4 days ago
Catriona and Richard's incredible home makeover near Aboyne
Who: Catriona Elson and her husband Richard, who have just acquired the Braemar Gallery. They share their home with their dogs Percy and Dolly. Their children Georgie and Robert grew up there but have since flown the nest.
What: A traditional four-bedroom period property with a two-bedroom cottage located within the garden grounds.
Where: A quiet spot in Birse on the edge of Aboyne just a short walk to the Boat Inn and the village.
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'We purchased the property on a cold, February day 24 years ago.
Richard and I were visiting a family home in Aboyne and saw the 'for sale' sign.
We fell in love with South Manse straight away as Richard loved the land while for me, the house was somewhere I wanted to bring up my children.
For us, we both had a wonderful feeling about the property especially as it was well loved by the previous owner.
At the time, we were moving up from the Henley on Thames area.
Everyone thought we were completely mad as we bought the house before we had sold our own in Oxfordshire.
But I had family in Peterhead and Aberdeen and Richard, who was originally from West Berkshire, loved Scotland and Aberdeenshire so that was it.
It was a crazy time but we sold our house in Oxfordshire and made the move to Aberdeenshire.
Arriving at the South Manse in early Spring was a joy and my lovely friends Steve and Shar helped move us in.
In terms of history, the property was previously owned by a retired vet and before that Miss Wishart who was the last minister's daughter who was apparently quite a character.
The house is such a happy place and we have had children playing and laughing in the gardens since they were babies.
With all of the land the kids ran around making camps, climbing trees and enjoyed Easter egg hunts in the woods.
We also kept lots of animals including hens.
They were the best especially one called Rose who came into the kitchen to lay her daily egg.
The property also enjoys beautiful views overlooking Morven and down the Dee Valley while the river and village can be seen from the upstairs windows.
Set in three acres of land, South Manse is the main house.
Inside, there are four bedrooms, three receptions rooms and a kitchen.
Built around 1837, the property was a Manse for the Church until the 1980s.
In terms of interiors, they have been updated with the help of Leonie Bosher, my friend who is an interior designer.
With my love of antiques, art and interior design the South Manse and Coo Hoose were a dream to decorate.
We wanted to create a family space which was homely but with formal spaces with high ceilings in the sitting room and dining room.
I adore wallpapers so many rooms have fun twists on more traditional styles.
Some of my favourite designer wallpaper brands are Cole and Son, Barneby Gates and House of Hackney.
In terms of paint, we used Farrow & Ball.
Some of the shades we used included 'mizzle' for the front door, 'green smoke' for the hall and 'pigeon' in the kitchen.
For the woodwork, we used 'strong white' which has a tiny touch of grey so it's a lovely soft white.
In the bedrooms and bathroom we used 'cornforth' and 'skimming stone'.
For all the bathrooms and kitchen, we used beautiful handmade tiles from a company called Fired Earth.
In the country kitchen we used handmade Bastide French solid oak with complementing black lava polished work surfaces which works well with the cream Aga range cooker.
Thirteen years ago, we decided to convert the steading/barn which was in danger of falling down.
We transformed it into a two-bedroom annex where friends and family could stay.
After a time we started running the property as The Coo Hoose, a very successful self-catering business.
It was designed by Andrew Keir, a local architect and friend, who did an outstanding job as he managed to convert the property into a wonderful quiet spot full of light and warmth.
Interior designer Leonie Bosher also helped with all the interiors and with the finishing touches.
Now it's a wonderful open plan living area for guests to enjoy.
Life now takes us to Braemar where we've decided to put down roots.
We have also just acquired the Braemar Gallery and with my background in art, antiques, design and retail, that will help enormously.
I have huge shoes to fill as the present owners have done an amazing job creating a wonderful business for us to inherit and take forward.
As a collaborator, Leonie Bosher will also be bring her unique inspiration to the business.
She has worked on many UK and international properties- both residential and hotels – and was a finalist in the prestigious SBID Awards, for her work on The Draycott development in London.
So 24 years after moving to South Manse and the Coo Hoose, it's time to hand the house over to the next lucky person who can enjoy taking the house to the next level.
Whoever lives here will absolutely love it.
It's been a joy to live here as we have lovely neighbours and a garden full of wildlife with plenty of space for children to play.
Our children have sadly left the nest and I have just recovered from Breast Cancer so it's time to make a change.
We have exciting times ahead.'
South Manse and Coo Hoose, Birse, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, is on the market for offers over £950,000.
To arrange a viewing, check out the website
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