A des res in Dollar
From Scottish Field Magazine on Thursday, 02 July 2009
Guests staying at David Reid’s home in Dollar could be forgiven for thinking they’d booked into a boutique hotel, and that’s just the way David likes it.
For the last 20 years David Reid has been buying and selling upmarket hotels and high profile properties across Scotland and the UK. As partner of global surveyors Knight Frank, David splits his time between the company’s three offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. He is the first to admit that his home and work life have always been very much intertwined, and as someone who can regularly have three or four dinners in one week he has always been based in Scotland’s main cities until recently.
Three years ago, to the bewilderment of friends and family, David moved to a new build property in Dollar. As he recalls, ‘Initially, I had planned to buy a cottage in Dollar and keep a flat in Glasgow. Having bought a delicatessen in Dollar I had intended to get a little involved with that at weekends. However, whilst I was looking for the Dollar property, Manor Kingdom was building here in the grounds of Dollarbeg Castle. I had heard good reports about them, namely that they were the one builder who built houses with the same proportions and standards as older properties.
There had been a lot of hype about the development, there were only 30 houses and with each having half an acre I really wasn’t sure that they would be in my price range.
A private place
‘When I viewed the show home the salespeople thought I was a potential buyer for one of the 12 beautiful apartments which they had converted in the Castle, which did make sense. However, my home in Bearsden was a 1930s villa on which I’d carried out a huge renovation, and living there I was accustomed to having my own front door and privacy. I therefore enquired about one of the bungalows and I was convinced. I loved the stunning views. I liked the layout – two en suites, ideal for guests – and although this was one of the smaller homes on the development I already had a few ideas about what I could do to maximise its potential.’ David is no stranger to property renovation, but a new build – what could there possibly be to change? Aside from choosing the kitchen, bathroom tiles and a few tweaks, the house was already large, stylish and practical, but David had other ideas. ‘I wanted to put my own stamp on the house, perhaps because it was a new build and I didn’t wait that long – probably about six months. The house originally had four bedrooms, two with en suites. I chose to lose bedroom four, which I had been using as a study, and create a large master bedroom suite complete with a spacious dressing room.’
Room with a view
David also chose to add a serious conservatory, or not, as he recalls: ‘I worked with designers from Mozolowski & Murray who were first class. My brief to them – was not a conservatory! I wanted to link the house with the garage, so internally and externally it all became one. I think it makes the conservatory a real part of the house – more what I would call a garden room. The linked area allows me to have the study tucked away but accessible, and it’s also a design which allows you to see out of the front and back of the house, which I really like.’ After the structural changes were completed, David allowed the décor and furnishings to evolve at their own pace. Although a man used to employing interior designers such as John Amabile, this time David decided to go it mainly alone. Staying at Hotel du Vin in Edinburgh and Glasgow almost weekly, he has been influenced by their rich but quirky style, with Ralph Lauren, Grange and Duresta furnishings blending perfectly with some stunning artwork. ‘I’m a curtain and wallpaper person, and I used my old favourites such as Zoffany and Brian Yates. Although I’m quite organised I’m certainly not minimalist! I was quite nervous about some of my choices, so I brought in Lesley Wallace, a well known hotel designer, to assist.’
Along with the bold but classic style of décor, David has seamlessly mixed old and new furniture – some from previous homes, like the Grange dining suite, and other recent acquisitions like the floor to ceiling hall mirror. The finishing touches are also exacting, with Porcelanosa bathrooms and en suites. For a man used to splitting his life between lavish hotel rooms and interesting city properties, it’s interesting that this country move is still holding its appeal. ‘From a location point of view for my work, you couldn’t get much more central than Dollar,’ says David. ‘My social and business life is very interlinked and I do spend a lot of time in hotels, but this house works incredibly well for me. I’m a member at nearby Gleneagles and can be in Glasgow or Edinburgh in 40 minutes. The layout is perfect for having guests to stay, there’s room to entertain and I’m even doing some of the gardening! I’ve been caught out before, so I won’t commit to saying I won’t move again, but it’s certainly not in my plans.’