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REAL HOMES | Listed country house saved from dereliction | Hallyards, Peebles

9th May 2018

Listed country house.

A Category B1 listed country house near Peebles, Scotland, has been brought back to life as a family home following many years of neglect.

 

Hallyards, a Category B listed country house near Peebles

 

Owners Mike and Meg Gush recognise they are custodians of Hallyards and have been keen to renovate it sympathetically. Mike said: “The house is more than 500 years old in places and we wanted to do right by it, securing it for future generations.

 

“We have done a lot of the work ourselves. Where 20th century alterations had been undertaken with non-traditional materials, such as cement floors and concrete render, we have removed them and reinstated the structure using natural materials and techniques.”

 

Wood Smoke Claypaint creates a soft ambiance in the kitchen’s lounge area

 

As in most historic houses, the walls of Hallyards do not have a damp course, which means that moisture rises up them and needs to evaporate away. At some stage lime plaster had been replaced with gypsum plaster but this had damaged walls by preventing them from breathing. Some walls had to be completely rebuilt because they had rotted. All internal walls were replastered with lime to ensure they can now breathe.

 

Mike added: “For the internal decoration we chose Earthborn Claypaint because it is highly breathable and works well with lime plaster. We also love the selection of colours available. Our palette is themed around the original colours that we uncovered, including the green on the library walls. We’ve chosen shades that complement the stone floors and slate worktops, aiming to create a bright and airy feel.”

 

Renovation work in the library uncovered original green paintwork, inspiring Mike and Meg’s choice of Grasshopper Claypaint

 

Claypaint is a unique, clay based emulsion. Its advanced technology maximises the natural properties of clay to create a high performance, highly breathable paint that covers exceptionally well and gives a distinctive, ultra matt finish.

 

Being free of oils and acrylics, Claypaint is virtually VOC free which means it is safer for the health of building occupants as well as the environment. Its eco credentials include the stringent EU Ecolabel.

 

The light, bright stairs and the hall’s stone floor are complemented by Claypaint shades Posset and Gregory’s Den

 

Mike topped the Claypaint with a coat of Earthborn’s washable, protective Wall Glaze. He said: “Hallyards is our family home, which means walls can be subject to the everyday wear and tear associated with young children. We applied the Wall Glaze as a precaution, making the walls easier to wipe clean.”

 

Earthborn Wall Glaze is a water based, clear glaze for interior use. It works well with Claypaint, being breathable and environmentally friendly.

 

Claypaint is available in Earthborn’s signature palette of 72 shades. Bespoke colours can be developed through the nationwide network of Earthborn stockists such as Ian Russell Paints of Edinburgh which supplied the paint for Hallyards.

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