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Interior Design Feature: 37 Park Place, Elie, Scotland

Inside Tess MacGeachy’s Georgian Coastal Home in Elie, Scotland

Inside Tess MacGeachy’s Georgian Coastal Home in Elie, Scotland

Overview

In the coastal village of Elie, where golf courses meet long stretches of shoreline and family holidays have unfolded for generations, interior designer Tess MacGeachy has created a home centred on kinship. The Georgian property, redesigned as an expansive retreat for extended family and guests, became the first completed project for Amber Yard Interiors and remains one of MacGeachy’s most personal projects. “This home, my parents actually purchased as a spillover home to our family home” she explains. Designing this home, marked the beginning of her style of design based on layered textures and a vintage-inspired vibe.

Brand

Amber Yard Interiors

Type

Family Residence

Location

Elie, Scotland

Services

Full Feature on YouTube, IG, FB & TikTok

Presented by

Tess MacGeachy

A cozy, modern living space with colorful sofas, a wooden bar, and artistic wall decor. Large windows and pendant lights add warmth and style.
Spacious kitchen with teal cabinets, a wooden island with white stools, black pendant lights, and vibrant decor. Cozy, modern, and welcoming ambiance.
Bright, eclectic living room with vibrant red shelves, patterned teal and pink sofas, a large skylight, colorful cushions, and decorative lighting.

A House Designed for Hosting

The size of the open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area makes it clear that this house was designed for social gatherings. Extended both to the back and into the side return, the space was designed to accommodate large gatherings while still maintaining the connection. “This was always going to be a hosting home” says Tess. “A space where lots of people were going to come and gather.” At the center sits an oversized island painted in Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke, paired with dark quartzite surfaces and brass detailing that softly modernise the traditional shaker cabinetry.

A stylish dining room features a long wooden table with alternating orange and patterned chairs. Art adorns the walls, and a skylight and pendant lights add warmth.

The dining table, custom made by an artisan in England to seat twenty, reflects the interior design concept. “I love the imperfections that are within the table” she says. “It really shows that love has gone into the making of it.” Throughout the room, nothing feels overly polished. Instead, texture, craftsmanship, and marks of use are allowed to define the atmosphere.

A lamp with a marbled, colorful shade stands in front of a red bookshelf filled with books. The room has a cozy and artistic ambiance.
A cozy living room with pastel decor. A pink sofa is adorned with patterned cushions. A green lamp with a pink shade adds elegance on a side table.
A cozy living room with teal and pink sofas adorned with patterned cushions. A large ottoman with colorful stripes holds books and a tray, set on a patterned rug.
Close-up of a woven brown mesh pattern against a dark background, bordered by an orange stripe. The design is complex and geometrical, evoking a modern feel.

Colour, Pattern, and the Language of Layering

MacGeachy’s instinct for colour runs through every room, though never in a way that overwhelms the architecture. “I’m definitely an interior designer that loves pattern and colour and texture and print” she says, and the home embraces that aesthetic perfectly. Raspberry-toned bespoke joinery, floral fabrics, classic stripes, and richly stained chocolate flooring are set together to create depth. In the kitchen, an initially bold request for an entirely orange theme turned into a more subtle direction, with touches of Farrow & Ball’s Charlotte’s Locks softened by brass mesh detailing from Armac Martin. Rather than contrast old and new too sharply, the interiors allow vintage character and contemporary style to sit naturally alongside one another.

Laundry room with yellow cabinets and a black countertop. Aprons hang on hooks to the left. A glass door opens to a patio, adding natural light.

A Design that Frames Daily Living

Although artistically expressive, the interiors are quite practical. The utility room, finished in buttery yellow and mustard cabinetry, was designed specifically for life near the beach and golf course, where dogs, muddy boots, and sandy coats are part of daily routine.

Red bookshelf with vintage brass lights illuminating an assortment of books. The warm lighting and rich colors create a cozy, inviting atmosphere.
A brass dome pendant light hangs from the ceiling, illuminating a cozy room with coral cabinets and patterned curtains. A touch of greenery adds warmth.

Elsewhere, lighting becomes an essential design element. The kitchen area is marked by large pendants over the island, while layered lamps and wall lighting make the living space feel cosier and homey.

View through glass doors reveals a sunny patio with wicker furniture and a small playhouse, surrounded by lush greenery and an open field beyond.

MacGeachy also paid careful attention to the connection between interior and landscape. Large, glazed openings frame views across the golf course toward the cliffs beyond, drawing the sunset colours into the home. “The colours that come in here are really lovely sunset hues” she says, noting how the natural pink hues seen outdoors are reflected in the fabrics and furniture within.

