Latest news with #HouseForAnArtLover
The Courier
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Broughty Ferry's Tree House misses out on Scotland's Home of the Year title
The Tree House in Broughty Ferry missed out on being crowned Scotland's Home of the Year. The finale of the popular BBC property show aired on Monday night. Hilltop House near Pitmedden in Aberdeenshire was crowned Scotland's Home of the Year. The Tree House was one of six episode-winning properties to make it to the finale of the show. Filmed at Glasgow's House For An Art Lover, the final episode brought together the six finalists for the first time, giving them the chance to see each other's homes. Hilltop House is a contemporary home built on the footprint of a farm steading. Home to Jessica Zanoni and husband Chris Labrooy, their teenage son Chase (18) and dogs Enzo and Dino, Hilltop House fuses together mid-century and Californian cool styles. Designed by the couple – who run their own art business – it's filled with colourful statement pieces from bright yellow sofas to a pastel pink bathroom. The SHOTY judges – interior designers Anna Campbell-Jones and Banjo Beale, and architect Danny Campbell – crowned Hilltop House the winner of Scotland's Home of the Year 2025 from a shortlist of six finalists from across Scotland. Anna Campbell-Jones said of Hilltop House: 'This home managed to feel perfect in every way whilst still feeling like a place where real people live. I particularly loved the way their art was reflected in their choices of colour and furniture, managing to create the perfect balance between playfulness and sophistication.' Fellow judge Danny Campbell was equally blown away: ''This was a home that manages to be both deeply personal and architecturally ambitious,' he said. 'There's a clarity of vision that's rare: every corner feels considered, every material honest, every space deliberate and thought through. It felt like the building was completely in tune with the people who lived there, which is especially impressive for a conversion.' The owners were delighted the judges picked Hilltop House as the winner. Jessica said: 'Every home is distinctive and unique because of the people that live there. So, our home is different because we are different. 'With me being from California and Chris being an artist, I think our tastes are just naturally a little bit unique. There isn't really anything in our house that we found at shops near us. Everything was specially sourced.' Chris added: 'I feel the home's location and east-facing gable give it a special character. I love the sunrises here – so much so that I'm up before 6.00am every morning just to take them in. I work from home so I really appreciate the quality of light throughout the day. It's a very easy going home to live in.' The six homes that reached the final of Scotland's Home of the Year included the Tree House in Broughty Ferry, which is owned by Paul Durrant and his wife Jackie McKenzie. Paul said he and Jackie were delighted to make the final: 'We had such a good day in Glasgow. We loved meeting the other finalists and hearing the stories of their homes. 'We weren't at all disappointed not to win. It really was a bonus to reach the final and to appear alongside so many amazing homes.' The 7th series of Scotland's Home of the Year featured 18 properties from all over Scotland – including four in Tayside, Fife, and Stirlingshire. Reflecting on the season, Danny Campbell said: 'This year's line-up was outrageously good. From bold conversions to quirky self-builds, every home had its own personality and inspirational touches. 'It felt like homeowners across Scotland have taken things up a level — not just in terms of design, but in how fearlessly they made their homes truly their own. It was a joy (and a nightmare!) to judge.' An 8th series of Scotland's Home of the Year has been commissioned and will begin filming across the country later this month. Season 7 of Scotland's Home of the Year is available on iPlayer
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Scotland's Home of the Year 2025 winner crowned as Aberdeenshire Hilltop House scoops glory
BBC Scotland's Home of the Year 2025 has been crowned after a tough grand finale. A stunning Aberdeenshire house has been crowned Scotland's Home of the Year 2025. The Hilltop House, near Pitmedden, was named the winner in the much-anticipated finale of the popular BBC Scotland series, which was filmed at Glasgow's House For An Art Lover. Hilltop House belongs to Jessica Zanoni and husband Chris Labrooy, who live at the luxury pad with their teenage son Chase, 18, and dogs Enzo and Dino. The winning home fuses together mid-century and Californian cool style, creating a dream home for all the family, which oozes character. Designed by the couple themselves, the home is filled with colourful statement pieces from bright yellow sofas to a pastel pink bathroom. The pair - who run their own art business - are inspired by nature and led by sustainable design principles, purchasing items which will last for decades. The judges, Anna Campbell-Jones, Banjo Beale and Danny Campbell, crowned Hilltop House the winner from a shortlist of six finalists found across Scotland. Jessica and Chris were over the moon to be announced as the winner. Jessica said: 'It has been such a lovely experience all around, and to win it has been fantastic. After watching the shows and getting to see our competition in detail, it really must have been a hard decision to make!' Chris added: 'It's great to win. The house is a reflection of our tastes and personalities and we are proud of what we have created.' Anna Campbell Jones said that Hilltop House is a very worthy winner of the prestigious title, she beamed: 'This home managed to feel perfect in every way whilst still feeling like a place where real people live. I particularly loved the way their art was reflected in their choices of colour and furniture managing to create the perfect balance between playfulness and sophistication." Isle of Mull based interior designer Banjo Beale agreed, saying: 'It's an artful sanctuary - every corner tells a story, and it's quiet and charismatic all at once.' The six finalists came face-to-face at the season finale in Glasgow, meeting the judges for the first time as well as getting a chance to cast their eyes over each other's homes. For Jessica, meeting the other finalists was a real highlight of the day: 'The finale was a whirlwind of a day! We met all of the finalists and had such a great day talking to them. We have a WhatsApp group now that we keep in touch through. "It's easy to get on with people that are like minded and have put their heart and souls into the design of their homes. So, everything from building and designing and filming SHOTY were all shared experiences for us! It was so interesting to see all their ideas.' The 2025 series of Scotland's Home of the Year visited 18 exceptional properties across the length and breadth of Scotland. The eighth series of Scotland's Home of the Year will begin filming locations around Scotland from June. For more information on how to enter, please click here for full terms and conditions. The full seventh series of Scotland's Home Of The Year is available to view on BBC iPlayer. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
