The 200-year-old Edinburgh property in the running to be Scotland’s Home of the Year

Anna, Banjo and Danny must choose between an extended bungalow in Anstruther, a tenement in the Stockbridge area of Edinburgh and a Georgian basement apartment in the Scottish capital’s New Town.

Ahead of Monday night's programme (BBC One Scotland, 8.30pm), we had a chat with Edinburgh homeowners Rebecca and Derek Brown, who took the Georgian Garden Apartment back to brick, redesigning the home to be a more sociable living space, making the most of the views out onto their garden.

Spread over two floors, the property took two years to renovate and Rebecca ensured the design wasn’t fussy but instead understated.

How long have you lived at Georgian Garden Apartment?

We bought the apartment at the end of 2020 and moved in two years later – that time was spent planning and renovating/reconfiguring the apartment.

What first attracted you to the property?

It was the location and the garden. Outdoor space was a non-negotiable and to have the private garden with the view all the way to Fife on a clear day was unbelievable.

What’s the history of the house?

It was built in 1822 as part of the Moray Feu (which celebrated its bicentenary a couple of years ago). It would have started as one house and then has been divided into multiple residences over the years. We do want to dig into the history further to find out more about who has lived there over the last two hundred years.

What’s your favourite thing about it – and does it have any unusual features?

I love the open kitchen/dining area downstairs that was a warren of rooms when we purchased the property. It leads straight into the garden which is my favourite part of the property overall. It still has its original wine cellar which is pretty unusual, I think.

What are your design and decorating inspirations?

I have always been fascinated by properties and interiors – from a child when we would visit stately homes/national trust properties with my parents and show homes on a wet Sunday afternoon. I like a home to feel like a home and be comfortable but not be too cluttered – understated elegance is what I am aiming for!

How would you sum up the style of your home?

I think I have achieved understated elegance with a hint of industrial in the kitchen/dining room.

What would be your dream home?

We feel very lucky to have the home we have and been able to mould it to fit this next chapter in our lives. An extra bedroom for the grandchildren would be perfect. Finally, why did you decide to enter SHOTY this year and what was the experience like? I have always loved the show and had one of those ‘why not?’ moments. I applied just before the deadline and didn’t expect to be selected so it all happened very quickly and the next thing I knew I had a camera crew in my house! It was great fun and I loved it – I just wish I could have met the judges.

Episode three of Scotland's Home of the Year is on BBC One Scotland on Monday May 5 at 8.30pm-9pm, www.bbc.co.uk