Cozy bedroom with floral wallpaper, soft pink and blue accents, and a large bed adorned with floral pillows. Sunlight filters through a window beside a dressing table.

Rooms with Distinct Personalities

One of the home’s defining ideas is that no two bedrooms feel alike. “Whichever room you stay in, it has its own personality” MacGeachy explains. “Every time you come and stay, the moment you stay in another room, you get a different feeling.” A pastel-toned ground floor guest room is paired with William Morris wallpaper and elevated paneling to create what she describes as a “hotelesque vibe” achieving complexity with sophistication.

Cozy bedroom with bold red wallpaper featuring a floral pattern. A bed with a teal headboard, pink cushions, and a patterned throw. Two teal chairs by a window add elegance.
Cozy bedroom with a vintage gray secretary desk, ornate mirror, and wooden chair. Warm tones, patterned wallpaper, and framed art evoke nostalgia.
A cozy room featuring a vibrant orange wardrobe next to an open door, with a wooden vanity and turquoise chair. Warm lighting and patterned wallpaper enhance the inviting atmosphere.

Upstairs, the expanded primary suite introduces spaces for sleeping, dressing, and snug with a view, creating what MacGeachy calls “a home away from home” for guests.

Three neatly made single beds with green and yellow accents, flanked by bedside tables with lamps, set against a striped wall, create a cozy ambiance.
Elegant bedroom with ornate red wallpaper, a teal padded headboard, and cozy bed. Two armchairs by a large window create a charming, inviting ambiance.

The dormitory-inspired room leans into playful nostalgia with striped detailing, woodland motifs, and open hooks replacing traditional wardrobes, while the final bedroom embraces a more romantic mood through rich teal upholstery and Lewis & Wood wallpaper inspired by the Scottish thistle. Altogether, the rooms create variety without disrupting the home’s overall flow.

Stylish living room with striped wallpaper, orange sofas, a central chandelier, patterned cushions, a striped ottoman, and a decorative fireplace.

The Comfort of Imperfection

Perhaps the most compelling quality of this project is its refusal to feel overly staged. The interiors celebrate memory, and personal history rather than pristine formality. In the snug, antiques collected over time sit beside bold wallpaper and built-in joinery painted in Little Greene Tea with Florence.

Cozy library with teal shelves, an integrated TV, and a wooden ladder. Books and decor items create a warm, inviting atmosphere with a touch of elegance.

A ladder discovered in the loft was integrated into the shelving as a tribute to the property’s past, while art collected through family friendships fills walls across the home. “Styling really does make a house feel like a home” MacGeachy reflects, and this perspective is exactly what makes this home a success. The house was never intended to function as a showroom. It was designed for muddy dogs, crowded Sundays, late-night conversations, and generations gathering under one roof.

A person with long hair sits reading a book on a green built-in bench. Surrounding are shelves filled with books, and a staircase with wooden railings.

A Personal Beginning

For Tess MacGeachy, the house represents more than an accomplished interior project. Completed in 2022, it marked the beginning of her studio and the foundations of a design concept that prioritises emotion as much as aesthetics. “It holds very sentimental value in my heart” she says. That feeling of personal value is evident throughout the home, not only in the interiors but in the way every room encourages people to slow down, gather, and remain connected to one another. In a holiday destination known for tradition and return visits, this project feels especially fitting: a family house designed not simply to impress, but to be lived in fully, season after season.

Watch the complete tour of the property here.

Amber Yard Interiors logo

Amber Yard Interiors

Based in London, Amber Yard Interiors works on projects across the UK with a thoughtful, detail-driven approach to individual design. The studio is known for close client collaboration, creating spaces that feel personal, considered, and distinctive.

Their work covers all aspects of interior design, from spatial planning and architectural detailing to sourcing furniture, fittings, and bespoke carpentry. Each project is shaped to balance functionality with a cohesive and expressive design language.

For enquiries: tess@amberyard.co.uk
Website: https://www.amberyard.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amberyardinteriors/

Gallery

The Finer Details.

Laundry room with yellow cabinets and a black countertop. Aprons hang on hooks to the left. A glass door opens to a patio, adding natural light.
Three neatly made single beds with green and yellow accents, flanked by bedside tables with lamps, set against a striped wall, create a cozy ambiance.
A cozy living room with pastel decor. A pink sofa is adorned with patterned cushions. A green lamp with a pink shade adds elegance on a side table.
Cozy bedroom with a vintage gray secretary desk, ornate mirror, and wooden chair. Warm tones, patterned wallpaper, and framed art evoke nostalgia.
Cozy library with teal shelves, an integrated TV, and a wooden ladder. Books and decor items create a warm, inviting atmosphere with a touch of elegance.

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