The former factory has gone through a truly incredible renovation whilst staying as true as possible to its historical roots
The home includes an original giant stone wall, pulley system and lift shaft(Image credit: BBC)
A 200-year-old former mill with many stunning original features is in the running to win Scotland's Home of the Year.
The building was left to rot for 25 years before couple Lee and Dawn Collins decided to renovate the house and they have been rewarded with a home that could be named the best home in the land.
Judges Anna Campbell Jones, Banjo Beale and Danny Campbell decided the five-bedroom converted mill was the best home in the central category and decided to put the home through the grand final of the competition.
Restored many of the mill's original features
Over the years much of the building had been stripped of its original features due to its use as factories and other purposes, leaving an almost blank canvas.
Despite this, they managed to preserve and restore several historical elements to retain the building's character. Among the salvaged items were an old pulley system and lift shaft as Lee explained in an interview with Homes and Interiors Scotland: "The engineering on the lift and lift shaft is impressive and really stood the test of time. The lift was cast in concrete and has lots of industrial metal through it, so we were able to maintain the elegant buttons, framework, and impressive doors."
Although the lift is no longer functional, the lift shaft was repurposed into a WC on the ground floor and an office on the upper floor. An industrial winch, also restored, now serves as a central feature in a winding staircase.
Other original features that were saved were the building's original fire point, old doors, wooden beams, and other industrial elements.
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The large stone wall sits along the dining room(Image credit: BBC)
The kitchen was integrated with the building's original features such as the wooden and steel beams(Image credit: BBC)
The couple had to strip back the kitchen-diner room that sits at the centre of the house but managed to keep the stunning stone wall with the original shutters used in the former mill.
However, changes that were made included the addition of a wooden burner, a state of the art kitchen unit with kitchen island with marble surfaces that all integrate with the home's existing structure.
Judge Danny Campbell said: “This has been such a fun home to explore. The homeowners brought a huge amount of playfulness into how they’ve reimagined some of the features of the original building.
“One of the nicest moments, for me, was when we arrived at the property and saw the simplicity of the new intervention of the black zinc cladding and how that actually accentuated the old part of the building.”
Scottish wildlife inspired interiors
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Lee said the interiors were inspired by the surrounding Scottish countryside(Image credit: BBC)
Lee wanted their to be a connection between the home and the local landscape(Image credit: BBC)
The bedroom's needed a lot of work having been left dormant for 25 years(Image credit: BBC)
The couple say they didn't even know they had entered SHOTY as their son submitted the application(Image credit: BBC)
The home was in disarray before the couple got their hands on it(Image credit: BBC)
The renovation has garnered much interest online with millions of views on the home's TikTok account(Image credit: BBC)
Lee said that the home's interior decoration inspiration came from the the Scottish countryside in Dunblane.
He explained: "We’re surrounded by the Scottish wildlife and countryside, so we wanted to bring that into our spaces, whether that’s via natural light, patterns, or artwork. It was really important to us to maintain the bare bones of the building, so that’s why you can see the exposed brick walls, wooden beams and some panelling."
Lee concluded: "We’re happy and proud to have taken The Old Mill and given it some life again. It’s going to be in the family for many more generations to come and I love the idea of it lasting another 200 years because of the work we’ve done."
Banjo Beale said: “It’s no mean feat to bring a building like this back to life. It takes imagination and ingenuity and I think they’ve done it with conviction.”
The Old Mill has been put through to the finals of BBC's Scotland's Home of the Year after coming out on top in the Central Scotland category.
News Editor Joseph has previously written for Today’s Media and Chambers & Partners, focusing on news for conveyancers and industry professionals. Joseph has just started his own self build project, building his own home on his family’s farm with planning permission for a timber frame, three-bedroom house in a one-acre field. The foundation work has already begun and he hopes to have the home built in the next year. Prior to this he renovated his family's home as well as doing several DIY projects, including installing a shower, building sheds, and livestock fences and shelters for the farm’s animals. Outside of homebuilding, Joseph loves rugby and has written for Rugby World, the world’s largest rugby magazine.
