There is nothing better when you see a building all the way through. I first visited the Raeburn Hotel in Stockbridge a few months ago and owner Ross Maclean gave me a comprehensive walk through. At the time walls had been knocked down, the downstairs area had been completely reconfigured, and the walls had been taken back to the stone. He described vividly what he had planned. Therefore it’s lovely to be able to come and see the hotel, just a few days before its official opening.
Ross, who told me he has never project managed anything in his life, seems to have carried off this one with aplomb. He tells me, “At the beginning I felt really out of my depth, but the builder has been great.”
This is a family-business, dad Archie has financed it, and Ross’s mother has got involved too, bringing in an army of friends for finishing touches. While general manager, Fraser Kyle, has also been according to Ross “essential to the whole process.” Says Ross, “Latterly it has been a bit stressful, but we have all worked together. And we have a sense of pride in the whole project.”
And no wonder. The Raeburn has been now been transformed into a light and airy contemporary bar, restaurant and hotel with 10 bedrooms.
There were a lot of planning issues with regard to The Raeburn, in fact it was turned down initially. But with the support of locals it eventually got the green light. Says Ross, “The locals have been great.”
This allowed the Macleans to build a large three storey extension to the rear of the B-listed Georgian house. The original building now merges seamlessly with the new extension. There is now a large bar and restaurant, a library, private dining area, a large patio to the west which overlooks the rugby grounds and a large garden at the front of the hotel, with room for around 100 customers and there is also a terrace on the roof of the single storey bar, which is for diners only and which will sit 24.
When you walk through the front door of the majestic Georgian building you come into the hallway, which still has its original staircase and dark chocolate walls set the modern tone. Says Ross, “We restored the staircase and this has allowed us to put a small reception in underneath it.”
Turn left and you come directly into the bar area. The immediate focal point is the huge iron clock which hangs on a brick wall which is cleverly acts as a room divider. The wall also features a large modern gas fire. It’s a good sized bar and the restaurant has a capacity of 65.
Throughout the public areas of the hotel the floors are all real wood. Although different types of wood have been used. Ross explains, “We have used flooring called Restaurant Manorhouse flooring throughout the bar and restaurant. We wanted it to look like it had been here since the 19th century, and this type of flooring will get better with age. In the private dining area we have put down Parquet de Versaille – which is lovely panelled floor.
The furniture too changes from area to area. Ross says, “In the restaurant and private dining areas we have bespoke oak tables but in the bar we have rustic scaffold plank tables with modern wrought iron bases. This adds to the differential between bar and restaurant. We have also used mohair fabrics in the restaurant with dog tooth check upholstery in cream and brown on the back of the chairs, and blue mohair fabric in the booths. While in the bar we have used leather.”
The bar itself which sits to your right, as you enter the bar area, is very impressive. It is wood panelled with a iron detail which is reminiscent of the bands that hold whisky barrels together. Even the fonts have a contemporary yet traditional look, which is the theme which runs throughout this venue.
The walls in this area are wood panelled in a light ochre colour and the lovely huge sash window lets in a lot of light. But all the wood panelling is new.
Some of the light fittings look old, being of the distressed copper variety, but they all have the modern addition of LED bulbs. Of course there are lots of modern light fittings also evident.
There are couple of large square pillars in the venue – each featuring a wood panelled bottom and distressed mirrored glass on top. This warming feature is very flattering and I’m sure customers will love it.
The bar area also boasts a wall of leather studded banquettes in a rich chocolate studded leather. Above which there are glass panels which allow light in, but which are opaque. This area also features two booths with fixed seating. The large posting table which seats eight will no doubt become a favourite with groups of people, especially as it sits immediately adjacent to the door which takes you out to the large covered patio.
Says Chris Hines of Red House Design,“It’s always great to be involved in the restoration of an iconic building that has been languishing for years with shattered windows and rotten floorboards. This one was an absolute pleasure to work on, with a professional and focused main contractor in “John Dennis” and superb interior fit out specialists such as “Andy Thornton” who built all of our bespoke joinery items to highest of standards.”
The clients have invested heavily in this project at a time when few are and they’ve been very respectful to the Building and the Stockbridge area as a whole in the quality of finishes used, which they have to be highly praised for. I have no doubt this project, which incidentally is our 30th completed design project in Edinburgh, will be another huge success for many years to come”
The restaurant which is further through also benefits from the light that comes through some an opaque glass wall and another large sash window. The cornicing around the window is baroque and has been used throughout the hotel. Says Ross, “We have used the same traditional mouldings throughout the whole building. In fact we have tried to keep the public areas as similar to the hotel rooms as possible. Obviously there are some differences for instance in the rooms the bathrooms finished in marble but in the bar we have used granite.”
One of the key features of the Raeburn is the stone wall in the restaurant which although it looks original the stone, has in fact come from a Perthshire quarry. Another key feature is the large mirrors which also have a French-style baroque frame. Ross says, “We replicated the wooden copperfield mouldings that we have used elsewhere and added the Parisian mirror. We wanted to give a feeling of space but we didn’t want a shiny new mirror, but one that looked antique.”
My favourite area is the Library Snug which is on the right when you come into the hotel. Not only does it have a hidden door but the walls of books are 3-dimensional. This clever piece of artwork means that you can actually run your fingers over what appear to be book spines but obviously you can’t pull them out! The bar area here can also be hidden with a folding wall which when pushed back allows the bar to function as a proper bar area and when the wall is extended you can’t tell it was not a wall in the first place! Here there are comfortable leather chesterfields, and wing chairs upholstered in tartan and tweed, set off with a large fireplace which boasts a modern gas fire. It’s not just my favourite room it is Ross’s favourite room too.
The Library bar leads through to the Private dining room which seats 28. This wood panelled room is perfect for a private dining experience and feels luxurious with its parquet flooring.
Upstairs the bedrooms are all of a good size and just as well because there is nothing insubstantial about the furnishings. Large bespoke wardrobes and desks/dressing tables have been created for the rooms by Andy Thornton. The beds also feature large bespoke bed heads and each of the rooms has a colour theme – whether pale green or pale mustard – the furnishings all match, but in a subtle and classy manner. The bathrooms are finished in marble, and have all the best fittings. Most of which Ross and his dad have had a hand in sourcing.
There is no doubt about it, Ross and his family have transformed the Raeburn. He said early on in the build that he felt as ‘real sense of responsibility to bring it back to its former glory for the residents of Stockbridge.’ They have more than achieved that. Ross said when I originally met him, “We are not setting out to be mediocre. I would like to be the best we can. How it looks is only half the battle we want everyone who comes here to enjoy their experience. We’re buying from local suppliers, and aim to offer the best from our seafood to beef.”
The Raeburn, Edinburgh – Design Focus
