- Interior
- Outdoor & travel
Renovated with respect for the past, Gairnshiel Lodge is a place where old meets new. Where tradition is in dialogue with the modern and with the history of each stone, together they construct an amazing story where interior design and a welcoming atmosphere are central.
During the renovation, the environment was their main inspiration.
The owner of Gairnshiel Lodge has been coming to Scotland for decades for his hobby: hunting. Originally, this place was a hunting lodge, but as it is only used for as such short seasons, they decided to transform Gairnshiel into a guesthouse where everyone is welcome. Here, you can now find nine bedrooms, allowing 16 guests to stay here comfortably. Inspired by Eastern philosophies and rituals, they try to create a home where strangers feel like family. Gairnshiel offers you a warm and homely atmosphere to enjoy the peace and quiet and make new memories. 
Imagicasa spoke with Maarten Van Meerbeeck, who was asked about four years ago to join in this adventure with his family and run Gairnshiel Lodge together. ‘We travelled to Scotland a few times ourselves first to be able to explore the place. It was love at first sight!’ he tells us with great enthusiasm. We totally understand this, given the unique and inspiring surroundings. This also played an important role in the interior design. It is not unimportant to mention that interior designer Nathalie Van Reeth, no unknown name in the world of interior architecture, also plays an important role in this story. Indeed, the owner of this lodge in Scotland soon realised that they needed Belgian expertise. ‘Limestone walls, reclaimed wood... these were all techniques they were not very familiar with here,’ Van Meerbeeck explains. Van Reeth is known for her organic forms and warm materials and textures. A style that would also be perfectly at Gairnshiel. 
‘Gairnshiel Lodge is surrounded by hills and with the seasons comes a constantly changing colour palette,’ we also hear. So they took inspiration from the colours of the landscape. An interior design was created that fits in as well as possible with the surroundings, so that there is as little contrast as possible with the beautiful landscape. This creates unity, peace and cosiness. 
Gairnshiel Lodge also proves that traditional can be revamped with a good dose of interior design that is more appropriate to today's times. ‘Gairnshiel Lodge was envisioned as a furnished house but the furniture collection is something we play with ourselves. We love vintage design and if we see a nice piece, we find a good spot in the house or we replace a piece. Sometimes we also change the rooms. Especially after this year, we took the time to have a thorough look at every room and to see what would be an interesting addition, according to the guests' feedback,’ Maarten Van Meerbeeck tells us. The result radiates authenticity and timelessness, but also feels very contemporary.
Photography by Maarten Van Meerbeeck