AFTER a somewhat transient existence, Ron and Anne Fraser found all the ingredients for family-friendly living in Bearsden. Before they settled in the East Dunbartonshire town, the couple had lived in various places including Hong Kong for five years, Reading and Cardross, near Helensburgh.
Good state schools and easy access to Glasgow persuaded them that Bearsden was the place to bring up their two young daughters. The red sandstone bungalow is at the southern edge of the Bearsden which makes it, trafficpermitting, a ten minute drive from the west end. "I knew as soon as we saw the house that it was the one, " says Anne. "I really loved its elevated position and the period features. Although we've had to replace some of them over the years, we thought it was important to maintain the property's style."
One of the most faithful restorations was the stained glass windows at the front of the house. Ron, a civil engineer, designed the replacement windows, which blend seamlessly with the remaining original ones. Features which have stood the test of time include unusual scalloped light fittings from the 1930s, which grace the two lounges, and the elegant cast iron radiators, which the couple have painted a variety of colours to blend with the decor of each room. Ron, originally from Inverness, also rescued the original wooden panelled staircase from under layers of paint and varnish.
With the exception of a new roof, the handsome building has not changed externally since the 1930s, when it was built. Internally, the first big job was undertaken in order to preserve the couple's modesty. Originally, the bathroom was directly across from the glass front door. "With the elevated position and the glass door, it would just taken someone to leave the bathroom door ajar to, well . . . , " Ron breaks off, laughing. A fake wall was built to create an enclosed nook in front of the bathroom. Other additions include the roomy conservatory at the back of the house, which spills out from the informal lounge and looks out on to the landscaped garden.
By the far the most arduous task, however, was the kitchen extension. "Before we decided to create more space, the kitchen was the only thing that let the house down because it was too small, " says Ron. Now the expansive, slate-floored room is one of the most eye-catching in the house. The dark floor is complemented by sleek, light wooden units but the focal point is the huge black hob and oven. "The kitchen is fabulous, " say Anne, " I only wish my cooking skills could match up." Double doors lead out on to the patio, while most of the white goods are contained in an adjoining utility room.
Upstairs are three of the bedrooms, formed out of the eaves. All have attractive hardwood flooring which is as old as the house and all look over the surrounding leafy streets. The largest bedroom also has a cosy office - where Ron often works - with great views over the neighbourhood.
The coombed ceiling means there is plenty of storage space at the top of the house. Unlike many attics which can only be reached by climbing, crawling or catapulting yourway in, here access is through a full-sized door in one of the bedrooms. The space is, literally, packed to the rafters.
"We bought a lot of beautiful Chinese cabinets and dressers when we were in Hong Kong. In fact, we really had enough furniture to fill two houses, so the attic has been put to great use, " says Anne.
The haul of furniture will prove very handy for their next move. The couple are giving up their city jobs and relocating to Callander to run a hotel. "It's perfect because it means we can spread all our things out and allow other people to enjoy them, " says Anne.
IN BRIEF What: A five-bedroomed, red sandstone bungalow with a bespoke dining kitchen and conservatory set in a generous corner site.
Where: Bearsden in East Dunbartonshire.
Price: Offers over GBP350,000.
Contact: G & S Bearsden, tel: 0141 942 9090.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article