House Style with Eilidh Izat and Jack Arundell
After showing us around their airy, light-filled Georgian flat in Edinburgh, Eilidh Izat and Jack Arundell share their house style.
Your happiest at home when…
The apartment is filled with light.
Our apartment is positioned on the first floor and orientated east-west.
The morning sun comes into the kitchen and bathroom, and moves around to the living
spaces and terrace by early afternoon and stays late into the evening. We moved
in over a year and half ago, but still feel like we’re in the honeymoon period.
It’s a sign of a good place to live.
How would you describe the interiors of your house?
Our home is calm, personal and organic.
It’s a Georgian house designed by William Playfair. The proportions and
light of each room do much of the work that is needed to create a good space.
We want the space of each room to still be experienced, so only add what is
needed. Almost all of our belongings have been gifts to one another at some
point, so they take on deeply personal meanings. We’re not sure if they make
sense in the space or not, but for us it feels like home.
If you could only save one thing, what would it be?
Eilidh’s Grandpa’s books.
We inherited a small library when Eilidh’s grandfather passed away. Each
book is filled with thoughts and anecdotes from his life and they have the
ability to transport you to a different place. There are books on the Egyptian
pyramids filled with calculations to development sketches of hyperbolic
parabolas amongst notes on large and small oatcakes in the back of a George
Orwell. These are easily our most valued possessions.
What was the last thing you bought for the house?
A bespoke chair, ‘The Arundell Chair’, by Namon Gaston.
We’ve been focusing on our furniture collection lately, both collecting
new pieces and also fixing those we already own. Jack inherited a little money
last year and has been using it to develop a chair with friend and furniture
maker, Namon Gaston. It’s a very sculptural piece with a timeless feel. We’re
excited to share this with our community over the coming weeks.
Top three coffee table books?
Donald Judd Writings, New Architecture in Scotland (1977), The Nature and Art of Workmanship by David Pye.
Books form an important part of our daily life. The experience of
holding and touching a book, as well as the visual experience of looking
through a library encourages creative interactions. You might find that you are
drawn to a book you haven’t read or thought about in a while. It’s a really
natural way to discover things.
If money was no object, what changes would you make?
We are inspired by the concept behind Graanmarkt 13 and have dreams of buying the hotel next door and creating something similar here in Scotland. Perhaps an extension to Porteous’ Studio and a place to sell some of the objects we have in development. Other than that, Jack would like a salt water swimming pool to relax in which might go nicely with a roof terrace.
You’re having people over for dinner: what do you cook?
Keep it simple!
The main focus of an evening with friends is to have a good time and the food is there to set the right tone and atmosphere. One of our favourites is fish pie with potatoes and green vegetables, and maybe a Chardonnay from the Jura.
What does a Sunday here look like?
Lazy mornings with coffee and piano playing.
Our Sundays are sacred. It’s the only day of the week we try not to
work, so it’s a chance to recover and catch up with anything that takes our
fancy. Jack is an accomplished piano player, something he is very modest about
and he’ll hate that I’ve included it! We were gifted an old upright piano a few
years ago and there’s nothing more beautiful than drinking coffee in the sun
with Sibelius or Nils Frahm playing in the background.
What are the best things about the neighbourhood?
It’s quiet and peaceful.
We live in a quiet neighbourhood close to the centre of town. There’s a
handful of coffee shops, bakeries and wine bars which we go to regularly and
many are run by friends. We’re also able to also escape the city quickly by
walking up Calton Hill or running to Arthur’s Seat or the Crags which all offer
views across the city and beyond. We love this.
How long will you be here for?
There are no immediate plans to move, but we’ll know when the time is right.
We enjoy living in the city but we both grew up in the countryside and
have a strong desire to live there. It asks you to become more self-sufficient
and the home plays an important role in allowing this to happen. We’re not sure
when or where we’ll go, but it will be somewhere remote and beautiful – the west
coast of Scotland is always calling.
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