Homes: Open all hours

A boxy newsagent-turned-nasty-80s-conversion, tacked on the end of one of Edinburgh’s glorious Victorian tenements, didn’t, at first glance, seem a likely home. But architect Tim Bayman has turned the two drab floors into a sunny, three-floor family house. The narrow, squat building – in a prime Edinburgh location, just 10 minutes’ walk from the centre – was badly converted in the 1980s into a (very dark) home: half of it was subterranean and the entire space was gloomy.
The refurbishment, which cost £70,000 (the property, £161,000) and took five months, involved reverting the property back to a “shop-front” for the street-facing entrance. “The previous conversion tried to make it homely by taking out the large window,” Bayman says, “but you need a large bit of glass to bring light into the building.” Etched glass keeps a bit of privacy. Photograph: Dave Morris

By adding a mezzanine floor, Bayman has created three levels – an industrial, egg-yolk-yellow steel staircase running between them like a ribbon, from basement to roof.
Floors are engineered oak, flashes of original brick wall are left exposed, and steel girders that resemble roof beams are painted the same yellow as the stairs. Photograph: Dave Morris

The ground-floor living/dining/kitchen/bathroom space with a light well in the roof. The G Plan dining table is from Bayman's wife Lizzie’s mother; and the David Rowland 40/4 chairs were from a local vintage furniture shop. Photograph: Dave Morris

A basement snug, complete with a wood-burning stove from Danish brand Morso, is accessed via a plywood staircase that houses a built-in bookcase.
Bayman picked up the 1945 black LCW chair by Charles & Ray Eames on eBay for £125 – try your luck there, or they cost from £983 new at Heal’s – and most of the artwork is by friends or family. Photograph: Dave Morris

“We got married last year, but before we did Lizzie and I pooled our resources to see if we could afford a better home,” Bayman says. “We had a budget of £230,000. By sticking to £70,000 for the conversion, we’ve got a great home we could never have afforded, and have brought a terrible conversion back to life.” Photograph: Dave Morris