Capital interest

The transformation of an Eighties studio flat into a stylish self-catering city bolthole with a country feel has proved an irresistible draw for visitors to Edinburgh

WHEN it comes to having an understanding of what makes accommodation great - and not so great - a job as a travel writer is an appropriate qualification.

Rhiannon Batten has drawn on her experiences of boltholes around the world to establish one of her own in Edinburgh.

Along with partner and fellow writer, Adrian Turpin, Batten had long harboured the notion of owning a holiday let and, when the couple moved from Leith to Galloway a year ago, the timing was right to fulfil those ambitions. The result was City Bothy.

"We wanted to keep a foot in Edinburgh's property market and have a place where we could stay occasionally," says Turpin.

However, City Bothy is now so popular, the couple don't get a look-in. The high demand is a response to the fantastic location and an individual interior that combines quirkiness and practicality.

When they bought this New Town property, the couple trusted the instincts of a friend who'd viewed it and who was familiar with one of the neighbouring properties. They were obliged to dispel images of the high-ceilinged Georgian magnificence normally associated with this illustrious part of Edinburgh, however. The property sits within Jamaica Mews, an Eighties low-rise development found unexpectedly amid the surrounding splendour of an earlier age.

The studio flat, previously home to an elderly gentleman, had a kitchen featuring lime-green Formica worktops, which Turpin describes as "on the borderline of being quite cool and being quite hideous."

The couple rearranged the interior and concealed the bedroom from the kitchen, so the single room now feels like two.

As Turpin points out: "No holidaymaker likes to wake up and see last night's dishes."

An internal wall was moved back to accommodate a roomy kitchen, and the dated suite in the bathroom off the hall was replaced with contemporary white fittings.

Batten and Turpin worked to a budget, but were keen to take an environmentally sound approach wherever possible.

"We didn't bin things we removed," says Batten. "For example, the old kitchen sink is in our garage in Galloway waiting to be used again."

This recycling philosophy also helped refurnish City Bothy. Hazel's, an "amazing" shop in Castle Douglas, came up trumps, providing the couple with their fantastic Fifties kitchen dresser, table and chairs - all in cheery yellow.

"We both like mid-century furniture, but if everything was from that period, it would look overwhelming, so we mixed vintage pieces with contemporary things," says Batten, who has dubbed the look "retropolitan".

Floral-patterned china, also from Hazel's, a vintage telephone (eBay) and posters purchased at a French flea market also soften and individualise the flat. A bothy, by definition, is a country shelter and by introducing items that aren't brand new, the couple have established a hint of rustic charm. The country spirit is also evoked by the rather fine antlers on display. These were found at the horn-carving studio of John Lacey on Loch Tay.

The electricity supply from Ecotricity, and the toilet with its Hippo water saver, also score environmental points, as do the bulk of household products.

The couple favour British Standard paint shades and chose Swansdown, which is warmer than white, and Hopsack, a natural tone, for behind the kitchen.

Rustic simplicity aside, Batten knew that visitors to any city bolthole expect mod cons, so there's a flat-screen television, DVD library and broadband access. The kitchen, flooring and sofa bed are all from Ikea, chosen to complement the interior's clean Scandinavian style.

"City Bothy is designed for two," says Turpin, "but the sofa bed is handy when someone wants to avoid the other's snoring, or if it's friends that are staying."

While the ground floor flat receives light from front and back, privacy has been preserved thanks to some clever DIY from Turpin.

"Pearl frosting has come a long way," he says, extolling the virtues of the material he applied wet to existing panes, using a credit card to smooth out the bubbles.

Guests arrive to find the kitchen dresser stocked with Fairtrade coffee and tea and home baking. The decanter of whisky provides an ideal tipple to accompany a browse through Batten's guide to local shops and eateries.

Batten and Turpin wanted to achieve a space they'd be happy to use themselves. Given the popularity of City Bothy, however, it may be some time before they are able to check in themselves.