Look inside the bright and luxurious bungalow that's made the final of Scotland's Home of the Year
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
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Five-bedroom detached house with VERY unique bathroom hits market for £700k… would you put in an offer?
The house is packed with quirky features MONEY TALKS Five-bedroom detached house with VERY unique bathroom hits market for £700k… would you put in an offer? Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A UNIQUE five-bedroom detached house with a special bathroom has hit the market for £700k - would you put in an offer? The home located in Waddesdon, Aylesbury, appears to be standard property with its red-brick exterior and spacious interior. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 The Five-bedroom detached house located in Waddesdon, Aylesbury Credit: Rightmove 10 The bathroom is covered in wallpaper decorated with £50 notes Credit: Rightmove 10 This TikToker described it as 'definitely a first' they had ever seen Credit: housinghorrors/TikTok With five bedrooms, it's priced at £699,950 – a figure many buyers might even see as a bargain. However, the house boasts a unique feature that has left some seasoned house hunters stunned. The bathroom is covered in wallpaper decorated with £50 notes. One TikToker came across the unusual interior design and described it as 'definitely a first' they had ever seen on the property website Rightmove. They added: "This is absolutely wild." "And it goes all the way around." "This isn't horror - this is brilliant, it works quite well," commented one user. Images of the bathroom show a single black toilet and sink, surrounded by oversized £50 notes plastered across the walls in all directions. Yet, this is not the only quirky feature this five-bedroom property has. In the dining area, a huge glass chandelier hangs ominously over the table. Stunning Gothic mansion made famous on BBC's Home of the Year up for sale... and it has very famous links Nearby, a massive mirror reflects the black and white chequered kitchen floor. In a smaller room, the owners have installed another mirror, this one set in a large gold frame. The decked-out space also features its own chandelier, making the room as unique as the rest of the property. To top off the unique £700k detached house, the owners have covered the walls of another room with wallpaper featuring the late Queen in an iconic pop art style. The five-bedroom property is advertised as an "impressive house in the sought-after village of Waddesdon". It comes after an eccentric home in Shropshire has hit the market for £124,000. The home comes complete with an exposed toilet at the top of the stairs - leaving its users in full view of anyone nearby. It's a dream come true for prospective buyers seeking a live studio audience experience on the loo. The first floor bog has no door or walls to mask the sights, sounds and smells that could occur when it's occupied. The person who chose to design their toilet in full view of anyone coming upstairs is unknown. But the property, on Birch Road, Ellesmere, seems absolutely normal when spotted from the street. Despite its lack of boundaries, the two-bed has been described by estate agents as 'quirky and characterful.' The mid-terrace town cottage has a kitchen and dining room, living room, master bedroom and study or second bedroom. But its best feature is a large garden space, which expands to around 100 square feet. Our posh village is now ghost town strewn with empty homes – we've slashed asking prices by £100k but no-one wants them By Ben Endley Emily Jane Davies STUNNING homes in a charming riverside village are now unsellable, with demand "falling off a cliff" after a tax blitz on second homes. One homeowner was forced to slash £100,000 off the value of her waterside cottage in Cornwall - and still can't sell it. Debbie Pugh-Jones lowered her asking price three times in 10 months and says the picturesque two-bed home is now priced the same as a small flat in a run-down area of some cities. She lives in the quaint Cornish village of Goland, near the millionaire's playground of Fowey - where Dawn French and Gordon Ramsay have previously owned homes. The 69-year-old listed the home for sale for £400,000 last August believing it would sell quickly as similar homes nearby sold for £425,000 during Covid. She says increased stamp duty brought in nationwide combined with Cornwall Council's decision to double council tax rates on second homes has scared off potential buyers. Tourist hotspots like Cornwall and Wales, a favourite for charming seaside getaways, have been embroiled in a "tax war" in recent years. Residents say they can't afford to buy houses where they grew up as city dwellers snap them all up, only to stay there a fraction of the time when they fancy a get-away. But local businesses say they can't survive without the revenue second home owners and holidaymakers bring in. Debbie warned that the area is in danger of becoming a 'ghost town' due to unsold properties that are now lying vacant. She told The Sun: 'When you come down that much in price you would expect to get a viewing but I've had three in nearly a year. "Nobody at all looked around between November and April. 'Double council tax won't affect the very wealthy but it will affect the middle class people wanting to buy a second home.' She added: 'The community is at risk of changing because some of the second home buyers in this village aren't happy to be paying double council tax. 'Around half of the houses in this village are second homes and the rest are retired people, there are very few people working in this village. 'It's making them struggle but even if they wanted to sell they wouldn't be able to. 'People living here used to work in farms and on the boats but all those industries are gone and the village doesn't have a school, it's not near a bus route and it doesn't have any amenities. 'I'm not depriving a first time buyer of a place to live because it's not the sort of house that would suit them.' 10 A huge glass chandelier hangs ominously over the table Credit: Rightmove 10 The quirky house features many unique designs Credit: Rightmove 10 It is on the market for just under £700k Credit: Rightmove 10 A smaller room with the Chanel logo on the wall Credit: Rightmove 10 A luxurious bathroom in the five-bedroom detached house Credit: Rightmove 10 Another decorated small room in the quirky £700k property Credit: Rightmove
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Pamela Anderson vows to 'do it her way' as she opens up about her second chance
Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson says she's loving life again after returning to the big screen Pamela Anderson is relishing her second chance at acting after making peace with her past. Now 57, Pammy - who rose to fame in the early 1990s as Baywatch lifeguard CJ Parker – is living life on her own terms. And after five marriages, that includes enjoying being single for now. 'I'm just trying to live this part of my life as authentically as possible,' she says. 'I feel like because I've been given this second chance, I get to do it my way. If anyone comes into my life, I have to trust it won't interfere with my shot.' It's a new era for former Playboy model Pamela, who is loving her acting renaissance after retreating from the spotlight following he r sex tape scandal. It saw the private movie she made with then husband, rocker Tommy Lee Jones, stolen and leaked to the in 1995. READ MORE: Kate Moss, 51, copies Pamela Anderson, 57, and ditches makeup for huge event 'I knew that I had more to give, but I thought, 'Oh well, not in this lifetime, I guess,' because of what had happened in my personal life and my career,' the star said of the devastating saga. 'I thought, 'I'll just do what I have to do to keep the lights on and be with my kids.'' She opened up about the difficulty she felt shielding her sons Brandon, 29, and Dylan, 27, from the aftermath. Pamela recalled: 'I would pick them up from surf camp and they'd be like, 'Are you Pamela Anderson? What is that? The kids are saying all these things about you, Mom.' "You want to share things with your children age-appropriately, but they always found out before. I mean, what could be worse than what happened to their father and me?' Moving away from the showbiz world, Pamela now enjoys a quieter life on Vancouver Island. 'I wanted to remember who I was, so I went back to where the trees have known me since birth,' explained Pamela. 'I rewrote my life and literally replanted my garden to see what would grow. I thought, 'I'm going to make pickles and jams, and I can be perfectly happy here.' Sometimes when you think it's the end, it's really the beginning. That's what it was for me.' A Broadway role as Roxie Hart in musical Chicago brought Pamela back into the spotlight. 'That just opened me up again,' she said. Recently starring in acclaimed movie The Last Showgirl, she features in upcoming comedy The Naked Gun alongside Liam Neeson, 73. 'It's going to show a different side of me,' she teased. 'I feel every film I do lately is healing various parts of me. And you need a big, messy life to draw from if you want to make these kinds of things interesting.' Since her return, Pammy has gone without make-up. She says she's always been a 'rebel' as she pushes back against beauty conventions. The actress says she's 'surrendering' to ageing as she proudly walks red carpets with no make up on. 'I think that with AI technology and filters, people are becoming kind of boring-looking,' she explained. 'I want to challenge beauty norms. I've always been a rebel. I never see somebody and think, 'I want to look like that.' "I just want to see who I am. At some point you have to say, 'This is all I've got'. Surrender to it. And it's real happiness. It's freedom to know you can walk on a red carpet without a stitch of make-up on. I mean, why can't I? Men do it all the time.' The July/August issue of Harper's Bazaar UK is on sale now or read the full interview online here.
Wales Online
6 days ago
- Wales Online
BBC presenter runs 10k in Crocs in memory of younger brother
BBC presenter runs 10k in Crocs in memory of younger brother Mr Campbell, an architect and presenter, ran the Glasgow Men's 10k in 50 minutes and 18 seconds, handing out copies of his younger brother Duncan's memoir The Suicide Notes throughout the race (Image: BBC ) BBC Scotland's Home of the Year presenter Danny Campbell has completed a 10k run wearing Crocs in memory of his younger brother who died from cancer. Mr Campbell, an architect and presenter, ran the Glasgow Men's 10k in 50 minutes and 18 seconds, handing out copies of his younger brother Duncan's memoir The Suicide Notes throughout the race. He wore Crocs during the race to "defy expectations" and to encourage people to "show up for yourself" after his 31-year-old brother's death last year, and regularly wears them during his appearances on television. In 2024, Mr Campbell spoke openly about losing his younger sibling to an aggressive form of brain cancer, despite trying sonodynamic therapy in New York, describing his brother's health battle as "heroic". The race, which started at the Riverside Museum and ended in Glasgow Green, is designed to get men of all ages talking about their mental health. Mr Campbell, a father-of-three, said: "I ran the race in my brother's honour. Every squeaky step, Dunk was with me. Article continues below "He faced life's hardest challenges with humour, courage, and zero regard for convention. He made sure we laughed, even when things got impossibly hard. I'm just trying to follow in his footsteps. "My Crocs are now a symbol of not giving a toss about other people's expectations. "It's about showing up as yourself - and creating space for other people to do the same. "Thanks to everyone who donated, cheered, or just shook their head in disbelief. I hope it made people smile. And maybe think about someone they could check in on today." Writing on a JustGiving page, he said: "I'm doing this in memory of my little brother and to encourage others to share their struggles. "Dunk fought a tough battle with cancer and had a profoundly positive impact on so many people. He was charismatic, quick-witted, honest and caring." Mr Campbell, an ambassador for The Social Hub Glasgow, said that doing the race in Crocs was "a silly way to say something serious". He raised £750 for the Mental Health Foundation, which praised his efforts at "normalising conversations around mental health". Julie Cameron, associate director for Scotland at Mental Health Foundation, said: "We're incredibly grateful to Danny for taking on this challenge, raising both awareness and vital funds for the Mental Health Foundation. "His message encouraging people, especially men, to talk about their struggles and seek support is more important than ever. "While awareness has grown, stigma still holds many back from opening up about their struggles. "Normalising conversations around mental health is crucial, and if an architect running a 10K in Crocs sparks those discussions, that's a win." Article continues below To donate, visit
