A fun and characterful drawing room in Edinburgh's Moray Place

Moray Place

LIGHT
South-west

MATERIALS
Oak

SPACE
290m²

AWARDS
RIAS (Winner)
Doolan Award (Shortlisted)

BEFORE

We were tasked with designing one of the best apartments in Edinburgh.

 
 

Our client tasked us with designing one of the best apartments in Edinburgh. No mean feat. The starting point wasn’t easy: the property was one of two Georgian townhouses, which had been altered unsympathetically to form large properties on each of the six floors.

 
Spacious, sunlit living room with large windows, gray sofas, colorful cushions, a glass coffee table, and a grand piano. Art and books decorate the room, with a modern vibe and elegant furnishings.
Modern open-concept kitchen and dining area with minimalist decor, featuring a large island with bar stools, a dining table with black chairs, colorful artwork on the walls, and pendant lighting. The space has large windows and wood flooring.
Modern open-plan kitchen and dining room with a large island, sleek cupboards, and a table with chairs, featuring contemporary lighting, a colorful rug, and large windows.
Modern living room with dark gray sofa, colorful cushions, and a yellow ottoman. Wall art includes a beach scene and an orange illustration. Bookshelves flank double glass doors opening to another room. Orange chair and black fireplace with photos an
Modern living room with gray sofas, red and blue pillows, geometric rug, bookshelves, fireplace, and large windows with curtains.
Modern living room with a grand piano, colorful artwork, gray sofas, and glass doors.
Interior view through two open glass double doors leading to another room with a window, desk, and chair. The room features wooden flooring and bookshelves.
Spacious bedroom with a large bed, white bedding, modern decor, bay window with a view, dresser with flowers, and wall art.

AFTER

An award-winning home of distinction and personality.

 
 

While respecting the Georgian character, we made various bold design moves and reconfigured the layout to create a contemporary apartment that delivers impact. We laid whitened oak flooring in a herringbone pattern and installed contrasting radiators and doors throughout. Such design details added drama and punctuation to these grand spaces.

One of our key priorities was to reinstate the original front drawing room, which is now a kitchen/dining space and a drawing room. The scale of the apartment is hard to imagine. In response to its sprawling proportions, we had to carefully consider controllability, interconnectivity, energy, heating and lighting throughout. Our proposal has breathed new life into this Category A-listed home in Edinburgh’s New Town. It’s a home of distinction and full of personality.

This home won the Rias Award in 2017.

 
Moray

Collaborators

CONTRACTOR
Cornhill Building Services

SURVEYOR
Thomson Gray

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Burnt Siena Structures

PHOTOGRAPHY
Seán Gaule

Projects

Whether breathing new life into a historic building or designing something entirely new, we specialise in unlocking the potential of every site across Edinburgh, East Lothian and Perthshire. Our work integrates seamlessly with its surroundings, combining innovative solutions with a respectful understanding of context, character and place.

While our portfolio highlights just ten selected projects, our Index offers a wider view of our work, reflecting three decades of residential expertise and our legacy as one of Scotland’s longest-established architecture practices.

 

CONTACT

Your story will be reflected in the completed build—a notion that transcends design and construction.

 
 

We would love to hear your story. Please introduce us to your project via our enquiry form. A member of our team will respond within two business days.

Edinburgh Architects