My Houzz: A Colorful and Stylish Victorian in Edinburgh
An interior design blogger’s beautiful terrace home in Scotland is bursting with personality
Emily Murray’s home is a confident mix of color and pattern and a great example of how to modernize a period home without losing the character of the space. Murray, founder of the award-winning interiors blog The Pink House, takes a fun and fearless approach to decorating, and she encourages others to embrace this attitude. “People are often scared of color and pattern, but so much of the success of a room lies in just being bold and going for it,” she says. Learn more about Murray’s design philosophy in this tour of her Edinburgh home.
When they moved in, the first floor was painted white throughout, which Murray considered keeping. “I wasn’t sure if I should change this initially,” she says, “but I was fed up with the living room feeling cold, so I finally took the plunge and painted the walls Manor House Gray. As soon as I’d painted them, the room just came alive. The color highlighted the beautiful windows, and everything else in the room suddenly sung out.”
A slim band of metallic gold paint highlights the inside of the archway and adds an extra shot of warmth to the room. The same paint has also been used on the door frame to the right. “If you look closely, the paint is actually covered in tiny handprints!” Murray says.
Wall paint: Manor House Gray, Farrow & Ball; trim paint: White Tie, Farrow & Ball; Masters chairs in Rust Orange by Philippe Starck: Kartell
A slim band of metallic gold paint highlights the inside of the archway and adds an extra shot of warmth to the room. The same paint has also been used on the door frame to the right. “If you look closely, the paint is actually covered in tiny handprints!” Murray says.
Wall paint: Manor House Gray, Farrow & Ball; trim paint: White Tie, Farrow & Ball; Masters chairs in Rust Orange by Philippe Starck: Kartell
Once the walls were transformed, Murray turned her attention to the floor. Black tiles were removed in the kitchen to reveal the original floorboards underneath. This immediately made the kitchen and living room feel more connected to each other.
Stockholm sofa: Ikea; blackbird pillow: Ardmore; gray felt pillow with yellow pompoms: Graham and Green; armchair: Sofa Workshop; yellow floor lamp: Jieldé; Roman shades in Arkona velvet in Sky: Harlequin; zebra and rhino “trophy heads”: Anthropologie; coffee table: Studio One; Ikat Circles rug: Jennifer Manners; “No Cats” pillow: Barbara Coupe; gray-and-white ikat and zigzag silk pillows: Jessica Buckley Interiors
Stockholm sofa: Ikea; blackbird pillow: Ardmore; gray felt pillow with yellow pompoms: Graham and Green; armchair: Sofa Workshop; yellow floor lamp: Jieldé; Roman shades in Arkona velvet in Sky: Harlequin; zebra and rhino “trophy heads”: Anthropologie; coffee table: Studio One; Ikat Circles rug: Jennifer Manners; “No Cats” pillow: Barbara Coupe; gray-and-white ikat and zigzag silk pillows: Jessica Buckley Interiors
The kitchen cabinets were in good shape, so after living with them for a while, Murray decided to just give the lower cabinets a makeover with a coat of black paint and gold hardware.
She hired local decorator Paul Sutherland to paint the cabinets; he subsequently did most of the painting and wallpapering in the house. Murray also called on the skills of local cabinetmaker Keith of Keith Pollock Joinery for various custom carpentry jobs during the two-year home renovation.
She hired local decorator Paul Sutherland to paint the cabinets; he subsequently did most of the painting and wallpapering in the house. Murray also called on the skills of local cabinetmaker Keith of Keith Pollock Joinery for various custom carpentry jobs during the two-year home renovation.
A pale blue vintage-style refrigerator gives a country feel to the kitchen, as do the colorful cookbooks on the shelf above. A cheerful floral rug adds a shot of pattern and visually links the space with the living area beyond.
Refrigerator: Smeg; wallpaper (covering cupboard): Woods by Cole & Son; Revival Mini radio: Roberts Radio; brass cabinet handles: Buster + Punch; rug: Anthropologie; Maskros pendant light: Ikea
Refrigerator: Smeg; wallpaper (covering cupboard): Woods by Cole & Son; Revival Mini radio: Roberts Radio; brass cabinet handles: Buster + Punch; rug: Anthropologie; Maskros pendant light: Ikea
A separate dining room offers a more secluded place to eat and also doubles as a study.
The room has an elegant feel, thanks to the traditional-style toile wallpaper from Timorous Beasties. Closer inspection reveals that the “pastoral” scenes depicted in it are actually modern-day scenes of London life. “The wallpaper was my way of bringing a bit of London to Edinburgh,” Murray explains.
The couple also reinstated the original Victorian fireplace in the corner of the room.
London Toile wallpaper: Timorous Beasties; mirror and chandelier: both vintage; gold chest: Angel & Boho; rug: Heal’s; Ghost chairs: Philippe Starck; Roman shades in Asolo fabric: Designers Guild
The room has an elegant feel, thanks to the traditional-style toile wallpaper from Timorous Beasties. Closer inspection reveals that the “pastoral” scenes depicted in it are actually modern-day scenes of London life. “The wallpaper was my way of bringing a bit of London to Edinburgh,” Murray explains.