The Herald Scotland
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Inside The Dairy as Scotland's Home of the Year heads for Doune
It is in Deanston and has been home to Mhairi, her husband Andrew and their family since 2023. It is a bright, modern home with impressive views across the Trossachs. The beautiful countryside outside influences the décor inside. Anna, Banjo and Danny must decide whether it is the home to represent Central & Tayside at the Grand Final held at Glasgow's House For An Art Lover. Here, Mhairi shares her thoughts on the home she hopes will beat off the competition. Scotland's Home of the Year is broadcast from 6:25pm on BBC One Scotland. How long have you lived at The Dairy? We moved into The Dairy on Valentine's Day 2023. What first attracted you to the property? Andrew and I were both single parents and met just before the pandemic. We kept our relationship going over Zoom until we unlocked and then started to build a life together across two homes – mine in Dunblane with my son, Ben and his in Edinburgh with his children, Harry, Hamish and Hannah. We eloped to Florence in the summer of 2022 and had our dream wedding and when we returned, we decided that we wanted to look for a new home for our new married life together but one which would accommodate all of our children as they come and go and provide a warm, joyful, upbeat and welcoming foundation for our blended family. We used to drive around Stirlingshire towards the Trossachs a lot during the pandemic - I used to live in Dunblane, and I just feel it's such a special place — particularly the views towards Ben Ledi. It was my absolute dream to have somewhere facing West, looking towards the Trossachs and have that beautiful west coast sunset over the hills at night. Then The Dairy came on the market and we just went for it. The timing was perfect and it felt 'meant to be'. The Dairy (Image: Scotland's Home of the Year) What's the history of the house? The Dairy was previously the steading to the farm. Many of the old stone walls have been retained, giving the development character, but internally the properties are modern, spacious and bright. The property was designed and built by Mallet Construction who did such a fantastic job. They really did build our dream home. What's your favourite thing about it – and does it have any unusual features? I was struck by the space and dimensions of the property more than anything. Everything has been designed and laid out so cleverly and rather than be designed to look good, which it does, it's been designed to view all aspects of the outside, while you're inside, which is really special. The way the floor to ceiling windows have been positioned throughout the property means that light floods into the house throughout the day, each room having it's 'time in the light' and really being the star of the house at that moment. Read More Hot lipstick, nude runs and art deco - it can only be Scotland's Home of the Year My stepdaughter, Hannah's room has the wow factor in the morning, with the sun streaming in from the east, but it also comes to life again in the evening, thanks to the floor to ceiling windows in the hallway which allows the more golden, mellow light to enter the room from the west facing hallway window. The sun makes it way around the house to the lounge and dining area in the afternoon and we spend our evenings on the balcony watching the evening light settle and the sun dip behind Ben Ledi. It's magical – all the colours that change in those last few hours of the day. The changing view and colours of the landscapes we see from the balcony is where I've taken so much inspiration from. You wouldn't think that candy floss pink, chestnut, teal blue, forest green, burnt orange and crimson red would go together in a room but when you see them all together in nature, they do. I trust in nature completely to influence and guide my interior decisions. The house had been built and painted internally when we moved in, which was amazing as it allowed us to focus entirely on the interiors and creating that vision we had for building what we wanted to be a 'Happy Retreat', not just for us, but for all four of our children. We had our shed built in the summer of 2023. A big project – it's a big shed but it actually really adds to the whole aesthetic of the home. It's made from larch, so it creates a real sense of warmth at the back of the property which is uplifting in the spring and summer and cosy in the autumn. We named it, Ben Shedi, a little nod to our view of The Trossachs. What are your design and decorating inspirations? Initially, I had all my mood boards and plans and colour schemes, but once we moved in I ditched them. Living in and 'feeling' the property changed everything. I took inspiration from the views, landscapes and nature right outside our windows — the colour palettes you see in the views. Nature isn't about 'natural' colours necessarily - it's about bright pinks, pale blues, apricot, bright green and yellow, all the colours I've brought into the home. I also drew inspiration from the places we've visited around the world and built the interiors around our experiences and memories. The wooden Pinocchio that sits on a table in the hallway - I picked this up in Florence, where Andrew and I got married, the painting of Pikes in Ibiza is a reminder of some of the nights we've had there, the picture of the Square Lighthouse in Islay, where we got engaged. How would you sum up the style of your home? I'd say it's Contemporary Scottish with global influences. The interiors reflect what I'd call Joyful Maximalism — more is more, but not too much. The home captures who we are as people, our personalities and passions. Colour emerged as the defining factor. What would be your dream home? Honestly, we've found it. The Dairy gives us everything we hoped for — views, light, space, warmth and complete joy. It feels like a retreat for our blended family and a home full of love and personality. I love that we have this place where everyone can come and go and be loved and looked after then head off back to their lives, usually with a load of food and their bags of washing done! Having this big blended family really is a joy and we all love this home. Why did you decide to enter SHOTY this year and what was the experience like? I actually entered two years ago but the time wasn't right - a lot of our furniture hadn't even arrived but the producers came back to me, did the recce and then we were told we were picked for Central Region. The experience was so much fun and the crew were just so lovely. I feel proud of breaking out of my world of neutrals, which is what my home was like before we bought The Dairy, so I was just so delighted to have the chance to share my inspiration and journey with colour, which I fully embraced! Scotland's Home of the Year is hands down my favourite television programme so having our home featured was just such a thrill.
