Woman ordered to repaint her pink front door turns it green

A homeowner who was ordered to repaint her pink front door has now turned it green after a long and public battle with Edinburgh council.

Miranda Dickson, 49, changed the colour after being threatened with a £20,000 fine by City of Edinburgh Council which said it was not "in keeping with the historic character" of the New Town area.

The mum-of-two inherited the Georgian home from her parents in 2019 and renovated it during the COVID lockdown in 2021 after returning from the US.

But the property is located in a World Heritage conservation area and the council said she needed permission to change the colour of the front door.

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Dickson, who runs a travel agency, has now painted the door green and said it cost her £500.

She told the BBC: "When I started my vision about the house, I had my mood boards and for me the pink door was the wrapping to that creative vision.

"The pink door was the external vision to what my internal house is.

"So to be forced to change it has left me feeling saddened and disappointed.

"I'm upset by all the energy and opinion it has caused and I now feel I am closing a chapter and putting it to bed, although I don't feel peaceful about it.”

Dickson, who grew up in the house, got the front door professionally painted in 2021.

But in October 2022, she was threatened with a fine by the council after she said someone complained.

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She added: "I don't understand why it has caused them to be so angry, I can't understand that emotion about the colour of a door.

"These homes were built as entertainment spaces.

"They are incredible spaces and I have leaned into the bones of the rooms to maximise their beauty.”

Dickson, who said pink doors aren’t weird after seeing one on TV soap EastEnders, still has a pink bathroom and pink hall staircase.

She said: "When I went to university I had everything pink, even pink dreadlocks.

"The idea for me was to create a dream world which was slightly surreal, with each room having a different vibe.

"It has taken a lot of work but I feel I have achieved that now. I love it and it feels like my space."