A modern family home worth living in, period; Gillian and Scott Forrest combine the best of old and new in their townhouse peek in your pad.

Byline: Laura Davidson

Their house might be around 200 years old but Gillian and Scott Forrest still felt as though they were moving into a brand new home when they picked up the keys.

The couple's Georgian townhouse, in Greenock, had undergone a major refurbishment and although it retained the period features they loved, it had also been modified to work for modern family living.

Gillian said: "We were very lucky because the person who was developing the house was a friend of my husband's.

"He'd just started work when we went to view the property and we agreed then and there to buy it. Because he'd only just started work, we were able to have a huge input in how the house was redeveloped. It was fantastic helping to come up with a plan that would suit our family perfectly."

Gillian and Scott have two kids - Mia, nine, and six-year-old Tom. High on their list of priorities was an open-plan family room where they could spend most of their time. A spacious dining kitchen is what they came up with. The room is a bright space with a modern oak kitchen at one end, opening out on to the large family dining room.

Gillian said: "This is where we spend most of our time. It's a great room for entertaining, too. It's nice being able to have guests relaxing on the sofas while we get things ready in the kitchen.

"The room opens out on to the garden, too, which is great in summer when the kids are out playing there. It's exactly what we had in mind."

Scott, 44, runs his own construction business, and Gillian, 38, runs a childcare business from home, as well as a children's furniture company with her sister, Lesley Ferguson. They picked up the keys to their house in February 2004 and have been busy putting their own stamp on the property since.

Set over three floors, the entrance hallway, decked out with a beautiful black and white tiled chequerboard floor, is on the middle floor. Beneath, at basement level, are the rooms used for Gillian's childminding business - the family accommodation is on the top two floors. Off the entrance hallway is the large family room and a separate formal lounge.

Gillian said: "We've gone for a mix of styles. The family room is quite modern - we've got a mushroom shade on the walls and the furniture and accessories are in chocolate and taupe to tie in.

"In the main lounge, we've tried to be true to the period of the house. We've got a light sandy colour on the walls and we sourced a reproduction marble fireplace from a local company.

"I looked on the internet for bits and pieces that would tie in and I got a floral rug and cushions to match from Laura Ashley."

Upstairs there are three bedrooms, the master with en-suite bathroom, along with a bright family bathroom.

Little Mia's room, a girlie haven in shades of pink, has a fab oak bed with large drawer underneath that pulls out to reveal a guest bed for sleepovers.

Next door, Tom's room has boyish blue walls, cute solid wooden bunkbeds and car-themed bedding.

Gillian said: "This is a great family home. I think we'll be happy to stay here for the foreseeable future."

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Housefile: Three-bedroom family home with additional basement floor in Greenock, Renfrewshire.

We love: The family room - it's ideal for the way we live.

We'd change: We'd love to add a conservatory on to the back of our favourite room, the family room.

Next house: We love living in the middle of the town at the minute, but once the kids are older, it would be nice to move somewhere a little more rural.

CAPTION(S):

Gillian Forrest, right, with her sister and partner Lesley Ferguson; The decor in the formal lounge has stayed true to the period style of the 200-year-old townhouse; The spacious Georgian townhouse is laid out over three levels; The modern oak kitchen's open-plan design is ideal for entertaining; The dining area is large enough to accommodate a corner sofa; Tom's favourite thing - cars - dominate the decor in his bedroom