Hot Property

Senior Features Writer

Wednesday 27 June 2012

An intriguing combination of quirky details, light decor and original high-end features unite to make a striking family home.

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Marisa Duffy

There is a distinct fairy-tale ambience surrounding Knockvennie, a detached villa in the leafy heart of Bearsden. Perhaps it is the watchful dragon perched on the corner of the roof or maybe it's the cryptic inscriptions around the sundial on the terrace, or the tiny lions roaring from a nook high in the hallway. Together, they create an evocative home with traces of a bygone era in every corner.

The hallway is a particular treasure trove of quirky design flourishes from the late 1920s when the house was built. An original parquet floor, wood panelling and stained glass make for a grand backdrop but it's the details which stick in the mind. Small carved wooden letters spell out phrases underneath shelves and over mantelpieces. These include "When the toil of the long day is over" which is suspended above a bench at the front door where occupants would take off their boots and warm themselves at the fire. Carved into the staircase is a swastika, an ancient Hindu symbol meaning rebirth, and used more widely to bring luck in other Indo-European cultures before its 20th-century appropriation by Nazi Germany. Today, the house is owned by Nan Mackay, who lives here with her two daughters. The family moved in in 2000 and are only the third family to call it home. While the hallway, formal lounge and dining room are drenched in a sense of history, the extensive open-plan family room and dining kitchen share a fresh, modern, laidback atmosphere. In 2007, a major renovation at this side of the house transformed a series of smaller maids' quarters into a bright spacious living area which leads on to a cinema room and a utility room. Nan can vividly recall living amid the building work with only a small microwave to cook the family meals. "I didn't even have a kitchen sink. It was a very long month," she says. The decor is light and neutral throughout the house with the exception of two rooms which are transformed by statement wallpaper. One of the two ground-floor bedrooms has been turned into a fantasy realm with a mural on all four walls which features a landscape of unicorns and castles. The eye-catching dining room is decorated in fuschia pink-patterned wallpaper up to the dado rail, while an antique ceiling lamp suspended above the dining table and original to the house makes a dramatic centrepiece. Outside, the property sits in 0.8 acres of garden which is made up of formal lawns punctuated by three ornamental ponds and surrounded by established trees which ensure privacy on all sides. Indeed, the garden was one of the major draws for Nan when she came to view the house 12 years ago. "I love spending time in the garden. I'll miss the space and the feeling of being in the countryside, without actually being in the countryside," she says. The neighbourhood, once dubbed Millionaires' Row, seems a friendly one. "All the neighbours, except me because I can't run, go running together every Saturday morning," says Nan. "And there is a party every New Year." Now, as Nan's eldest daughter prepares to go to university, she has decided to downsize and move back to the west end of Glasgow, leaving behind a enchanting family home. What: Knockvennie is an expansive four-bedroomed detached home with four reception rooms, three bathrooms and art deco flourishes throughout. The 0.8-acre grounds include self-contained guest accommodation. Where: Camstradden Drive West, a leafy residential enclave in the East Dumbartonshire town of Bearsden. Price: Offers over £650,000. Contact: Rettie Bearsden on 0141 943 3150.

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Families

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