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

  • 4 days ago
  • 4 min read

Updated: 3 days ago



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 forAmber Yard Interiorsand 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.


DESIGNER

Amber Yard Interiors

TYPE

Family Residence

LOCATION

Elie, Scotland

SERVICES

Full feature on YouTube, IG, FB & TikTok

PRESENTED BY

Tess MacGeachy

Bright modern living-dining room with colorful sofas, bar stools, pendant lights, skylights, and floral artwork.
Colorful open-plan kitchen and living room with teal island, orange cabinets, pendant lights, sofas, and dining chairs.
Colorful open-plan living room with red built-in shelves, pastel sofas, patterned chairs, skylights, and a dining area in back.

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.


Bright dining room with long wooden table, mixed coral and patterned chairs, framed art, skylight, and hanging glass bulbs

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.

Patterned green lamp on a stand in front of a red bookshelf filled with books in a cozy room.
Colorful living room with pink sofa, patterned pillows, and green ceramic lamp on a black side table in a cozy, stylish setting
Stylish living room with teal and blush sofas, patterned pillows, striped ottoman, and books on a tray.
Close-up of woven metal mesh grille with a dark background and orange edge, creating an abstract industrial pattern.

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.


Bright laundry room with yellow cabinets, black counters, washer and dryer, aprons on the wall, and a glass door to a patio.

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.

Brass wall lamps above deep red built-in bookshelves lined with books in a warm, elegant interior.
Hanging bronze dome lamp over a warm kitchen with orange cabinets, striped curtains, and a leafy plant in the foreground

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.


Sunlit stone patio seen through glass doors, with wicker seating, small shed, bench, and green fields under a blue sky.

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 floral bedroom with a pink bed, patterned pillows, quilted cover, desk by window, and warm lamps in soft light.

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.


Elegant bedroom with a dark teal headboard, patterned pink walls, orange accents, two windows, and a striped bench by the bed
Elegant pastel bedroom with vintage desk, ornate mirror, chair, cabinet, window light, and orange wardrobe.
Orange built-in wardrobe, ornate mirror, blue chair and desk in a patterned bedroom, with an open door to a hallway.

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 twin beds in a cozy striped bedroom, lit by warm lamps, with plaid blankets and decorative pillows.
Elegant bedroom with burgundy patterned wallpaper, teal bed, floral chairs, and bright window in a cozy, vintage style.

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.


Cozy living room with green striped wallpaper, orange sofas, patterned lamps, a chandelier, and a red-framed mirror over the 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.


Teal built-in bookshelves with books, TV, and a wooden ladder beside a centered door; cozy living room with orange sofa and art.

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.


Woman reading a book on a green window-seat bookshelf landing, with patterned pillows, beside a wooden stair rail in a cozy home

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.


Brown braided oval logo with letters A and Y on a black background.

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.







 
 
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