and I tended to agree on most things, we always had the same vision.”


The kitchen was also a quick decision: “We saw the worktop in Granite Systems in Glasgow and that was it. The rest of the kitchen came from Birkwood, which is a small family business – again, it was the people that made the process so much better.”


When it came to the colour scheme, the couple heeded Stuart’s advice as Theresa recalls: “Stuart said we should paint the walls white and that was another thing we trusted him on and of course it meant there was no deliberation over paint colours.” Mark adds laughing: “We did talk about multi-coloured doors at one point – I have no idea where that idea came from!” Stuart continues: “I always told my children they could have any colour on the wall as long as it was white! Mark and Theresa were very co- operative and with all the angles and details in the interior, white makes them work best.” “This project worked because we found the right people,” says Theresa. “The right architect, the right stonemason for the internal stonework, the right plasterer. We had a brilliant team come over from Scoraig to do the external


24


drystone walls; they were incredibly skilled and real characters.” Mark continues: “We were also fortunate that we had a lot of skill in-house. It was out of everyone’s comfort zone, and consequently I think we achieved a better result. When tradespeople and craftspeople have an input into the project, everyone gets so much more out of it. They add to the quality, they’re proud of what they’re doing.” Today, the couple are still holidaying in Cove but they’re out of the caravan and inside the house which now goes under the moniker Lewie’s Croft, named after an owner of the land in the distant past. Their children also now have a legacy although they are a bit older than anticipated as Theresa explains: “Our kids are past the partying stage which is probably better for the house but now we have grandchildren to enjoy this with us too. I think we were a little naive about how much it would cost and how long it would take but there’s no regrets.” For Mark, it’s still taking a bit of time to sink in: “It’s taken me a while to realise and understand what we’ve built and that it’s a great place to be. There’s just a few more things I want to do…”


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