The couple also reinstated the original Victorian fireplace in the corner of the room.
London Toile wallpaper: Timorous Beasties; mirror and chandelier: both vintage; gold chest: Angel & Boho; rug: Heal’s; Ghost chairs: Philippe Starck; Roman shades in Asolo fabric: Designers Guild
The first-floor hallway has a staircase leading down to a lower level — the house is built on a slope and drops away at the back — as well as one leading up to the second floor.
Chest: vintage; wall paint: Pink Ground, Farrow & Ball
Chest: vintage; wall paint: Pink Ground, Farrow & Ball
The staircase from the ground floor leads down to this bright and bold landing on the lower level. Bold wallpaper and bright blue trim ensure the space feels anything but gloomy.
Prism wallpaper: Cole & Son; mirrored console table: Graham and Green: trim paint: Stone Blue, Farrow & Ball; artwork: Dale vN Marshall, VB Fine Art
Prism wallpaper: Cole & Son; mirrored console table: Graham and Green: trim paint: Stone Blue, Farrow & Ball; artwork: Dale vN Marshall, VB Fine Art
Beyond the landing is a multipurpose room that serves as a second living room, a home office and a guest room. Because the room needed to wear so many hats, Murray called in some help from interior designer Jessica Buckley of Jessica Buckley Interiors.
“The den had to have so many different functions and I wanted to see how far I could push it,” Murray says. “I’d seen a photo that Jessica Buckley had designed, and I knew that was exactly the look I was after. So I hired her to come up with a scheme for this room. The teal color was her idea; she sourced the blue paint and grasscloth wall covering and the whole scheme just worked.”
Armchairs: Sofas & Stuff; Juicy Jute grasscloth in Tantalizing Teal: Phillip Jeffries; “Ain’t Nobody” pillow: Furbish Studio; zigzag, polka dot and yellow ikat silk pillows: Jessica Buckley Interiors; “Sparkly Water” artwork: Monika Forsberg; pink neon sign: custom, Specialized Signs
“The den had to have so many different functions and I wanted to see how far I could push it,” Murray says. “I’d seen a photo that Jessica Buckley had designed, and I knew that was exactly the look I was after. So I hired her to come up with a scheme for this room. The teal color was her idea; she sourced the blue paint and grasscloth wall covering and the whole scheme just worked.”
Armchairs: Sofas & Stuff; Juicy Jute grasscloth in Tantalizing Teal: Phillip Jeffries; “Ain’t Nobody” pillow: Furbish Studio; zigzag, polka dot and yellow ikat silk pillows: Jessica Buckley Interiors; “Sparkly Water” artwork: Monika Forsberg; pink neon sign: custom, Specialized Signs
Hiring a designer was a great experience for Murray. “It was brilliant; it doesn’t have to cost a lot. I just wanted help with the design, then I wanted to take it on and move it forward myself,” she says.
Murray, who paid Buckley for a set number of hours’ work, says she learned a lot from the designer. “She was also very generous in passing on contacts and trade discounts. I probably ended up saving money as a result of hiring her as I had to buy a lot of things for the room. Collaboration is totally the key.”
Pink cushion: Designers Guild
Murray, who paid Buckley for a set number of hours’ work, says she learned a lot from the designer. “She was also very generous in passing on contacts and trade discounts. I probably ended up saving money as a result of hiring her as I had to buy a lot of things for the room. Collaboration is totally the key.”
Pink cushion: Designers Guild
This patterned sofa transforms into a large bed. “It’s very comfy, according to our guests!” Murray says.
John Lewis sofa bed in Carnival fabric, Christopher Farr Cloth; vintage Beni Ourain rug: Larusi; Terrace coffee table: West Elm; Bridget Riley print sourced from VB Fine Art; sconces with green silk shades: Jim Lawrence
John Lewis sofa bed in Carnival fabric, Christopher Farr Cloth; vintage Beni Ourain rug: Larusi; Terrace coffee table: West Elm; Bridget Riley print sourced from VB Fine Art; sconces with green silk shades: Jim Lawrence
The den provides a creative and inspiring place for Murray, pictured, to work and is a great showcase for her love of color and creativity. “The more I get a feel for pattern and color, the more confident I get,” she says.
“I like interiors that lift you and make fun, but I also like to mix that with a sense of gravitas. It can’t be all new — you need some older pieces in the mix too.”
Curtain fabric: Carnival, Christopher Farr Cloth; lamp: The Old Cinema; desk: custom, Christopher Butler
“I like interiors that lift you and make fun, but I also like to mix that with a sense of gravitas. It can’t be all new — you need some older pieces in the mix too.”
