BBC Scotland's Home of the Year is back for another year and is set to return to our screens next week for its seventh season. The programme, which will air its first episode next Monday April 21, will see judges Anna Campbell-Jones, Banjo Beale and Danny Campbell, back once again to launch their search for the most outstanding properties across the length and breadth of Scotland.
Viewers can expect to see three lavish properties situated in the west during the first episode of the BBC show, which are all very different. The judges then must choose which home is worthy enough to go to the grand finale. The contenders for this year's series include a colourful family flat in Saltcoats, an extended sandstone bungalow in Giffnock and a Victorian villa in Helensburgh.
Proud homeowners Shereen and William Costley have been living in their gorgeous historical mansion in Helensburgh, which boasts three levels, since 2017.
The lavish property, called the Carisbrooke, is a Category B listed building in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute on 108 West King Road.
Shereen and William revealed they were originally drawn to the rich history of the property which has been standing since the 19th century, when it was first built for the Potters of Glasgow circa between 1856 and 1860.
In 1901, it was later extended by the famous architect William Fraser for the Morrison Family. The most famous family to ever live in the Carisbrooke were the Gray family. Norah Neilson Gray was a member of the famous artists group 'Glasgow Girls' and was good friends with Margaret and Rennie Mackintosh, who were frequent visitors to the property.
One of Norah's famous paintings hangs today at the Imperial War museum. Her brother Andrew and sister Tina, also went on to achieve ground breaking and visionary work in Marconi as well as in the medical profession in the late 1800s to the 1930s.
The property is also believed to have been seconded during the war and thought to have been a care home at one point.
Like many older homes, Carisbrooke has a few unusual features to it. Shereen revealed that the house contains panels and hatches in the upstairs bedrooms that lead to hidden spaces, revealing that she only discovered an attic above the top floor after a year of living there.
And she hasn't stopped making discoveries, admitting just last year, she uncovered a space over the domed ceiling of the master bedroom which you access from the roof.
Describing it as their 'dream' home, Shereen and William have also put their own twist on the property by filling it with furniture they have collected from all around the world on their travels which has greatly inspired the décor of their home.
When asked to sum up the style of their home, the couple said: "An eclectic meeting of east meets west - Where traditional Victorian architecture is infused with Middle East, Africa & Asia inspired interiors.
"The walls are deliberately neutral with a splash of colour so that we could play around with cushions and ornaments without it looking busy. As I said, each piece we have is old and historical apart from a new sofa and some beds! For example, I have my grandfather’s old clock and a little cabinet and an old rocking chair I found when I was a student at Strathclyde in the 1980s. Nothing important to us gets thrown away."
Here we take a closer look into their fascinating home with some snaps of the inside..
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