Hamilton Grand, St Andrews, Scotland

The Hamilton Grand, an iconic building in the heart of St. Andrews, Scotland.

It was originally built as The Grand Hotel in 1895 and was the hub of this golf and sea bathing area for many years.  In 1949 the building was acquired by the University of St Andrews, who renamed it Hamilton Hall, and used it as a residence for students until 2006. Since then, the building has laid empty and has been through several development iterations.

I was pulled into help redecorate one of the two-bedroom luxury apartments before any design work had been done by the developer, meaning we did not have to undo anything that was not to our liking. Working closely with a wonderful team of builders and architects, the client and I were able to customise the space to suit their needs perfectly. Their desire was to have an “inviting, modern home, influenced by Scottish details”.  An open kitchen for entertaining was a must, with a cozy den that provides an “elegant and tranquil space to relax”.  With this direction, we leaned into the “modern heritage” philosophy, embracing cultural authenticity and re-imagined heritage elements.

We made a few structural changes, such as changing a room that was deemed the pantry to a powder room and discovering extra space in the ensuite to give more space and light.  To enhance the heritage of the building, we built on the existing cornices and added some wall panelling to give interested on the coved walls that would need to lay bare due to their angle. The entry was an uninviting white box with no character, so we panelled the entire space in a warm oak to match the floors and custom designed a star mosaic with inlaid brass.

I feel that the mix of antiques with more contemporary pieces gives the space balance and added character. There are many custom pieces that reflect the client as well as the country in which they are situated.  The layering of texture and style provides a very comfortable, lived in vibe.  We sourced the art from art fairs to galleries to antique stores all over the UK; here the client’s keen eye to modern art took the lead and I think the choices are spot on to pull the whole space together.

The building is once again becoming a hub on the 18th Green of the Old Course, with views of the iconic beach where Chariots of Fire was filmed. We were very honoured to be shortlisted for the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) for this project.