Hot property: Rebhoan, Edinburgh

By Ann Wallace

WHAT Four-bedroomed contemporary detached home
WHERE Edinburgh
COST Offers over £1,250,000
CONTACT Savills
0131 247 3700

The Herald:

WHEN you enter Rebhoan, this week’s stunning Hot Property, the first thing you see is the view. Even as you admire the spacious, welcoming hallway and the light, bright contemporary design, your eye is still drawn to the glorious vista visible through the facing dining room windows.
It was a deliberate move on the part of current owners Shahram and Shamim Hemmati, who have lived in the house with their two sons, Ethan and Benjamin, for almost 10 years.
“When we bought the house the hallway was quite dark – when you walked in, all you could see were blank walls and doors in front of you,” says Shahram.
“There was no feel of what lies outside this house – the views, the garden, the hills beyond. So we opened it up with glass doors and now, as soon as you walk in, the view is there for you to see.”
Rebhoan, which lies in the Fairmilehead district of Edinburgh around five miles south of the city centre, dates back to 1937.

The Herald:
Shahram explains: “It was designed by a businessman, who owned a paper mill in Penicuik, and he commissioned an architect to build it. Because he didn’t drive, he always employed a chauffeur so the original house design included a ‘chauffeur’s flat’ above the huge garage. About a year after we moved in, we decided to join the two together, to make a really modern, comfortable living space for our family and it has worked out very well for us.”
The couple also extensively upgraded and remodelled the bathrooms and kitchen, creating a stylish, spacious family home.
The dining room overlooks the garden; there is a comfortable sitting room; a family room; a cloakroom and a luxury kitchen.
“The kitchen was purely a selfish design project for me,” smiles Shahram. “I love to cook for my family and I wanted a high-tech kitchen with a minimalist look. I spend a lot of time in here.
“My wife would probably say she loves the dining room most, or the terrace which is the perfect place to enjoy the views. The boys loved the family room, which became somewhere for their games, where they could escape without parents telling them to tidy up.”

The Herald:
The ground floor also includes a utility room. The first floor comprises a beautiful drawing room with south-west facing views and a master suite with bedroom, bathroom and dressing room. There are three further bedrooms, including one with an en-suite shower room. There is also a family bathroom and a study, but it is the magnificent balcony and sun terrace which provides the best spot from which to enjoy the views to the Pentland Hills beyond.
“When we came to see the house, the first thing we loved about it was the view and it struck us it would be strange to have a house in this location that didn’t make the most of its elevated position,” says Shahram.
“The natural light is fantastic; you see it everywhere in the house.”
Situated off Swanston Road, the house lies in private gardens with gently sweeping lawns and sunny spaces to sit, entertain and relax.
There is good local shopping including a supermarket nearby, and the house is within easy reach of a number of notable schools. There are regular bus services to the city centre and the open spaces of the Pentland Hills Regional Park can be seen from the house.
“The location ticked lots of boxes for us, because it’s handy for the airport which is essential for work, and our boys’ school was just a stone’s throw away,” says Shahram.
“You are close to all the amenities of Edinburgh, but equally quickly you can be out and into the hills if you love the great outdoors. That has been great for us.”

The Herald:
Now that the boys are older – 19 and 16 respectively – and work commitments include long spells in London for Shahram, who is a director of an engineering company, the family is moving on.
“We have enjoyed living here very much but family needs change and it’s time to let someone else, perhaps a family with younger children, take on the house,” says Shahram.
“Over the last 10 years the house has been busy with children and family and friends and now it’s a bit quieter – it needs people to fill it and get the same enjoyment out of it that we have had.”