Inside architect Laura Jane Clark’s home

Modern Georgian

When Laura Jane Clark and her husband first stepped inside the 1783 Glasgow townhouse that they’ve just spent five years renovating, it was in a terrible state. Back in December 2016, the couple had finished doing up a tenement house in the city and were searching for a new project – ideally ‘something derelict’. That’s certainly what they got.

‘It had been empty for four years and probably only had about a year of neglect left before it collapsed,’ says Laura. ‘The whole place was covered in mould. It was so damp and there was dry rot like I’ve never seen before – huge mushrooms that looked like alien growths – but I’m quite an optimistic person so I didn’t think it was that bad really! It was a repossession sale and we got it for £270,000 in the end.’

Antique glamour

Laura describes her decorating style as ‘a bit like a vampire horror film set meets chinoiserie – contemporary antique glamour’. Merging oriental influences with modern elements and antique finds, she doesn’t follow a set of rules.

Elegant chinoiserie

Vintage addict Laura spends a lot of free time scouring the internet and local sources for quirky one-off pieces. ‘There’s a fantastic auction house nearby where I found the stunning gold screen that’s behind the piano in the living room and the elegant Chinese cabinet in our dining room,’ she reveals. ‘The cabinet is so beautiful but it’s also very useful. We took the back off and it now houses our music system.’

Luxe for less

Room by room, Laura gradually tackled the house, restoring and celebrating original period features wherever possible, while putting their own stamp on the interior. Laura’s love of reclaimed elements, her stash of vintage finds and clever upcycling ideas combined with her husband’s DIY skills have resulted in a home that’s filled with character and colour, a space that oozes personality and style. All their hard graft has paid off.

‘I absolutely love this house,’ says Laura. ‘It’s my dream. I don’t think we’ll ever move again.’

Laura’s sourcebook

• Bambinos Vintage Market For lovely vintage buys, including leather chairs, funky furniture and vinyl
• Ben View Antiques Auction house in Alexandria
• Daze Neon Manchester firm specialising in LED neon lights
• Dulux Heritage Breathable paints in traditional colours
• Enamel Shades Specialists in contemporary industrial lighting
• Gold Leaf Supplies Gold leaf for all gilding projects
• Independent Upholstery Stockist of over 2,000 different fabrics for upholstery
• Lefroy Brookes Beautiful hand-cast brassware for bathrooms
• Mainline Polecore (polystyrene) mouldings for picture frames
• Victoria Plum For basic sanitaryware