Reimagining a Victorian Home for Modern Family Life
Project Location: Linlithgow
Service: Bespoke Design & Project Management
Property Type: Victorian House
Rooms Designed: Entire Property
Style: Contemporary Scandinavian with earthy tones
Completed: August 2023
Photographer: Kate Allamby
Fernlea, a Victorian property in Linlithgow, was Studio Heim’s own design director’s family home - a project where the client and designer were one and the same. Long uninhabited for over fifteen years, the house offered a blank canvas full of potential but also presented significant challenges: a disconnected entrance, awkward ground-floor circulation, and the loss of many original period details over previous decades. The brief was to create a home that was inviting, highly practical, and beautiful - a space perfectly suited to modern family life.
The approach was thoughtful and holistic, with careful attention to how each room flowed into the next and how the new two-storey side extension would sit harmoniously alongside the original Victorian structure. One of the first interventions involved removing a large wall in the hallway, instantly opening up the entrance and improving sightlines throughout the home. Glass Crittall-style doors were introduced between the living room and the adjoining Studio Heim studio, allowing light to filter from one side of the house to the other and visually connecting the old and new areas.
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Design Approach
Practicality was central to the design. Storage was maximised throughout, particularly in the kitchen and utility areas, where high-level cupboards made use of the lofty ceilings. The kitchen was carefully considered to meet both family needs and cooking ambitions, providing generous worktop space and well-planned cabinetry that balances functionality with a welcoming aesthetic.
The material palette throughout the home is natural, cohesive, and tactile. Linen, light wood, and stone form a soft foundation, while microcement in the family bathroom introduces subtle texture and sophistication. Carefully chosen accents in green, plaster pink, and deeper blue provide depth and continuity, enhancing the home’s calm, layered atmosphere.
“Designing your own home is always the most challenging brief. Every decision was guided by the idea that the space should feel welcoming, functional and calm - a home that works effortlessly for everyday life.”
Key Features
Several bespoke features define Fernlea. A custom dog shower in the utility room blends practicality with thoughtful design, while the arches framing the transitions between the original house and the extension create drama and flow without closing off the spaces. These interventions showcase Studio Heim’s signature balance of form, function, and storytelling, seamlessly combining modern design with period architecture.
Final Thoughts
Today, Fernlea feels bright, airy, and effortlessly welcoming. Every corner has been designed with both beauty and practicality in mind, creating a home that functions beautifully for family life while remaining elegant, comfortable, and deeply personal.
Interested in a similar transformation?
If you’re dreaming of a home that feels calm, considered and deeply personal, we’d love to hear about your space. Our design services are tailored to your lifestyle, your home and your pace - guiding you from first ideas through to a finished sanctuary.