CIRCUS LANE
Nestled along one of Edinburgh’s most photographed streets, this mews house on Circus Lane balances timeless charm with modern refinement.
The brief was deceptively simple: a complete renovation that respected the home’s intimate scale while introducing light, warmth, and a sense of everyday calm. What followed was a study in restraint: soft textures, natural materials, and playful moments of colour that bring life without noise.
Every detail was designed to make small feel generous, to let light move, air flow, and the materials do the talking.
Braw House led the design and project management, partnering with trusted builders and makers to transform this once-tired home into a polished yet quietly personal space.
VISION
The brief for Circus Lane was to breathe new life into a compact mews house in the heart of Edinburgh’s most picturesque street.
The client wanted to modernise the property while retaining its quiet charm. A home that felt grounded in the city’s heritage yet distinctly contemporary in feel and function.
Our vision was to create something warm, balanced, and enduring. A space that maximised natural light, simplified the layout, and introduced tactile, timeless materials that would age beautifully.
UNCOVERING THE POTENTIAL
When we first stepped inside, the house told a familiar story: dated finishes, awkward proportions, and light lost between levels. The early stages of the renovation were about stripping everything back, exposing the building’s true character and revealing where new life could be added.
Walls were opened to reconnect spaces, services rerouted to allow clean sightlines, and old materials replaced with natural, lasting alternatives. What emerged was the structure’s quiet strength: solid stone, timber, and light ready to move more freely through the home.
CONCEPT
From that raw canvas, the design direction took shape.
The concept was built around natural warmth and subtle contrasts: light oak, soft plaster tones, and muted stone shades, paired with small injections of colour for personality.
The moodboard explored layers of texture rather than ornament: brushed wood, hand-finished brass, tactile fabrics.
The goal was to create a home that felt honest and uplifting, where simplicity and craftsmanship worked in harmony.
3D VISUALISATION
We translated the concept into detailed 3D visuals to bring the vision to life and test how light, material, and proportion interacted across the space.
These visuals allowed the client to see how everything would feel before work began. A critical stage in aligning expectations and refining details.
As always, the design evolved during the build. Finishes were adjusted, joinery details fine-tuned, and new opportunities embraced as the house took shape. The visuals acted as a foundation. A compass guiding the project, while leaving space for craftsmanship and intuition to refine the final result.
FINAL OUTCOME
The finished home is a study in quiet refinement. Sunlight now moves gently through open spaces; pale oak floors ground the interior; soft whites and natural textures create a sense of calm continuity.
Every corner feels intentional, every finish considered. From the simplicity of the kitchen joinery to the soft glow of evening light across the stone walls.
What was once dark and divided is now open, warm, and enduring. A home that honours its mews heritage while living confidently in the present.
BEHIND THE BUILD
Every project has its unseen rhythm: the schedules, coordination, and partnerships that turn design into reality. Circus Lane was no exception. Over the course of nine months, the property moved from concept through demolition, design development, and completion. A full transformation shaped by collaboration and clarity.
Client Type:
Private residential client.
Duration:
Approximately 12 months from first design meeting to final sign-off.
Services Provided:
Collaborators:
Braw House: Project management, design development, client liaison
RUAH Interiors: Concept direction, styling and colours
Hedi Munro: Mural artist of the gold-leaf wisteria bedroom artwork
RKA: Architectural services
Mint Renovations: Site managment, construction and joinery
Specialist Trades & Makers — Concrete fabrication, bespoke kitchen cabinets, electrical, and lighting design support
Ready to begin your own transformation?