What to do when you can’t afford to order pre-scorched larch for your cladding? Watch an online video on the technique of Shou Sugi Ban, order up a large batch of larch, a double-headed blow torch and a large canister of propane, and set to work.

This simply constructed old church hall didn’t have many redeeming period features that you might imagine in an old property - no ornate cornicing, no intricately tiled floors, no gorgeously aged wooden doors. But turrets…yes, it had those!

Clever design in a renovation project can bring new life to forgotten features. And when you have an old door hovering half way up a wall then why wouldn’t you try and put that to good use?

A church hall, an antiques showroom, a charitable fundraising office, a toy library, a framing workshop, and most importantly for my family, the first children’s nursery in Kelso. As well as carbon to capture, an existing building has stories to tell, and memories to nurture during a build project.

This wee house packs a big punch, and amazingly and gratefully this has been recognised by both local and national design awards. You don’t need £1 million, despite what you might see on the TV - a modest budget, great local trades and a lot of hard work can achieve big things.

Grand Designs magazine, September 2020

Homes & Interiors Scotland, January & February 2021

Urban Realm, Architecture Scotland Annual 2021

Build It, December 2023