Interiors: inside a vibrant Edinburgh townhouse Bonnington House is a sprawling 17th-century manor house on the outskirts of Edinburgh, and for 12 years it has been the home of Nicky and Robert Wilson and their four children, Hermione, 16, Rory, 14, Cressida, 11, and Rocco, nine. For the next 18 months however, the family (including their four dogs, two budgies, two love birds and one tortoise) will be downsizing to live in their new pied-à-terre in the heart of the city. Nicky, a sculptor, and Robert, the chairman of the natural-healthcare company Nelsons, commission artists, including Antony Gormley and Andy Goldsworthy, to construct works at Jupiter Artland. Their support of artists, including newer names such as Shane Waltener and Eck Finlay, has led the American landscape architect Charles Jencks, whose Cells of Life sculpture features at the park, to call Nicky "the midwife of contemporary art." Up a sweeping staircase to the first floor is the more formal drawing room, which takes up the entire width of the house and has three huge windows overlooking the gardens. With artworks including a sculpture by Damien Hirst, it's not the sort of room you would want a child throwing a rugby ball around. Behind it are the master bedroom and Rocco's room, while upstairs in the eaves there are three more bedrooms. Decorated in strong colours, geometric patterns and bright florals, the house is a departure for Nicky. When she decorated Bonnington House 12 years ago it was in a fairly minimal style with neutral colours. "But this house has launched my girly side," she says with a laugh. It's a bit of a shock for Robert. It's also influencing the way she is redecorating their main home, which is turning out to be more colourful than before. We know we are going to return to Bonnington House, but for now we are enjoying a sabbatical. It is a chance for us to have a gap year; a break from our normal life. The entrance hall Nicky Wilson's flamboyance and femininity come to the fore in the form of the dramatic wallpaper, Rävdunge by Borastapeter, chosen for the elegant Georgian entrance hall. Identical chests - family heirlooms - sit on either side of the hall with mirrors from Nicky Haslam above them. The living room (main picture, top) The sofas and the ottoman are from Andrew Martin. Above the fireplace hangs a painting by Craigie Aitchison, the Scottish artist known for his paintings of the crucifixion. In it two dogs chase each other across a landscape, with a crucifix taking centre stage. The rich, deep colours are reflected throughout the room. The rug is Key Shadow from the Rug Company. To the right is a sketch for Firmament by Antony Gormley. The kitchen/dining room The Wilsons moved the kitchen from the basement to the ground floor, into what had been a bathroom. Knocking down the wall between the new kitchen and the dining room has created a modern space suitable for entertaining and for supervising homework. Designed by Nicky, the simple kitchen was made and fitted by an Edinburgh-based firm, Laurence McIntosh, and painted a subtle shade of pink. The tongue-and-groove panelling and the large shelves give the room an old-fashioned look befitting its Georgian roots. The floorboards have been painted navy blue, here and throughout the rest of the house. The simple dining table and chairs are overshadowed by a playful chandelier made from fishing floats from Pedlars. The master bedroom The bed, made and carved by David Penrose, a friend of Nicky's from Camberwell College of Arts, and given to the couple as a wedding present by Nicky's parents, is a copy of a Pugin tomb in Westminster Cathedral. The wild-rose vintage wallpaper from Cath Kidston chosen by Nicky is a style far removed from her usual minimalism, but one she is enjoying thoroughly. Pictures of the children are displayed around the room. The small picture to the left of the bed is by the 15th-century Spanish artist Fernando Gallego. It was given to the couple as a wedding present by Robert's father. The cloakroom The Wilsons have painted the panelled walls in the downstairs cloakroom grey and papered one wall in Hexagono by Tres Tintas. Framed pictures by the children hang alongside work by Geoffrey Hamilton Rhoades and other artists. Jupiter Artland Photographs by Douglas Gibb