Interior designer and gilder Hugh Berry’s home captivated the judges - renowned interior designer Anna Campbell-Jones, architect Michael Angus and lifestyle blogger Kate Spiers - with his Park Terrace flat which he painstakingly renovated back to its former glory.

The 1850s property - which was built by celebrated Scottish architect Charles Wilson and once owned by famous ship-builder William Pearce - was unanimously named ‘Scotland’s Home of the Year’, beating off stiff competition from eight other finalists from locations across Scotland including Kelso, Angus, Orkney, Perthshire, Sutherland, Edinburgh, Seamill and Stornoway. 

The nine Scotland’s Home of the Year finalists were:

• Kelso House, Kelso (Ep1: Borders & Southern Scotland)
• The Glebe, Brechin (Ep2: Grampian & The Central Highlands)
• Park Terrace, Glasgow (Ep3: Glasgow & The Clyde Valley)
• The Wheelhouse, Stormness, Orkney (Ep4: Shetland & Orkney)
• Mouse Cottage, Strathtay, Perthshire (Ep5: Perthshire & Central Scotland)
• Rainbow’s End, Sutherland (Ep6: Northern Highlands)
• Northumberland Street, Edinburgh (Ep7: Lothians & The East)
• Ardrossan Road, Seamill, West Kilbride (Ep8: Argyll & The West)
• New Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis (Ep9: The Hebrides & Arran)

The Park Terrace apartment - which boasts two bedrooms, an ornate rotunda with a glass roof and stunning sitting room with hand-gilded cornicing - moved judge Anna Campbell-Jones to tears when she first stepped inside.

Anna said: “It’s not often I’m lost for words but the magical, fragrant beauty of Park Terrace knocked me for six. We wanted to recognise the generosity to not only create a beautiful home for yourself, for your friends or for your family, but also to contribute to the future of that building and the Park area.

“As you move through Hugh’s home it gradually reveals such sophisticated layers of detail - continually rewarding you after that first ‘Oh My Goodness’ moment. I’m so delighted that this life enhancing home, so full of heart, is our wonderful winner.”

Michael added: “All homes are embellished, even the most minimal. Regardless, all exhibit investment by the people who reside within. If the building fabric of a home is already blessed as being well designed and constructed, any worthy embellishment can only add to the whole. Such is the case here, in this townhouse on Park Terrace.

“The building itself is a quality example of architecture unquestionably refined, but now an echo only of a bygone era. The building has however been rejuvenated by a level of investment rarely seen - an unforgettable, magical exercise in embellishment, derived solely from the expansive heart and tenacious hands of the homeowner.”

Kate agreed: “It felt like Hugh had just bought everything he loved and turned it into a collection in his own home. For me, Hugh’s home just felt so genuine when you’re inside. It really did have something special about it that made you want to stay and I just think that you could spend a lot of time there and never really take it all in. There were just so many secrets waiting to be discovered.”

Anna, Michael and Kate’s search for Scotland’s Home of the Year took them the length and breadth of the country, visiting 27 exceptional homes, including everything from a three-storey townhouse to a three-room cottage, stunning new build properties to period conversions and rural homes to city dwellings.

Hugh is thrilled his unique Park Terrace home made a lasting impression on the judges: “I was absolutely blown away to win and was not expecting to be crowned the winner of this year’s ‘Scotland’s Home of the Year’. This is a great memory that will be with me for a very long time.

“I’ve been doing interiors for over 32 years and, to date this has been the biggest award. It’s like winning an Academy Award after being a struggling actor all your life!”

Scotland’s Home of the Year, the full ten-part series, made by IWC Media (a Banijay Group company) for BBC Scotland, is available to view on BBC iPlayer. A third series has also been announced for 2021.