Kitchen of the Week: The Lengths Studio, a Former Primary School Kitchen Transformed in the Scottish Highlands

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When artists Susie Brown and Ziggy Campbell came across a derelict primary school for sale on the Ardgour peninsula near Fort William in Scotland back in 2013, they were immediately drawn to both the building and its location. “The space just had something that pulled us in,” recalls Susie.

Originally built for industry workers’ children in 1966, the school was abandoned in 2010: “It had been mothballed. It looked like there had been some kind of event that had caused the pupils and staff to ﬂee at speed, leaving everything behind. The exterior was pretty rotten. the roof leaked, and windows were broken,” she says. Surprisingly for the duo, seeing the building “at its worst amplified the majesty outside.” The modernist property on the banks of the narrows between Loch Eil and Loch Linnhe clearly had huge conversion potential.

Space and budget were key priorities at the time. The couple had been living in Edinburgh for 10 years and had always rented somewhere large enough for both of them to have a home studio. However, when their landlord decided to end their long tenancy, they struggled to find somewhere affordable to live and carry on their creative practices. Exploring industrial spaces was one possible avenue, which eventually led them to the 300-square-meter school and to a whole new chapter in the West Highlands.

From the moment they moved in, “the work was full on for around five years.” Ziggy (aka Lomond Campbell) had just released his debut album, and one track in particular, The Lengths, seemed to sum up the long road that lay ahead of them. Susie became the project manager and builder while Ziggy tried to bring in cash—a mortgage was out of the question due to the non-standard commercial status and dilapidated state of the building—and help in between work trips. Neither of them had any renovation experience but had studied sculpture and were practicing creatives. “It turns out that this armed us with a lot of problem-solving skills and an ability to look at any new task as an opportunity to explore a new process,” Susie says.

In addition to rebuilding a place to live and a place to work, the couple transformed the original school kitchen into a rental annex to allow architecture, art, design, and nature lovers to enjoy a peaceful break in the Highlands.

Let’s have a closer look at their clever renovation and unique apartment offering.

Photography by Matt Butter, David Van Dartel, Megan Redden, and Mark Newton, courtesy of The Lengths Studio.

from an old school kitchen to a stylish, self contained \25 square meter annex, 17 — Above: From an old school kitchen to a stylish, self-contained 25-square-meter annex, Susie and Ziggy’s modernist conversion offers a kitchen, living/dining area, bathroom, bed nook, and private entrance in a stunning location. As throughout, the “design was dictated mainly by the building itself and the colors around it,” says Susie, adding: “We have an attachment to everything in there. Every artwork, piece of furniture, and ﬁxture has a story and a good human behind it.”

&#8\2\20;it’s satisfying when you come up with a way to retain some of th 18 — Above: “It’s satisfying when you come up with a way to retain some of the history of a space,” says Susie. In that way, Susie and Ziggy decided to reuse the hotplate framework from the school kitchen, then replaced the worktop and shelves with cast concrete and refitted the original sink. The extra unit for the cooker and hob echoes the original framework. Small but well-equipped, the kitchen is bright and uncluttered, and the pegboard wall mount is the perfect showcase for the owners’ midcentury and Japanese-inspired finds. Note the still life by Susan Castillo and the repurposed terrazzo trivet.

the cozy bed nook used to be the school cupboard; the bathroom was the sluice c 19 — Above: The cozy bed nook used to be the school cupboard; the bathroom was the sluice cupboard and exterior entrance into the school kitchen. By moving the doorway into the studio to another wall, the duo was able to increase the room they had to create the bathroom; removing the modular wall panel between the cupboard and kitchen allowed space for the nook and a king-size bed.

The couple got a lovely surprise when they started stripping the plasterboard off of the walls and learning about the building’s structure. The 1960s prefabricated school was designed using Vic Hallam’s Derwent System, which allowed for easy expansion or division of spaces. “The walls were constructed using beautifully built modular panel frameworks, held together with coach bolts. To change spaces we were able to unscrew the panels and reﬁt them into their new position without lifting a saw,” says Susie.

the warmth of wood and mustard awaits in this cleverly remodeled bathroom featu 20 — Above: The warmth of wood and mustard awaits in this cleverly remodeled bathroom featuring a deep Japanese-style bath, copper rainfall shower, and a 1930s mirror passed down from Susie’s grandmother.

the owners do not take simple comforts for granted after experiencing a couple 21 — Above: The owners do not take simple comforts for granted after experiencing a couple of “pretty tough Highland winters” when they first moved into the damp, leaky ruins. Today, guests can relax and enjoy the warmth of a wood-burning stove in the living/dining area.

an annex with a view. stay there long enough, house binoculars in hand, and you 22 — Above: An annex with a view. Stay there long enough, house-binoculars in hand, and you may spy osprey, white-tailed eagles, buzzards, or otters. Or, ship-gaze, lose yourself in a book, or admire a painting by Vivien McDermid, one of several pieces exchanged by artists who took part in the couple’s earlier barter-based creative residencies. The sheepskin-clad lounge chairs are from a “very kind friend.”

&#8\2\20;eat in the scottish al fresco style (inside with the door open),&a 23 — Above: “Eat in the Scottish al fresco style (inside with the door open),” just a few meters from the shore. The dining table was a relic from Susie’s grandparents’ house, and it took the couple a whole year to clad the building (i.e. “burning, wire brushing, oiling, burning (again) 2,500 linear meters of Siberian Larch… with one roofer’s torch.”)

artist owners susie brown and ziggy campbell enjoying a moment with their borde 24 — Above: Artist owners Susie Brown and Ziggy Campbell enjoying a moment with their Border Collie, Bo.

the view of the docks across the loch. the old primary school was built for wor 25 — Above: The view of the docks across the loch. The old primary school was built for workers’ children during the Highlands’ industrial boom in the 1960s. “The local community felt that the building was an eyesore” when the couple first moved there, they say.

Despite suggestions to pull down the building, the couple were intent on renovating the existing structure. “With creativity and vision, so many old buildings could be repurposed; this in itself is a win for the environment,” says Susie. From start to finish, they reused materials left in the school, salvaging flooring, resizing doors, and repurposing windows for their future greenhouse, for example.

as the before and after photos testify, the renovation was a true labor of lo 26 — Above: As the Before and After photos testify, the renovation was a true labor of love, carried out by listening to “the history of the place, the environment, and most importantly, to the building itself.”

the surroundings: ancient woodlands, mountains, a loch, and a working ship& 27 — Above: The surroundings: ancient woodlands, mountains, a loch, and a working ship’s dock.

For more information about The Lengths studio, and to book a stay, head here.

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