homify 360°: Old school house conversion

Luke Riley Luke Riley
Old School House, Glen Dye, Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Roundhouse Architecture Ltd Roundhouse Architecture Ltd Modern terrace
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The prospect of living at school would be considered a nightmare for most people. Fortunately, this is a case of an old and disused school hall – so no chance of narky teachers or surprise tests! Once a building bustling with young children; the community and school hall in Glen Dye, Scotland, fell on hard times. Lack of use and general neglect resulted in the building being passed on to private hands. With the prospect of breathing new life into the building; owners of the hall were excited to convert the building into a two bedroom home. 

The response from architects at Roundhouse Architecture was to design a home that included comforts as expected in a modern home, but also retained and respected the integrity of the original building. Keep reading to see how the architects manage to create a new purpose for the old school hall. 

Learning from the past

Walking towards this quaint building it would be difficult to tell what was now inside. Long gone are the children and signs of a school, but what does remain is the buildings character. Large stone blocks bring a sense of history and rawness whilst the wide window frames to the front, painted in a fresh coat of white, is the only detailed feature of the building. 

Timeless appeal

Taking a closer look, we can see the charming entrance to the home. A pleasant teal colour adorns the front door and the guttering – a contrast from the earthy look of the stone and roof tiling. There's a genuine cottage feel to this home thanks to the inclusion of a few pot plants lining the entrance which also bring much needed greenery and colour thanks to the blooming flowers.   

Open living

Stepping inside the house we can begin to see the re-conformed layout of the home. There has been an intentional design objective to utilise the high ceilings in this shared kitchen and living area. The open planned living space is bright and spacious thanks to the muted colour scheme and the influx of natural light that pours in from all angles. The muted colours also help pronounce the lovely tones of the timber which is used throughout the room. Above the living space is the gallery floor which is linked by the beautiful hand crafted spiral staircase. 

Working in small spaces

Let's take a closer look at the spiral staircase which is the main focal point of the living space. This is a specialist designed oak spiral staircase made from locally sourced materials. We love the interplay between the darkly shaded metal and the oak.  

Main Hallway

Entering the wing of the home there is a more intimate feel, with more regular height ceilings compared to the other living spaces. Whites and greys are present to help pronounce the interesting angles of the hall, and of coarse the ever-changing shapes and shadows of sunlight that bounce around the hall by the wave-shaped mirrors. As seen in the main living area, dark shaded tiling continues into the hallway which contains under floor heating. 

Searching for more inspiration? Click the link below for an newly built minimalist beach house located along the coast of Spain. 

 homify 360: stunning minimalist beach house

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