 |
Michael Angus (standing) with Kate Spiers and Anna Campbell-Jones at front
Images from The Herald |
While still walking through the
rabbit hole of Britannia I came upon Scotland’s Home of the Year (SHOTY). The
show is a tour of houses without the historical slant that Restoration Home had
and more of the owner’s personal taste.
A big red heart symbolizes that taste which the owners will make known as the favorite spot. Judges look out for it and once found they stop to see
through the owner’s point of view. Judges and episode winners see each other only in the grand finals.
 |
Judges walking in affords a brief view of the area
|
I can’t tell if Michael Angus, an
architect; Anna Campbell-Jones, interior designer; and Kate Spiers, lifestyle
blogger, were ever swayed by the favorite spot. They would revert to the
technical expertise that made them judges on the show.
Regardless, the favorite
spot gives the Scotland’s Home of the Year heart and soul to what
may otherwise be a cold discussion of house design. Talk design all you want, win
or lose the show, this is still someone’s home.
 |
| Anna Campbell-Jones, with the heart, explaining owner's point of view |
 |
| Michael looks like he's deep into why the kitchen is the favorite spot |
 |
The favorite spot with Anna feeling the marble
|
 |
The best library of them all
|
 |
| Sometimes toasty warm is all you need |
 |
Unobstructed views and the breeze, oh yes
|
I like how the judges explain what
they like and what they don’t. They don’t come off as preachy about industry
rules although their own personal tastes remain. I am just not as excited with
the energy Michael, Anna, and Kate give off as a group. Something feels off.
Each episode will present 3
houses. After a walk through, judges will talk about their observations but
only two will outright give their score. This secret score will be of a
different judge spread around the 3 houses. The suspense, for what it is worth,
will be the reveal of the secret score at the deliberation end of the episode.
 |
Each house will only have two revealed scores
|
I’ve searched the internet for
rules or at least regional contests, judges, or committees to learn about
the contest as a Scottish tradition but I have not found any (maybe you can).
Announcements
are posted on online channels calling for entries that can be anything from castles to a one bedroom apartment. The significance of the search depends on what the BBC is to the
United Kingdom I suppose.
 |
Judges always start on the outside
|
I love those Windows
 |
| Windows and skylights |
 |
Windows and skylights from the outside
|
I have a big window wrapped in
curtains many hours in a day so it is ironic that I would be in love with many
of the windows in the show – windows, skylights, glass walls. The obviously
rural houses have the most glass; especially the overlooking lake houses one of
which took home the crown in season one. Just a step inside the front door of
that winning house, the lake (or sea, I dunno) greets the eyes perfectly framed
by the glass wall. Wow.
Loft windows get my attention the
most because often they would be diagonal matching the angle of the roof as it
slants from the wall. Besides the beauty of an uncommon angle I can assume that
the extra degrees to the sky gives more time for natural light.
I can only be certain that SHOTY
entry is in a city because it is an apartment space inside a building. The
houses that I am not so sure could still be in a suburban area, sometimes
detached but often attached houses; they would still have at least a glass wall
to a garden, if they don’t then a skylight.
 |
What would Scotland be without a castle as Home of the Year?
|
 |
Am guessing suburbs?
|
Why I can't have those Windows
Going back to my curtain wrapped
windows I don’t see many similar options for entire walls. They might be more available in the bedrooms than the
common area. Or I've always had bad curtains which is why I can't distinguish a well thought out piece matching the room.
 |
| A city window with an advantage of overlooking a park |
Coming from a country or more to
the point an area that doesn’t allow for the luxury, why wouldn’t it be an option to close those big windows or glass walls?
As presented windows are only as good as what are
outside of it, which explains my curtains. SHOTY houses have good views so they have no need or use it as much.
Which still makes me curious about the weather. I am from the Philippines
is tropical country so is my sunlight worse than theirs that they would welcome
the possibility of having it 10 hours in a day? If I ever had a view and that much glass, I'd be overstocking on curtains to compensate.
 |
Stained glass skylight?
|
 |
Or hang an artwork under the skylight
|
 |
| What if the sun is in a bad angle? |
 |
Skylight in a bedroom, not in the Philippines
|
Skylights are different as it is
meant to get sunlight throughout the day - no view and neighbors can spy from the roof. My question then becomes how worse
are Philippine storms compared to theirs? Or is it a question of building
materials assuming that the common projectile picked up in a Philippine typhoon
are part of a roof if not the whole thing. Are skylights durable even in the
snow?
And then it is a maintenance question since you have to climb the ceiling
if not the roof.
 |
| Is that curtains I see? Does it close the entire glass wall? |
What of security and privacy? Glass walls that lead to a garden that are often surrounded
by trees or a fence hides from neighbors or the street. But what of those
windows with a view and boy the camera does show a view with little to no
chance of neighborly prying eyes.
So how common are these widely dispersed
beautiful homes?
 |
| Very very detached homes |
In the Philippines houses
with big windows will be in a gated community which negates the
privacy and view. If you would still put more than the average amount of glass in
the house it would have to be on an overlooking point making the plot rare and
expensive.
What is law and order in
Scotland? Maybe the follow up question is how much the Scots (or the UK in
general since I’ve been asking as much in Restoration Home) make for a living?
Here
if I had that kind of home, gated community or not, I’d be worried and looking
over my shoulder every night knowing any glass part of the house is a way in.
To see it in Scotland tells me that they’re confident of the police at the least,
but more importantly that there is peace and contentment enough in the land
that breaking and entering is at a minimum.
Fireplace
As a native of a tropical country safe bet that none here has one, so this is an appreciation of a house feature forever alien to me.
I’ve seen fireplaces in American builds
and house tour videos but they don’t feel as common as in Scotland’s Home of
the Year or Restoration Home. Here it is almost always the centerpiece. Then again the United States is an entire
continent so I may just be watching videos of the hotter regions.
 |
See-through fireplace
|
 |
Fireplaces don't have to look the same
|
 |
Supply of wood not wallpaper
|
 |
| Large stocks of firewood add to the texture of this fire place in a castle |
 |
Child proofed for little girl's favorite spot
|
I love the
rustic vibe of the fireplaces, open or with a wood burner, which has the supply
of wood integrated into the design; a slot in the wall with no chance of
getting hit as you sit by and get warm.
Of course seeing the wood brings up
environmental questions; where’s the supply coming from?
 |
Let's discuss the house
|
 |
| I am meant to stand here and see the views, says the Architect |
 |
| Architect explains the hole in the wall |
Why is there a Home of the Year?
Maybe the best question of all is
how can this show exist? It feels intrusive having strangers walk into your
home, discuss the design of the house without your presence and judge it.
Perhaps
that’s why loudly personal touches complete with color and trinkets are rare on
the show. But when do participate they perform greatly as the season 2 winner falling
in that category.
 |
Would you look at that lamp
|
 |
| Would you decorate with figurines? |
 |
| Would you put your bed in the middle? |
 |
Would you have that wallpaper or a stuffed animal?
|
 |
Bathroom with skylight vs bathroom with window,
which would you choose? |
Is this a show of house design or
is it a tour of Scotland? While we’re on that question I found a third show
about property, Escape to the Country. Among the 3 I've seen so far this show feels more like a
tour of the United Kingdom with the end goal of local migration since there is
an intent to buy new property.
 |
A hole in the Wall
|
 |
Kitchen curves with the house
|
(British) History and the home; house design and its surroundings; and
finding the perfect home in the rural area, things to know: I find it a novel
an amazing approach to promote greater social goals in what is really a
personal space.
Makes me want to live in the United Kingdom if I had the money.
No comments:
Post a Comment