Scotland's Home of the Year: Ex-council flat bought for £80,000 transformed into dream home

An ex-council flat bought for £80,000 has been transformed into a state-of-the-art family home by a leading architect.

Scotland’s Home of the Year judge Danny Campbell purchased the property in Kirkintilloch for £80,000, which he stripped back to its bones before adapting the layout and design to create a “visually exciting” home for his family of five.

The founder of architecture firm HOKO Design budgeted £30,000 for the project.

Property expert Chris Breckenridge, a partner at Scotland’s premier estate agent Corum, has estimated the property could now fetch as much as £130,000.

What was done?

Danny realised the original layout could be vastly improved by removing a bedroom and taking full advantage of the property’s square footage.

Embracing the principle of “less is more”, the dad-of-three ripped down a partition between two small and awkward bedrooms, allowing for the creation of a “superior and more efficient” bedroom and bathroom, while also removing a dropped ceiling from the hallway to allow light to flow throughout.

The design adjustments also allowed for an en-suite to be added to the master bedroom, while strategically placing the kitchen along the back wall of the main living area meant every inch of floor space could be utilised.

To provide efficient storage, recesses and niches were retrofitted with handy alcoves, shelves and drawers, and the dining room table was also built with hidden compartments.

From start to finish, Danny carefully considered every aspect of the design, and has used his experience of the project to inform his business’ newest service, which helps homeowners upgrade their interiors without being constrained by traditional architectural approaches.

Danny said: “The project was conducted as an experiment, partly to test the capabilities of our recently launched interior design service Hoko Shop.

“We wanted to put it to the test before we offered it to our clients, and completing our own remodel gave us the chance to experience what it would be like for our clients to use the service, including dealing with suppliers, choosing materials and maximising small, awkward or seemingly unusable spaces.

He was also keen to ensure any products he recommended to clients would be durable and long-lasting.

Using his home as an interior design ‘guinea pig’, he opted to test materials such as yellow lino flooring in the bathroom and cork tiles in the kitchen.

He added: “The ultimate test was to experience living in the space while assessing the longevity and durability of the products. We went for a huge range of products within our home for this reason.

“We really wanted to push the boundaries by transforming a generic house into something special, and I think we’ve achieved that – as cost-effectively as possible.”