Curtain fabric: Carnival, Christopher Farr Cloth; lamp: The Old Cinema; desk: custom, Christopher Butler
The master bedroom is on the first floor and the design was based on Murray’s love of the outdoors. “I wanted to feel that nature was coming into the room,” she says. The south-facing room has leafy views, so Murray chose moss-green velvet curtains to create a visual link to the trees. The wallpaper has a delicate botanical print, and even the chest of drawers has a nature-inspired inlay motif.
Wall paint: Calamine, Farrow & Ball; Butterflies wallpaper: Timorous Beasties; bedside lamps: Pooky; pink velvet chair: Tann Rokka; pink zigzag silk pillows: Jessica Buckley Interiors; Brescia velvet curtains in Moss: Designers Guild; mother-of-pearl inlay chest: Graham and Green
Wall paint: Calamine, Farrow & Ball; Butterflies wallpaper: Timorous Beasties; bedside lamps: Pooky; pink velvet chair: Tann Rokka; pink zigzag silk pillows: Jessica Buckley Interiors; Brescia velvet curtains in Moss: Designers Guild; mother-of-pearl inlay chest: Graham and Green
The tiny bathroom on the first floor packs a lot of style into a compact space. “It’s the tiniest bathroom ever,” Murray says, “but we couldn’t make it any bigger so we decided to make it into a little jewel box of a bathroom instead.”
She and her husband started by ripping everything out, then dug into the wall to fit in a decent-sized tub. The vanity was custom made to fit the space.
Derwent fish wallpaper: Osborne & Little; subway tile: Topps Tiles; fish mirror, purchased in Malawi; brass wall light: Balineum; brass faucets and shower head: Barber Wilsons; mother-of-pearl cabinet pulls: Anthropologie; vanity paint: Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball
She and her husband started by ripping everything out, then dug into the wall to fit in a decent-sized tub. The vanity was custom made to fit the space.
Derwent fish wallpaper: Osborne & Little; subway tile: Topps Tiles; fish mirror, purchased in Malawi; brass wall light: Balineum; brass faucets and shower head: Barber Wilsons; mother-of-pearl cabinet pulls: Anthropologie; vanity paint: Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball
The shower is actually a sit-down shower. “I couldn’t understand why this wasn’t a ‘thing,’ ” Murray says. “There wasn’t enough vertical space to install a full-height shower over the bath, but I didn’t want a handheld shower as I find those really tricky to use. So we installed a low, fixed showerhead instead, to be used as a sit-down shower, and it really works.”
The couple also installed a small shower screen to prevent splashes and covered the two walls that weren’t tiled in a striking fish-pattern paper. “It hasn’t peeled at all and it’s been up for two years,” Murray says.
“Trying to find a wall light that was safety-rated for use in a bathroom but also beautiful was really difficult,” she says. “I found this one eventually in Balineum. It wasn’t cheap, but it is really beautiful.”
The interiors at country-house hotel Babington House were a big inspiration for this bathroom. The recesses for the shampoo bottles came directly from an idea Murray saw there.
The couple also installed a small shower screen to prevent splashes and covered the two walls that weren’t tiled in a striking fish-pattern paper. “It hasn’t peeled at all and it’s been up for two years,” Murray says.
“Trying to find a wall light that was safety-rated for use in a bathroom but also beautiful was really difficult,” she says. “I found this one eventually in Balineum. It wasn’t cheap, but it is really beautiful.”
The interiors at country-house hotel Babington House were a big inspiration for this bathroom. The recesses for the shampoo bottles came directly from an idea Murray saw there.
A colorful children’s playroom on the first floor is sunny and cheerful without being cluttered. A large drawer unit, wall-mounted shelves and a floor-level bookcase offer plenty of storage for toys and books.
Multicolored striped curtains and an animal rug add a sense of fun and work well against the soothing mint-green backdrop of the walls.
Bookcase paint: Stiffkey Blue, Farrow & Ball
Multicolored striped curtains and an animal rug add a sense of fun and work well against the soothing mint-green backdrop of the walls.
Bookcase paint: Stiffkey Blue, Farrow & Ball
A snug attic room is tucked away on the second floor and makes an inviting retreat for the couple’s older son, Oscar.
“My style is constantly evolving,” Murray says. “I’m developing the confidence to try things out, and the evolution is part of the fun. So much of it is getting started though, and just doing the thing you say you’ll do.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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“My style is constantly evolving,” Murray says. “I’m developing the confidence to try things out, and the evolution is part of the fun. So much of it is getting started though, and just doing the thing you say you’ll do.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Emily Murray of The Pink House; her husband, Euan; and their two children, Oscar, 7, and Zac, 4
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Size: Four bedrooms, two bathrooms
When Murray and her husband moved to Edinburgh from London six years ago, they were looking for a family home that they could put their stamp on. When they saw this Victorian terrace home, they knew they had found a place that offered them a beautiful blank canvas.
The couple started their renovations on the ground floor by opening up the wall between the living room and kitchen. This created a light, family-friendly space that spans the full length of the house.