Look inside the bright and luxurious bungalow that's made the final of Scotland's Home of the Year

Scotsman

29-05-2025

The excitement is mounting, as we catapult towards the grand finale of Scotland's Home of the Year on June 2.
It takes place at Glasgow's House for an Art Lover, where six sets of nervous property owners discover who's taking the grand prize.
They include Pamela and Gordon Bain of the Sandstone Bungalow in Giffnock.
Their home became the first finalist way back in episode one, the West heat, which was screened in April. At the decider, it'll be going up against Hilltop House, Pitmedden; Wee City Nook, Edinburgh; The Tree House, Broughty Ferry; An Cala Cottage on the Isle of Skye and Craigmount, near Dalbeattie.
It's stiff competition, but the bungalow's owners should clear room on a mantelpiece, just in case.
After all, the judges were completely blown away, and each awarded it a 10. They only had positive things to say.
Even if they don't win, the Bain family are amazed to make it this far.
'It was absolutely bizarre. You know, we really weren't expecting to get to the final,' says Pamela, who works as a graphic designer. 'To be honest, it would just be lovely to be featured, as we've always watched the programme. Well, I certainly have. We just thought this would be a fun experience that would celebrate all the work we've done in the house'.
Since appearing on the show, Pamela has been glued to series seven.
Her favourite contenders, apart from her own, have been The Tree House and An Cala Cottage.
As their episode revealed, Pamela and her family - husband, Gordon Bain, son, Caleb, and their Irish setter - have been at their Thirties property for five years.
They transformed it, which meant spending almost every weekend and evening to get it to the stage that made the SHOTY judges' eyes turn to saucers.
The team loved that the house featured plays on contrasting colours, with rooms painted in light shades that had dramatically dark floors, and vice versa,. Then there was the wooden herringbone floor that extends from the vast hallway and into the kitchen.
As well as changing the decor, the family have added a cool zinc-clad extension, to create an open plan cooking and living space. This is where Pamela placed her SHOTY favourite spot loveheart, as the dual aspect means she can keep an eye on both the dog and her son.
Banjo Beale loved it here too, and said he wanted to make pancakes.
'He's welcome to come round and do that, any time,' Pamela says.
After the property had been on the show and was revealed as a finalist, the Bains had lots of proud friends getting in contact.
'They were all so happy for us and were shouting about it on social media, and it was really nice to have that support,' she says.
Apparently, when Caleb went to school, other kids mentioned that they'd spotted him in the show.
'He thought it was so funny that people were coming up to him saying, 'well done',' says Pamela. He's bound to be popular among his friends, as one of the bungalow's rooms, which wasn't featured on the programme, is a cinema space, where he can watch films with his pals.
This may be a modern addition, but the judges on SHOTY loved that the Bains had leant into the property's Thirties features, and hadn't ripped out elements,for the sake of it.
For example, it retains its stained glass, as well as original fitted wardrobes in the main bedroom and, in a bathroom, they have the rather unique addition of a blue loo. Instead of replacing this with something neutral, they painted the whole room dark blue, wallpapered the ceiling with a landscape print, and managed to celebrate their pastel cludgie.
The judges also loved the use of Pamela's dark wood antique furniture, including a drinks trolley and sideboard, that she has showcased in the dining room. She inherited those pieces from her granny, and the judges thought that the setting made them look contemporary.
'We did buy the house, thinking that they would look good in it,' she says.
There are also lots of other cool objects scattered around the house. Things that you wouldn't find everywhere, like the pretty pink glass kitchen pendant lights, a vintage chandelier and saffron-coloured curtains that graze the floor.
They're testament to Pamela's magpie-like skills.
'There's a lot of secondhand buys from charity shops and vintage warehouses, but also there's a huge amount of high street,' she says. 'I'm not snobby when it comes to buying a vase from a supermarket. When I see something that I think reflects our personality, then I'll get it, and it doesn't really matter where it's from. I think having a nice collection of different things makes it feel a bit more unique and full of personality'.
When it comes to design, Pamela gets much of her inspiration online and has her own Instagram account, @perfecting_the_house
'I mostly use Pinterest for ideas. I'm doing a lot of boards, and also I look at Instagram, as there are lots of home accounts, and I obviously share my home on there as well,' she says. 'So, there's a big community, just sharing inspiration'.
Since appearing on the show, Pamela has, unsurprisingly, had more folk than usual asking her for design advice.
'I've got a lot of very talented friends, so they don't need any help, but I do get people asking for input,' she says. 'I love that. I'm very much up for helping. I've got a colour and a pattern sort of eye'.
The Scotland's Home of the Year final is on June 2, 8.30pm, BBC Scotland, www.bbc.co.uk
BBC Scotland have opened applications for Scotland's Home of the Year 2026, see https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u173551062
2 . TV room and snug
IWC Media Photo: IWC Media Photo Sales
3 . Dining room with granny's furniture and pale pink walls
IWC Media Photo: IWC Media Photo Sales
4 . The kitchen, with what Danny described as a 'ceiling lantern'
IWC Media Photo: IWC Media Photo Sales