone on the construction of the mezzanine, we had limited resources when it came to furnishing the flat, so we’ve largely gone for a mix of Ikea staples and charity finds,” Thomas says. “We discovered the glass coffee table on Gumtree. It was a real bargain and ties in so well with the glass areas of the mezzanine.”
Desk: Ikea
In this versatile space, the sofa opens out into a bed and a projection screen can be pulled down on movie nights.
The couple swapped out the feet of their Ikea sofa for a tapered design to make it look a little smarter and more individual. The existing engineered oak flooring downstairs was matched up here to help tie the spaces together.
Karlstad sofa and rug: Ikea
Dip into 12 easy furniture hacks
Karlstad sofa and rug: Ikea
Dip into 12 easy furniture hacks
A thick glass floor was installed in this corner of the mezzanine to create an interesting feature and also to allow more light into the hallway below. This little nook has become a library area.
The couple wanted a clear difference between the public area downstairs and their private space, so they used color to define them. “We went for a light blue wall paint in here,” Thomas says. “We wanted to play on the difference between the two areas: the bright, tall and airy living space and the bedroom, which is quite small. So in here, we’ve focused on the cozy elements and added painted bedside tables and a mirror that we found in a thrift store.”
Bed: Wrought Iron & Brass Bed Company; wall paint: Light Blue, Farrow & Ball
Bed: Wrought Iron & Brass Bed Company; wall paint: Light Blue, Farrow & Ball
In the small bathroom, the couple cleaned up the existing tiles and hardware and replaced the shower curtain with a new glass shower screen.
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Who lives here: Architect Jonathan Thomas of ArchJT Architecture and Visualisation
and his wife, a graphic designer
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Size: One bedroom plus a bedroom-study-living space and a bathroom
“The flat had 15-foot-high ceilings and three large windows,” architect and owner Jonathan Thomas says. “Straightaway, I thought I should be able to get a mezzanine floor in here. It’s a listed building, though, so I went and spoke to the planners about the best way to get planning permission, which I always find very helpful. They said as long as we used a glass balustrade that wouldn’t disrupt the view of the cornices, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Planning permission was duly granted and Thomas and his wife set about transforming the apartment.