Our Country Home Is A Thoroughbred Champ

May 11 2008 Laura Davidson

Peek In Your Pad Horse Lovers Alexis And Colin Have Filled Their Country Retreat With Creatures Great And Small

You could be forgiven for feeling as if you'd stumbled on a revival of All Creatures Great And Small at Alexis MacLeod's rural pad.

Curious moggie Peaka waits to greet you at the driveway and inside there's a wag-tailed welcome from Patterdale terrier Tally.

In the stable block, two horses are waiting for attention - 14-year-old thoroughbred Walter and eight-year-old arab Aero.

For a family who love animals, Alexis, 41, and partner Colin, 42, have chosen the perfect place to live.

Set in six acres of land in Strathaven, Lanarkshire, their contemporary detached family home is stunning.

Alexis said: "I had the horses before moving here but they were stabled elsewhere.

"A big appeal of this place was being able to have them at home with us. We have an arena as well for training them, which has been great.

"I think a lot of people are surprised when they come inside our house that it's fairly modern in style because a lot of country houses are quite traditional.

We like to mix old with new."

The couple are selling up and moving with their two daughters, Robin and Hannah, after almost three years in the house.

Pharmaceutical manager Alexis is having to relocate for work but she'll be sorry to move from her idyllic country pad.

She said: "I'll definitely miss this place but I have to cut down on my travelling so it's the best thing in the long run.

"After living here, though, we couldn't move to a built-up area again. Our next house will definitely be rural as well."

The main lounge is a fantastically bright space with a long wall of windows and French doors giving access to a sun terrace.

A limestone fireplace stands out against a coffee-painted feature wall and the couple have opted for comfy brown leather sofas to tie in with the scheme. The bright family kitchen, with cream units and wooden worktops, provides an informal place for dining.

Next door there's a more formal dining room for proper dinner parties.

Also on the ground floor, there's a home office, guest bedroom, an informal family TV room and a downstairs loo.

Out in the hallway, there's a fabulous dual-aspect open oak staircase which divides the upstairs of the house.

To one side of the upper landing is the master suite with a luxurious spa-bath ensuite.

Dark wooden furniture contrasts well with cream walls and a cream carpet and to cut down on clutter, the couple use the smaller bedroom next door as a walk-in wardrobe.

On the other side of the split staircase are the girls' bedrooms and the fantastic family bathroom.

Decorated in white tiles with a blue mosaic tile border, it has a large circular sunken bath with a feature skylight above.

Alexis said: "This is probably one of my favourite rooms in the house.

"You can lie in the bath with a glass of wine and look up at the stars through the window - it's amazing.

"In fact, the whole house has been amazing, really. It's been a great place to live."

"After living here we couldn't move to a built-up area - our next house will be rural"

Housefile: Contemporary five-bedroom home with stable block and six acres of land on sale for offers over £575,000.

For details, contact Savills on 0141 222 5875.

We love: The calming feeling of the house's setting.

It's lovely being surrounded by the peace and quiet of the countryside.

We'd change: If we were staying we'd probably decorate more rooms to add some colour.

Next house: Somewhere rural, probably in Ayrshire.